A new report by Ember, a UK-based independent climate and energy think tank, projects that global solar capacity will reach 593GW by the end of 2024.
If these forecasts are accurate, it would mark a 29% increase in capacity compared to the previous year, even after a remarkable 87% growth in 2023. By July 2024, it is estimated that 292GW of solar capacity had already been installed worldwide.
For most countries, including the UK, the amount of installed solar capacity added in 2024 has outpaced the same period in 2023. The UK, in particular, added around 1.1 times the capacity it installed the previous year.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) data, released in August, shows that the UK now boasts a total installed solar capacity of 17GW.
This represents a 7.5% increase (1.2GW) since July 2023, with 70MW of new solar capacity added in July 2024, the highest monthly figure so far this year.
Despite the prevalence of small-scale domestic solar installations in the UK, these only account for 30% of the country’s total installed capacity. In June 2024, 77% of the new solar installations were domestic, adding 51MW of capacity.
Ember’s analysis shows that the UK is experiencing modest but steady growth in solar installations, with an 11% year-on-year increase in installed capacity—on par with Germany’s growth rate.
Interestingly, global forecasts for solar power installations have been repeatedly revised upwards over the past 18 months, as the actual installation rates have consistently exceeded even the most optimistic predictions.
Ember’s estimate of 593GW of additional capacity for 2024 is nearly 200GW higher than the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) forecast at the beginning of the year.
Looking ahead, the UK’s solar capacity is expected to rise sharply, thanks to the Contracts for Difference (CfD) Allocation Round 6 (AR6), which has set new benchmarks for the industry. A total of 93 ground-mounted solar projects, representing a combined capacity of 3.3GW, were awarded contracts under AR6.
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