The global solar industry has reached a major milestone, surpassing 2 terawatts (TW) of installed capacity—enough to power around 92 million U.S. households. Sonia Dunlop, CEO of the Global Solar Council, emphasized the challenge of tracking these small projects, as many go unregistered in various countries. The industry is now focused on scaling up to 8 TW by 2030, a target that data suggests is achievable. Reaching this capacity would contribute more than half of the 11 TW of renewable energy capacity needed to meet a U.N. climate goal established at last year's climate conference in Dubai.

This rapid growth is unprecedented, with more solar capacity added in the last two years than in the prior 68 years combined, according to exclusive data from the Global Solar Council shared with Reuters. To raise financing to help hit the goal, the council will launch an International Solar Finance group at the next round of U.N. talks beginning on Nov. 11 in Baku.

The Council’s figures provide the most comprehensive view to date, as they include small, often unregistered rooftop installations, which are frequently excluded from official government data. It wants to connect funds, multilateral banks, private finance and international institutions to drive down the cost of capital in emerging and developing economies to 5% from 15%.

This ambitious goal underscores the need for continued innovation and policy support in the renewable energy sector, particularly in expanding accessible, small-scale solar installations.