Solar energy reaches 10 percent of global electricity production

Solar energy reached a new milestone in the first half of 2026, accounting for 10 percent of global electricity production. This represents significant growth compared to 8.9 percent in 2025 and 5.6 percent in 2023. While solar power provides substantial energy during midday peaks—covering over 50 percent of demand in mature markets like the Netherlands and Germany—the contribution drops to nearly zero after sunset, leaving fossil fuels to meet evening demand.

To address this intermittency, battery storage capacity is expanding rapidly. The cost of lithium iron phosphate batteries fell by 95 percent between 2010 and 2025, making it increasingly viable to shift solar production to evening hours.

Technological advancements are also driving efficiency. The Dutch research institute TNO, in collaboration with industrial partners and Hanwha Q CELLS, has demonstrated that bifacial tandem solar panels—combining perovskite and silicon—can be produced at an industrial scale. These panels can deliver 15 to 30 percent more power than conventional bifacial silicon modules, offering higher power density for the energy transition.