Global Solar PV · Installed Capacity

It took 68 years to reach 1TW of solar.
The next terawatt took 2 years.

Total installed solar PV capacity is on an exponential curve — each year now adds more capacity than entire decades did before.

68 yrs
from first solar cell (1954)
to 1 terawatt (2022)
2 yrs
from 1TW to 2TW
(2022 → 2024)
~5.5 TW
projected installed solar
by 2030 (IEA NZE scenario)
Installed solar capacity (GW)
2025–2030 projections
Terawatt milestones (1TW, 2TW)
E = Estimate / Projection
Sources: IRENA Renewable Capacity Statistics; IEA World Energy Outlook; BloombergNEF Global Solar Report.
Historical data: global cumulative solar PV installed capacity. First commercial silicon solar cell: Bell Labs, 1954.
2025–2030 projections based on IEA Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario (NZE) and IRENA's 1.5°C pathway.