BRICS nations generate 51% of global solar power in 2024; India logs 133 TWh: Ember

New Delhi: Ten BRICS nations accounted for 51 per cent of global solar electricity generation in 2024, a sharp rise from 15 per cent a decade ago, according to a new report by energy think tank Ember. The report, released ahead of the BRICS summit, positions the bloc as a key driver of the global energy transition.The findings show that China, India, and Brazil were the top contributors to this growth. China remained the world’s largest solar power generator with 834 terawatt hours (TWh), almost three times the output of the United States, which was ranked second. India generated 133 TWh in 2024, recording a fourfold rise from 2019 levels, while Brazil entered the global top five by surpassing Germany with 75 TWh.The share of clean power in meeting new electricity demand also saw a substantial jump. Solar met 36 per cent of the increase in electricity generation across BRICS in 2024, up from 14 pe cent in the previous decade and 0.25 per cent a decade before that. Clean energy sources including wind, hydro, and nuclear met 70 per cent of the increase in electricity demand across the bloc in 2024.

“BRICS countries are no longer on the sidelines of the clean energy transition – they are driving it,” said Muyi Yang, Senior Electricity Analyst at Ember. “They now account for more than half of global solar power generation. As economies like China, India, and Brazil scale up solar at record pace, BRICS is proving that clean electricity can power both economic growth and resilience.”

In China, clean energy sources met 82 per cent of the increase in electricity generation in 2024, with solar alone contributing 41 per cent. From January to May 2025, China met all of its additional electricity demand using clean energy, leading to a decline in fossil-based power generation.India and Brazil also recorded year-on-year solar generation increases of 32 per cent and 35 per cent, respectively, from January to April 2025.The report notes that progress remains uneven across BRICS nations. Russia's solar generation was still below 0.5 TWh in early 2025. In Indonesia, more than 75 per cent of electricity growth from 2014 to 2023 was sourced from fossil fuels, and Egypt continues to depend heavily on gas to meet rising electricity demand.However, falling battery storage costs are making solar more competitive in countries like South Africa, with Ember pointing out that 24/7 solar power is now viable when paired with batteries.

The report concludes that with clean technologies becoming more cost-effective, BRICS nations have a strategic opportunity at the upcoming summit to advance their clean energy commitments while enhancing energy security and reducing fossil fuel imports.