See all news Solar power dominates the evolution of the global energy mix
In 2025, the record addition of 814 GW of wind and solar capacity was again dominated by solar photovoltaics (PV), with 647 GW, or almost 80% of new capacity. Solar alone thus accounted for around four times as many additions as wind, confirming its central role in the global dynamic. These additions come against a backdrop in which renewable energies now largely dominate new installed capacity, with growth significantly outstripping that of fossil fuels, whose additions have remained marginal at around 100 GW. This acceleration positions solar power as the main driver of global power plant expansion, both in terms of volume and pace of deployment, consolidating its status as the dominant technology for new electricity generation facilities.
Costs resolutely on the decline
Sharply falling costs, combined with increased production capacity and the deployment of ever more efficient modules, continue to support the solar boom. According to IRENA's most recent data, the discounted cost of electricity (LCOE) of grid-connected solar PV plants fell by an average of 89% between 2010 et 2024, from 0.417 USD/kWh in 2010 to 0.043 USD/kWh in 2024. No other electricity-generating technology has seen a cost reduction of this magnitude.
However, this downward trend came to a halt between 2020 et 2022: LCOE and module prices rose for the first time in over a decade. This anomaly is attributable to disruptions to global supply chains linked to the COVID-19 pandemic: polysilicon shortages, sharply increased freight costs and widespread inflation. By 2023, the resumption of Chinese module overproduction brought prices to new historic lows.
Solar on a global scale
According to IRENA, global cumulative solar PV capacity will rise from 578.5 GW in 2019 to 1,859 GW in 2024, an almost fourfold increase in just five years. By 2024, 451.9 GW of solar PV capacity had been installed worldwide in a single year, more than the entire existing global capacity in 2017.
By 2024, Asia held the majority of the world's cumulative solar PV installed capacity. China remains the largest solar PV market, with 886.1 GW of cumulative installed capacity, followed by the USA with 176.1 GW, India with 97.2 GW and Germany with 89.9 GW.
According to IEA-PVPS, a new perspective emerges with the per capita measurement: the Netherlands (1486 W/capita), Australia (1463 W/capita) and Germany (1202 W/capita) come out on top, reflecting the deep integration of solar power into their energy fabric. China, despite its leadership in absolute volume, ranks 10th worldwide per capita, due to its population of 1.4 billion.
Canada: strong growth, but unevenly distributed
By the end of 2024, the cumulative installed capacity of grid-connected solar photovoltaic systems was estimated at 5,289 MW nationwide, representing growth of 60% on 2019. Ontario, which held 94% of installations in 2019, sees its share reduced to 53% in 2024 (2,808 MW), reflecting increasing geographic diversification. Alberta, with 1,996 MW, has increased its capacity more than 20-fold in five years, from 94 MW in 2019 to 1996 MW in 2024 - unprecedented growth on a Canadian scale.
Solar energy in Quebec: still lagging behind but favorable conditions
With 16.94 MW of total installed capacity in 2022, Quebec has more than doubled its capacity since 2019 (6.25 MW), thanks in particular to Hydro-Québec's La Prairie and Varennes facilities. However, the province still accounts for less than 0.4% of Canadian capacity, and ranks 8th nationally behind much less populous territories such as the Yukon. On a per capita basis, Quebec's energy consumption is around 2 W/capita, 750 times less than that of the Netherlands.
Hydro-Québec's recent openness to solar energy is reflected in a 300 MW call for tenders, a target of 125,000 net metering customers for solar photovoltaic installations, and a target of 3,000 MW by 2035. This marks a significant change in stance: photovoltaic solar energy is now set to play a structuring role in Quebec's energy mix.
Oumayma El Jarray, Research and Innovation Analyst
David Durette, Expert Analyst, Research and Innovation
Yanick Paquet, Scientific Leader
