Solar

Solar

Solar PV becomes the world’s largest energy source well before mid-century, thanks to relentless cost declines and the spread of behind-the-meter systems.

• Global solar PV surpasses 3,000 GW in 2025 and reaches ~47% of global power in 2060.
  Source: DNV ETO 2025 pp. 50–52
  
  
• Behind-the-meter PV supplies 30% of solar output and 13% of total electricity by 2060.
  Source: DNV ETO 2025 p. 51
  
  
• The Indian Subcontinent becomes the largest new solar investor late in the outlook period.
  Source: DNV ETO 2025 p. 19
  
  
• Data centre and AI electricity demand further boost distributed solar + battery uptake.
  Source: DNV ETO 2025 p. 52
  
  
• Solar PV exceeds 3,000 GW (2025) and becomes the largest power source, supplying ~47% of global generation by 2060.
  Source: DNV ETO 2025 (§3.4)
  
  
• Behind-the-meter (BTM) PV delivers 30% of solar output and ~13% of total electricity by 2060; Europe and North America shift to predominantly BTM additions after 2040, while the Indian Subcontinent remains utility-scale-led.
  Source: DNV ETO 2025 (§3.4)
  
  
• Data centre/AI demand is already pushing commercial solar+storage as an interim solution pending grid upgrades (North America highlighted).
  Source: DNV ETO 2025 (§3.4)
  
  
• Policy/tariff design (time-of-use, differentiated pricing) and distribution upgrades are critical to mitigate “duck-curve” and prevent “grid-collapse” dynamics as prosumer adoption scales.
  Source: DNV ETO 2025 (§3.4)