The UK government’s latest Clean Electricity Action Plan 2030 outlines significant growth in renewable energy capacity by 2030, with a focus on offshore wind and solar photovoltaic (PV) power. The plan sets a target of 45-47GW for solar PV capacity in 2030, emphasizing the potential to exceed the 47GW cap.

 

 

 

As of the second quarter of 2024, the UK’s cumulative solar PV capacity stood at 16.6GW, with an additional 23.8GW of projects under construction or signed. Solar Energy UK believes the 45GW target is conservative and that solar PV has the potential to significantly surpass this level.

 

The plan includes promoting solar installations on warehouses, industrial sites, and outdoor parking lots, with a survey on PV canopies for parking lots set to begin in 2025. Additionally, solar technology is included in policies such as the Warm Homes Local Grant and Warm Homes Social Housing Fund, and its application will be further expanded in future versions of the plan.

 

 

Wind power is also a core component of the plan, aiming for a cumulative installed capacity of 43-50GW by 2030, with onshore wind contributing 27-29GW.

 

Flexible power regulation is also part of the plan, with installations of 23-27GW of battery storage and 4-6GW of long-duration storage planned, along with the development of flexible technologies such as carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) and hydrogen energy. Furthermore, around 35GW of natural gas storage capacity will ensure secure electricity supply.

 

 

Against the backdrop of global energy transformation, the photovoltaic industry has taken off, and the scale of global photovoltaic installed capacity continues to grow. TrendForce predicts that global photovoltaic installed capacity will reach 596GW in 2025, up 6.0% year-on-year, and the growth rate will slow down significantly. The share of the three major mainstream incremental markets in China, Europe and the United States will decline, and emerging markets such as Southeast Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East will perform well, injecting new impetus into the growth of global photovoltaic installed capacity.

 

 

Global new installed capacity to reach 596GW in 2025

 

According to TrendForce data, global photovoltaic installed capacity has grown rapidly from 113GW in 2019 to 462GW in 2023, with an average annual compound growth rate of 42.3%. After experiencing high growth in the first five years, it is expected that the growth rate of global photovoltaic installed capacity will drop sharply from 2025 and enter the adjustment stage. In 2025, global photovoltaic installed capacity will reach 596GW, up 6.0% year-on-year.

 

In terms of market share, the Asia-Pacific market fell slightly to 61.1%, the Americas market grew to 15.6%, and the market share of Europe and the Middle East and Africa did not change much.

 

 

From the data of new photovoltaic installations in the four major regional markets in 2025, the Americas will lead slightly in growth, and the Asia-Pacific region will still lead in growth. In 2025, driven by the two major markets of the United States and Brazil, the Americas will maintain its leading growth rate; the emerging countries in the Middle East and Africa are still to be developed, and the growth rate has slowed down significantly; the Asia-Pacific region leads the global photovoltaic market in growth, but the growth rate of installed capacity has slowed down under the high base; Europe has steadily increased its growth under the overall goal of coal withdrawal and renewable energy.