Solar Becomes Fastest Growing Energy Source Ever as Costs Drop 90% in a Decade

The energy think tank Ember confirmed in 2025 that solar is now the fastest growing source of electricity in history. A decade ago, solar accounted for just 1% of global electricity generation; today it stands at 9% and continues to accelerate. In China alone, solar capacity has grown 20-fold. The key driver has been a dramatic collapse in costs — solar panel prices have fallen by approximately 90% over the past decade, making it the cheapest form of new electricity generation in most of the world.

For the first time in 2025, the combined output of wind and solar overtook coal as the world's leading source of electricity. "We are seeing the first signs of a crucial turning point," said Małgorzata Wiatros-Motyka, a senior electricity analyst at Ember. Despite political headwinds in some countries, global investment in clean energy continued to surge, with renewable energy attracting more capital than fossil fuels for the eighth consecutive year. Analysts project that solar alone could supply 20% of global electricity by 2030 if current growth rates continue.

“A decade ago, solar accounted for just 1% of global electricity generation; today it stands at 9% and continues to accelerate.”