A comprehensive analysis of worldwide renewable energy adoption in 2024-2025
Published: May 2025
The global renewable energy landscape has witnessed unprecedented growth in 2024, with capacity expanding by a record-breaking 15.1%. Total worldwide renewable energy capacity reached 4,448 gigawatts (GW), with an additional 585 GW added during the year. This remarkable progress demonstrates the continuing economic viability and scalability of renewable technologies, particularly solar and wind power, which together accounted for more than 96% of new renewable capacity additions.
Despite this impressive expansion, current growth rates still fall short of the 16.6% annual growth required to achieve the global commitment to triple renewable capacity by 2030. The sector faces persistent challenges in regional distribution, with Asia—particularly China—continuing to dominate growth, while other regions like Africa and the Middle East lag significantly behind.
Renewable energy's share in the world's total installed power capacity rose from 43% to 46.4% between 2023 and 2024, reflecting both accelerated adoption of clean energy technologies and a slowdown in fossil fuel capacity additions. By 2030, renewable sources are projected to account for 46% of global electricity generation, with wind and solar together making up 30% of the total.
The transition to renewable energy is occurring across multiple sectors, with notable progress in electricity generation but slower advancement in heating and transportation. Integration challenges, policy uncertainties, financing barriers, and supply chain constraints present ongoing hurdles, even as technological innovations and falling costs continue to drive the sector forward.
This report examines the current state of global renewable energy adoption, analyzes regional and technological trends, identifies key challenges and opportunities, and provides strategic recommendations for stakeholders seeking to accelerate the global energy transition.
15.1%
Annual growth in renewable energy capacity in 2024
4,448 GW
Global renewable energy capacity at the end of 2024
585 GW
Additional renewable capacity installed in 2024
92.5%
Renewables' share of total power capacity expansion in 2024
46.4%
Renewables' share in world's total installed power capacity
Pie chart representation of renewable energy sources
Solar energy has become the dominant renewable energy source, accounting for 42% of all renewable capacity. This represents substantial growth from previous years, with solar PV technology accounting for virtually all new solar additions.
Bar chart showing capacity growth over time
| Year | Capacity (GW) | Annual Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2,800 | 7.1% |
| 2021 | 3,100 | 10.7% |
| 2022 | 3,400 | 9.7% |
| 2023 | 3,870 | 13.8% |
| 2024 | 4,448 | 15.1% |
The annual growth rate of renewable capacity has been steadily increasing, reaching a record 15.1% in 2024. This acceleration is crucial but still falls short of the 16.6% annual growth needed to meet 2030 tripling targets.
| Region | New Capacity (GW) | Share of Global Additions | Year-on-Year Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asia | 421.5 | 72.0% | +16.8% |
| Europe | 70.1 | 12.0% | +9.0% |
| North America | 45.9 | 7.8% | +8.7% |
| South America | 24.7 | 4.2% | +11.2% |
| Africa | 4.2 | 0.7% | +5.3% |
| Middle East | 3.3 | 0.6% | +7.8% |
| Central America & Caribbean | 18.7 | 3.2% | +6.1% |
| Oceania | 11.2 | 1.9% | +8.9% |
Asia continues to dominate renewable energy growth, accounting for over 70% of global additions in 2024. China alone contributed to 88% of Asia's increase, highlighting the significant regional disparities in renewable energy deployment.
The World Economic Forum's Energy Transition Index for 2024 identifies leading countries in the global energy transition based on system performance and transition readiness. Advanced economies generally top the rankings, with Nordic countries consistently demonstrating leadership.
| Rank | Country | Score | Key Strength |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sweden | 79.2 | Policy stability and low-carbon electricity |
| 2 | Denmark | 78.6 | Wind integration and system flexibility |
| 3 | Finland | 77.9 | Energy security and decarbonization |
| 4 | Switzerland | 77.3 | Hydropower and grid reliability |
| 5 | United Kingdom | 76.8 | Offshore wind deployment |
Several countries have achieved remarkable penetration of renewable energy in their electricity mix, with some approaching or exceeding 50% of total electricity generation from wind and solar alone.
| Country | Wind & Solar Share of Electricity (2024) | Total Renewable Share | Notable Achievement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uruguay | 43.4% | 98% | Nearly complete renewable transformation |
| Greece | 43.3% | 55% | Rapid solar expansion |
| Germany | 40.7% | 52% | Industrial economy with high renewable share |
| Denmark | 39.1% | 80% | On track for 100% by 2030 |
| Spain | 37.8% | 49% | Solar resource maximization |
| Rank | Country | Capacity (GW) | % of Global Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | 1,980 | 44.5% |
| 2 | United States | 432 | 9.7% |
| 3 | Brazil | 194 | 4.4% |
| 4 | India | 175 | 3.9% |
| 5 | Germany | 169 | 3.8% |
China maintains its dominant position in total installed renewable capacity, accounting for nearly half of the global total.
While Asia dominates in total capacity additions, examining leadership by region reveals diverse approaches to renewable energy adoption:
China continues to cement its position as the global leader in renewable energy deployment, demonstrating an unprecedented scale and pace of adoption:
China's model demonstrates the importance of policy consistency, industrial strategy, and infrastructure investment in accelerating renewable adoption. However, the scale of its manufacturing has created global market imbalances and trade tensions.
Asia, particularly China, dominates renewable growth while Africa and small island states lag significantly. This uneven distribution threatens to widen the global energy access gap and limits climate benefits.
Aging grids and limited transmission capacity constrain renewable integration in many regions. The intermittent nature of wind and solar requires grid flexibility and energy storage solutions that are still scaling up.
Higher interest rates in 2023-2024 increased borrowing costs for capital-intensive renewable projects. Developing countries face particular challenges in securing affordable financing for clean energy infrastructure.
Geographic concentration of manufacturing, particularly for solar PV, creates supply risks. Critical mineral constraints for batteries and trade tensions impact technology availability and pricing.
Shifting regulatory frameworks and inconsistent policy support create investment uncertainty. Political transitions in key markets raise questions about long-term commitment to renewable goals.
Rapid industry growth has outpaced workforce development, creating shortages in skilled labor for installation, maintenance, and operations of renewable technologies.
Continued improvements in solar cell efficiency, wind turbine design, and energy storage technologies are reducing costs and improving performance. Next-generation technologies like perovskite solar cells and floating offshore wind offer new deployment options.
The levelized cost of electricity from solar PV dropped by 12% in 2023 alone, continuing a long-term trend that makes renewables the cheapest source of new electricity in most markets globally.
AI, IoT, and advanced analytics enable smarter grid management, predictive maintenance, and more efficient resource utilization. These technologies enhance the integration of variable renewable sources.
Data centers, electrified transportation, green hydrogen production, and other emerging applications create new demand for renewable electricity, driving additional market growth.
New manufacturing investments across regions are helping to create more resilient supply chains for renewable technologies, reducing dependency on single-source markets.
Green bonds, climate finance, and blended finance mechanisms are expanding capital availability for renewable projects in diverse markets. Energy-as-a-service models reduce upfront costs for consumers.
The convergence of artificial intelligence and renewable energy creates both challenges and opportunities for the sector:
Many tech companies are now pursuing ambitious renewable procurement strategies to power their AI operations, creating a significant new market driver for clean energy development. In 2024, tech sector renewable energy purchases accounted for over 35% of all corporate renewable energy agreements globally.
According to the IEA's main-case forecast, global renewable energy consumption across power, heat, and transport sectors is projected to increase by approximately 60% between 2024 and 2030. This expansion would boost the share of renewables in final energy consumption to nearly 20% by 2030, up from 13% in 2023.
Projected renewable energy growth trajectory to 2030
Electricity generation from renewable sources will make up more than three-quarters of the overall rise in renewable energy demand, driven by continued policy support in over 130 countries, falling costs, and expanding electrification in transportation and heating sectors.
Solar PV and wind generation together surpass hydropower generation for the first time.
Renewables-based electricity generation overtakes coal-fired generation globally.
Wind and solar power generation both surpass nuclear generation.
Solar PV electricity generation surpasses wind generation.
Solar PV electricity generation surpasses hydropower to become the largest renewable power source globally.
Wind-based generation surpasses hydropower. Renewable electricity reaches 46% of global electricity generation.
Expected to grow from 0.2 GW in 2024 to over 15 GW by 2030, unlocking wind resources in deeper waters and expanding the geographic potential of offshore wind.
Tandem and perovskite solar cells projected to enter commercial markets at scale by 2026-2027, pushing efficiency limits beyond traditional silicon PV.
Technologies capable of storing energy for 8+ hours expected to grow from 1.5 GW in 2024 to over 30 GW by 2030, enabling deeper integration of variable renewables.
Electrolyzer capacity projected to grow from 1.2 GW in 2023 to over 35 GW by 2030, enabling renewable hydrogen for industrial applications, energy storage, and transportation.
Next-generation geothermal technologies expected to unlock resources in previously inaccessible locations, with commercial demonstrations scaling to multi-gigawatt capacity by 2030.
Renewable electricity generation is forecast to climb to over 17,000 TWh by 2030, an increase of almost 90% from 2023 levels. This would be enough to meet the combined power demand of China and the United States in 2030.
Renewable energy demand in the transport sector is projected to increase by 3.0 EJ during 2024-2030, double the 1.5 EJ increase seen during 2017-2023.
Global renewable heat consumption is forecast to grow more than 50% (15 EJ) during 2024-2030, representing 2.4 times the increase seen in the previous six-year period.
Despite projected record growth, current trajectories fall short of the renewable capacity needed to align with global climate goals:
If the current 15.1% growth rate persists, the world will fall approximately 0.8 TW short of the 11.2 TW required by 2030 to meet the global tripling target. Achieving this goal would require increasing the annual growth rate to at least 16.6% through 2030.
Current projections show continued concentration of growth in a handful of markets, with China alone accounting for 60% of capacity expansion to 2030. Africa is expected to represent less than 2% of total additions despite its vast renewable potential and growing energy needs.
Progress in these sectors remains insufficient for climate goals. By 2030, renewable heat will still provide less than 20% of global heat demand, while transport will reach only 6% renewable share—far below the levels needed for Paris Agreement alignment.
Under current projections, cumulative heat-related emissions alone will exceed 100 Gt CO₂ between 2024-2030—representing almost 30% of the remaining carbon budget for a 50% likelihood of limiting global warming to 1.5°C.
Establish clear, quantifiable renewable energy targets in the next round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Create stable policy frameworks that extend beyond electoral cycles to provide investment certainty.
Streamline approval processes for renewable projects while maintaining environmental protections. Implement digital permitting systems and standardized requirements to reduce administrative barriers.
Invest in transmission infrastructure, enhance interconnections between regions, and modernize grid management systems. Update regulations to enable flexible grid services that support renewable integration.
Implement robust policy frameworks for heat decarbonization, including building codes and incentives for electrification. Establish escalating renewable fuel standards for aviation and shipping sectors.
Allocate innovation funding to emerging technologies like long-duration storage, advanced geothermal, and next-generation biofuels to complement mature wind and solar deployment.
Expand manufacturing capacity across diverse regions to improve resilience. Invest in sustainable material sourcing and circular economy approaches to mitigate critical mineral constraints.
Establish industry-led training programs in partnership with educational institutions. Create standardized certifications and career pathways to address the renewable energy sector's growing skills gap.
Develop hybrid renewable energy systems that combine multiple technologies for improved reliability and grid services. Integrate advanced forecasting and AI-powered optimization to enhance system performance.
Implement best practices for stakeholder engagement and benefit-sharing to improve project acceptance. Design projects with multiple land use considerations and local economic benefits.
Develop industry-wide standards for equipment interoperability, grid protocols, and sustainability metrics to reduce soft costs and improve system integration.
Develop financial products that combine public and private capital to de-risk investments in emerging markets. Create standardized approaches to reduce transaction costs for smaller projects.
Scale up green bond offerings with standardized verification and impact reporting. Create specialized instruments for renewable energy infrastructure with different risk-return profiles.
Integrate comprehensive climate risk analysis into investment decisions. Account for both physical climate risks and transition risks in energy infrastructure portfolios.
Develop energy-as-a-service and pay-as-you-save financing models to overcome upfront cost barriers for consumers and businesses. Create aggregation platforms for small-scale renewable projects.
Provide capacity building support to financial institutions in emerging markets to develop renewable energy expertise. Create standard assessment tools for project evaluation.
The global nature of the energy transition and climate challenge necessitates stronger international collaboration:
Establish improved frameworks for sharing renewable energy technologies and expertise across borders, with particular emphasis on North-South partnerships. Strengthen international R&D collaboration for next-generation technologies and implementation strategies adapted to diverse contexts.
Fulfill and expand existing climate finance commitments to support renewable energy development in emerging economies. Leverage multilateral development banks to provide concessional finance for renewable projects in high-risk markets and create guarantee mechanisms to unlock private capital.
Develop internationally recognized standards for renewable energy equipment, project development, and grid integration protocols. Establish mutual recognition agreements to facilitate cross-border trade in renewable technologies and services.
Support cross-border transmission projects and electricity market integration to enable more efficient renewable resource utilization. Develop international frameworks for renewable electricity trading and certificate recognition.
Develop targeted approaches to accelerate renewable deployment in regions lagging in the energy transition. Create specific support mechanisms for Africa, small island states, and other underserved markets with significant renewable potential. Ensure clean energy access is prioritized alongside climate goals.
Prioritize technologies, market designs, and regulatory frameworks that enable high shares of variable renewable energy. Advance energy storage deployment, demand-side flexibility, and grid-enhancing technologies. Develop planning approaches that consider electricity, heating, and transport systems as integrated sectors.
Implement comprehensive approaches to ensure renewable energy expansion creates inclusive economic opportunities. Develop workforce transition programs for fossil fuel industry workers, create local economic benefits from renewable projects, and address energy poverty through clean energy solutions.
Enhance renewable energy data collection, transparency, and accessibility to improve planning and progress tracking. Leverage digital technologies to optimize system performance and enable more distributed, participatory energy systems.
Foster holistic innovation across technologies, business models, financing structures, and regulatory frameworks. Balance support for deployment of mature technologies with investment in emerging solutions needed for deeper decarbonization.
The global renewable energy landscape stands at a critical juncture. Record-breaking growth in 2024 demonstrates the sector's economic viability and technological maturity, yet the pace of expansion still falls short of what's needed to meet climate goals and energy transition targets.
The data presented in this report reveals both encouraging trends and persistent challenges. Solar and wind technologies continue their remarkable cost reductions and capacity expansion, increasingly outcompeting fossil fuel alternatives in most markets. The share of renewables in global electricity systems is steadily rising, with multiple countries demonstrating that high renewable penetration is technically feasible and economically advantageous.
However, significant barriers remain. Regional disparities in renewable adoption are widening rather than narrowing. Grid infrastructure limitations constrain faster deployment in many markets. The heating and transport sectors lag considerably behind electricity in their renewable transition. Policy uncertainties and financing challenges continue to slow progress in many regions.
Accelerating the global energy transition requires coordinated action across multiple fronts. Policymakers must provide clear, long-term frameworks while addressing immediate barriers. The financial sector needs to develop more innovative approaches to mobilize capital at the necessary scale. Industry stakeholders must continue driving technological innovation while building robust supply chains and addressing workforce needs.
The pathway to tripling renewable capacity by 2030 remains challenging but achievable. The technologies, business models, and knowledge required for this transition are already available. What's needed now is the collective will to overcome implementation barriers and accelerate deployment across all regions and sectors of the global economy. With purposeful action from all stakeholders, the renewable energy revolution can continue to gain momentum and deliver on its promise of a sustainable energy future.