The Solar Revolution: Exponential Growth in Clean Power Ahead

The Solar Revolution Accelerates: The World on Track to Double Clean Energy Sources by 2030

According to a new report by the International Energy Agency, energy sources producing about 4.6 terawatts are expected to be added in the coming years.
Most of the energy will come from solar sources but wind and hydropower are expected to provide at least 1 terawatt of the final target.
However despite the impressive numbers, this still falls short of the target set at the COP28 climate summit in 2023.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) paints an extremely optimistic picture for the future of renewable energy saying that exponential growth in clean electricity production worldwide. According to the report between 2025 and 2030 the world is expected to add about 4,600 gigawatts (4.6 terawatts) of clean power thats nearly double the amount built in the previous five years.

The main driving force behind this expansion is solar energy.
Photovoltaic (PV) technology is expected to account for more than three-quarters of all renewable energy growth during this period.
The reasons, the IEA notes include low equipment costs, simplified regulatory procedures and broad social acceptance of the technology.
The solar revolution is roughly divided between two main models: The first model includes large scale utility projects with about 2 terawatts expected to be built as massive solar farms.

These projects require extensive land but offer significantly lower production costs due to economies of scale and centralized planning.
The second model includes distributed projects producing about 1.5 terawatts from smaller installations mainly rooftop panels on homes, commercial buildings and parking lots.
Their advantage lies in proximity to consumers, reducing the need for expensive new transmission networks.

This solution is gaining popularity especially in countries with high electricity tariffs or unreliable grids where it provides a stable and affordable alternative.
Wind and Hydropower: Growth in the Shadow of the Sun While solar surges ahead, other clean energy sources are also expected to grow: Onshore wind: Capacity is expected to jump from 505 gigawatts in the previous five years to about 732 gigawatts by 2030.
Offshore wind: Capacity is expected to more than double, from 60 gigawatts to 140 gigawatts.

Hydropower: The sector is expected to recover from a weak period but will not return to the growth levels seen in the early 2010s.
Despite the encouraging data the IEA emphasizes that the growth rate is still insufficient to meet the international goal set at COP28: to triple clean electricity production by the end of this decade compared to 2023.
This gap highlights the challenge facing leaders preparing for COP30 discussions in Brazil.