“Global solar additions reached nearly 600 gigawatts in 2024, and the pace has quickened—380 gigawatts were installed in the first half of 2025, putting this year on track for another record,” reports The Doomslayer.
Global solar installations are on track for another record year. In the first six months of 2025, the world added 380 GW of new solar capacity — 64% higher than during the same period in 2024, when 232 GW were installed. In 2024, it took until September for global solar capacity additions to surpass 350 GW, while in 2025, the milestone was reached in June.
The rapid expansion of solar capacity in recent years has made it the fastest growing source of new electricity generation. In 2024, global solar output rose by 28% (+469 TWh) compared to 2023, more than any other source…China remains the global leader of this surge. In the first half of 2025, its installations more than doubled compared with the same period last year. As a result, China added more than twice as much solar capacity as the rest of the world combined, making up 67% of the global total. In the first half of 2024, China made up 54% of global solar installations….Growth in Africa is also beginning to take-off, as the amount of solar panels it imported from China rose 60% in the last 12 months.
A violent militia occupied the big African city of Khartoum and stole most of its electric cables, making it impossible for residents to obtain electric power from the power company. So some residents bought imported Chinese solar panels and used them to power their electric lights and TVs.
“Privately owned solar panels are taking over from the dysfunctional state utility in the African nation of Niger, offering relief from frequent power shortages,” reports The Doomslayer.
Niger is one of the five most backward nations on Earth, according to the Human Development Index. Its capital, Niamey, is the second hottest and third sunniest major capital city on Earth. With 3,066 sunshine hours per year, Niger’s capital city gets about twice as much sunshine as European cities like London, Berlin, and Brussels. So solar power is much more practical in Niger than in much of Europe.
TechXplore describes the rapid expansion of privately-owned solar power in Niger after the government-owned utility stopped providing reliable power:
Solar energy is booming in Niger, one of the world’s sunniest countries, with sales of increasingly cheap solar panels going up and new projects coming online.
An unprecedented energy shortage in 2023 proved a turning point.
Neighboring Nigeria suspended much of its electricity exports to the west African nation as part of regional sanctions against the ruling junta that toppled civilian president Mohamed Bazoum in July 2023.
Haoua Amadou, Niger’s energy minister, said the measure led the country’s electricity production to fall by 30% to 50% and forced state-owned power company Nigelec to impose planned power cuts that can last several days, especially in Niamey.
Nigeria has since resumed delivering electricity “but only providing 46 megawatts instead of the usual 80 megawatts,” Amadou said….
Panels, mostly imported from China, are regularly sold directly on the street.
The abundant supply has made solar equipment more accessible.
Prices for top-quality solar panels have been halved to under 50,000 CFA francs (about 75 euros).
“Even on a small budget, you can power a few light bulbs, a television and a fan,” said technician Mahamadou Issa.
