Global milestone: Solar PV leads the charge as renewable energy overtakes coal
5 min read
The South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) welcomes the findings of the global energy think tank Ember, which reported (recently) that renewable energy sources surpassed coal to become the world’s largest source of electricity generation in the first half of 2025. This landmark achievement underscores the momentum of the solar-led energy transition.
SAPVIA, the voice of the South African solar PV industry, sees this global turning point driven primarily by record growth in solar power, as a powerful validation of its long-held vision for a sustainable and secure energy future for South Africa.
“This is the news the solar PV industry has been championing for years. It confirms what we already know: solar energy is not just the cleanest option, it is now the globally dominant and most viable energy source. It is accessible to a majority of people, while hundreds of millions of people around the world enjoy energy security that is delivered to them thanks to solar,” said SAPVIA CEO, Dr Rethabile Melamu.
“The world has reached a historic tipping point, and this momentum must now be accelerated in South Africa. The massive, scalable deployment of solar PV is the most direct and cost-effective path to achieving national energy security and realising a true Just Energy Transition.”
The Ember report highlights that solar power delivered the lion’s share of global growth, meeting 83% of the increase in electricity demand. This echoes SAPVIA’s vision, which positions solar PV as the technology of choice for rapidly increasing energy capacity across all market segments – from utility-scale to commercial, industrial (C&I), and residential (SSEG), even off-grid and difficult to electrify areas.
Melamu explains that this milestone aligns with SAPVIA’s key advocacy priorities:
- Cut the red tape to fast-track deployment: While the private sector has responded magnificently, policy and regulatory hurdles continue to slow essential projects. SAPVIA urges a streamlined national framework, including a standardised and online registration system for Small-Scale Embedded Generation (SSEG) and battery energy storage (BESS) systems, to ensure quicker grid access and greater policy certainty.
- Expedite access to the grid and ensure level playing field for government and private sector projects. There is a lot of dissatisfaction with the rate of implementation of SA Wholesale Electricity Market (SAWEM), so a more balanced reflection on that will be useful.
Ensure quality and safety for sustainable growth: As adoption grows exponentially, maintaining high industry standards is critical for long-term sustainability and consumer trust. SAPVIA is committed to expanding quality assurance initiatives, such as the PV GreenCard Programme, to ensure all installations are safe, compliant, and reliable. - Localise and upskill the value chain: The transition to a solar-powered economy presents a massive opportunity for job creation, skills development, and industrial localisation. SAPVIA is actively engaged in supporting the implementation of the South African Renewable Energy Masterplan and ensuring that the economic benefits of the solar boom, including potential employment are realised across South Africa’s communities.
- Create an enabling environment of utility and C&I wheeling: The ability for large power users to procure solar energy from independent producers via the national grid (wheeling) is transformative. SAPVIA calls for continued support for policies that enable and streamline wheeling, fair access to the grid infrastructure, transparent rules of participation by all parties, ensuring that the solar industry can deliver much-needed, reliable power to the commercial and industrial heart of the economy.
“The global shift towards clean and sustainable electricity sources is crucial. For South Africa, a country blessed with some of the best solar resources on Earth, this is a clear sign to double down on our PV roll-out in South Africa. We have the technology, the resources, and the market appetite.
“Now, we need to grab the full benefit of the current environment where enabling policy is in place, and do this by fast tracking reforms that will catalyse uptake in the private market,” said Melamu.
