New Zealand Solar Power: Generation, Share and Trend
New Zealand generated 370 GWh of electricity from solar in 2025, 0.9% of its total, according to Ember. That made it the 92nd largest solar power producer in 2025 of the 180 countries with Ember data, comparing each country's latest year. Solar supplied 8.8% of the world's electricity in 2025. These are annual statistics for 2025; they are compiled from national sources and are not real time.
Key Facts
- New Zealand generated 370 GWh of electricity from solar in 2025.
- Solar supplied 0.9% of New Zealand's electricity in 2025.
- New Zealand was the 92nd largest solar power producer in 2025 among the 180 countries with Ember data, comparing each country's latest year.
- New Zealand's solar generation in 2025 was 131% higher than in 2020, when it was 160 GWh.
- New Zealand's solar generation in 2025 was 825% higher than in 2015, when it was 40.0 GWh.
- New Zealand's solar generation peaked at 370 GWh in 2023.
- New Zealand's solar share in 2025 was below the world share of 8.8%.
- New Zealand had 840 MW of solar generating capacity in 2025.
Key Figures, 2025
| Measure | Value | As of / source |
|---|---|---|
| Solar generation | 370 GWh | 2025 · Ember |
| Share of New Zealand's electricity | 0.9% | 2025 · Ember |
| World share of solar | 8.8% | 2025 · Ember |
| Rank by solar generation (each country's latest year) | 92 of 180 | 2025 · Ember |
| Solar capacity | 840 MW | 2025 · Ember |
Solar Generation Year by Year
Ember annual statistics, 2000 to 2025Annual statistics through 2025, GWh
| Year | Solar |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 0 TWh |
| 2001 | 0 TWh |
| 2002 | 0 TWh |
| 2003 | 0 TWh |
| 2004 | 0 TWh |
| 2005 | 0 TWh |
| 2006 | 0 TWh |
| 2007 | 0 TWh |
| 2008 | 0 TWh |
| 2009 | 0 TWh |
| 2010 | 0 TWh |
| 2011 | 0 TWh |
| 2012 | 0 TWh |
| 2013 | 10.0 GWh |
| 2014 | 20.0 GWh |
| 2015 | 40.0 GWh |
| 2016 | 60.0 GWh |
| 2017 | 80.0 GWh |
| 2018 | 100 GWh |
| 2019 | 130 GWh |
| 2020 | 160 GWh |
| 2021 | 210 GWh |
| 2022 | 280 GWh |
| 2023 | 370 GWh |
| 2024 | 370 GWh |
| 2025 | 370 GWh |
Annual statistics through 2025, % of generation
| Year | New Zealand | World |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2001 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2003 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2004 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2005 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2006 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2007 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2008 | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 2009 | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 2010 | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| 2011 | 0.0% | 0.3% |
| 2012 | 0.0% | 0.4% |
| 2013 | 0.0% | 0.6% |
| 2014 | 0.1% | 0.8% |
| 2015 | 0.1% | 1.1% |
| 2016 | 0.1% | 1.3% |
| 2017 | 0.2% | 1.8% |
| 2018 | 0.2% | 2.2% |
| 2019 | 0.3% | 2.6% |
| 2020 | 0.4% | 3.2% |
| 2021 | 0.5% | 3.7% |
| 2022 | 0.7% | 4.6% |
| 2023 | 0.9% | 5.6% |
| 2024 | 0.8% | 7.0% |
| 2025 | 0.9% | 8.8% |
| Year | Generation | Share | World share | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 370 GWh | 0.9% | 8.8% | 840 MW |
| 2024 | 370 GWh | 0.8% | 7.0% | 580 MW |
| 2023 | 370 GWh | 0.9% | 5.6% | 370 MW |
| 2022 | 280 GWh | 0.7% | 4.6% | 260 MW |
| 2021 | 210 GWh | 0.5% | 3.7% | 190 MW |
| 2020 | 160 GWh | 0.4% | 3.2% | 150 MW |
| 2019 | 130 GWh | 0.3% | 2.6% | 110 MW |
| 2018 | 100 GWh | 0.2% | 2.2% | 90 MW |
| 2017 | 80.0 GWh | 0.2% | 1.8% | 70 MW |
| 2016 | 60.0 GWh | 0.1% | 1.3% | 50 MW |
Full year by year history for New Zealand
Source: Ember (ember-energy.org), licensed under CC BY 4.0. Data as of 2025. World shares are Ember's World totals; ranks compare each country's latest year, which can differ between countries.