Publish Date: December 22nd, 2025
Solar power usage in the world has hit a critical mass. When you look at the global solar industry, it’s clear that solar power is here to stay and that the race to renewables is well underway. So, what does solar look like in America and beyond? Who are the major players and how much is actually being installed? Let’s take a look.
Key Takeaways for Solar Power Usage in the World
- It took from the invention of the photovoltaic solar cell in 1954 until 2022 for the world to install a terawatt (one trillion watts) of solar power. The second terawatt came just two years later in 2024, and the third will arrive either late 2025 or early 2026.
- A gigawatt worth of solar panels is installed every fifteen hours, the rough equivalent of the power generated by one coal-fired power plant. Solar is now growing faster than any power source in history.
- In 2024, 96% of the global demand for new electricity was met by renewables. And in the U.S., ninety-three percent of new generating capacity came from renewables and batteries.
- China is leading the charge, currently installing more than half the world’s renewable energy and storage within its own borders.
- In March of 2025, for the first time, fossil fuels generated less than half the electricity in the U.S. Texas and California are in a race for top state when it comes to solar installation and battery deployment.
What Does Solar Usage in the World Look Like? China & Beyond
Globally, roughly a third more power was generated from the sun this past spring than the spring of 2024. When it comes to global solar power usage, China is the clear frontrunner. In May, China had installed a record ninety-three gigawatts of solar power – amounting to a gigawatt every eight hours or almost 100 solar panels every second. Due to their breakneck speed of renewable adoption, in Q1 of 2025 their total carbon emissions had actually decreased. And last year almost half of their automobiles sold were full or hybrid electric vehicles. China recently built 162 square miles of solar panels on the world’s highest plateau, the Tibetan Plateau, which is nearly 10,000 feet high. These panels cover an area seven times the size of Manhattan, soaking up sunlight that is much brighter than sea level and where more solar energy is captured. This solar park provides the plateau with nearly all the power it needs, including for data centers used in China’s AI development.
The growth of solar power usage in the world has been matched by the growth of battery storage. And this is imperative. Since the sun doesn’t shine all the time, a robust battery deployment that mirrors the solar installations ensures that we can make the best use of the power we’re generating from the sun.
China leads the way here, too, since they’ve become experts at battery building over the past decade and a half – from cellphones to entire electric systems like grid-scale storage, EV platforms, advanced battery tech, and charging infrastructure. This research and development has brought down the cost of energy storage by ninety-five percent globally.
Solar usage in the rest of the world is also surging. Thanks to the strong trade partnerships between China and other countries in Asia, Africa, and South America, other nations are seeing their own surge in renewable power. South America now has no plans to build new coal-fired power plants. India kept their coal use flat from January through April and also cut the amount of natural gas used during the same period in 2024 by a quarter all thanks to a surge in solar production. Poland has always been a leader in coal-mining, but they saw renewable power outstrip coal for electrical generation earlier this year, thanks to solar, and the country has already tripled the goal it set in 2021 for solar power usage by 2030.
It’s clear that solar power usage in the world is growing rapidly. And that this growth is changing our world. At this rate, we’ll soon be living in a very different world.
What About Solar in the U.S.?
While it’s clear that solar usage in the rest of the world is booming, solar in America is showing strong signs of growth and adoption, too.
According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, there are over 5 million residential solar installations in the U.S. We reached this milestone in 2024, and it took 50 years. We’ll reach 10 million – a doubling of our current installations – by 2030, which is just 6 years later. And by 2034, we’ll triple to 15 million.
While every U.S state has solar energy projects, Texas and California are leading the charge. At one point on May 25th, renewables produced 158% of California’s power demand, which broke records. And from January to July, solar generation delivered 39% of the state’s power generation while fossil fuels delivered 26%.
Texas, now installing renewable energy and batteries faster than California, set records for solar and wind production as well as battery discharge in a single week in March.
Nevada is also jumping on the solar bandwagon with about a third of all energy demand met by solar panels. The state is leading the way with the most solar-industry jobs per capita and the highest solar electricity generation per capita. MGM Resorts, the state’s biggest employer, says that 322,000 panels now power 90% of their daytime energy usage.
The growth of solar has taken off because more organizations see the financial benefits on top of the environmental benefits. Henry Shields, MGM’s vice president for research and analytics said, “It gave us control of what we’re going to pay for energy over the next few decades.”
While the renewable energy industry in America faces policy challenges that solar adoption in the much of the world doesn’t have to contend with, the growth is still staggering. We wouldn’t get to this rate of install globally or domestically if capitalism didn’t see the benefit in solar. The good thing for homeowners is that the benefits of going solar are clear for them, too.
Join the Global Movement with Your Top-Rated, Local Coloradan Solar Installer
We’ve been installing high-quality solar systems with industry leading transparency since 2005. And for the homeowner or commercial property owner, the benefits have never been more compelling. With utility rates increasingly on the rise, going solar saves you money. And it’s a choice you can make to better our environment and lower your carbon footprint. All of this while raising the value of your home or commercial property. When you go solar in Colorado, you help raise our local economy while contributing to the booming industry of solar usage in the world.
At Namaste Solar, we take a no-pressure, educational approach. Our solar advisors are non-commissioned, which means they’re incentivized to tell you the truth, not sell you the biggest system. To get started, give us a call at 303-447-0300 or click the button below.
