Solar with batteries can deliver near round-the-clock electricity at competitive costs, thanks to the decline in battery prices
Battery system prices dropped by 40% in 2024 and have now significantly gone below the LCOE for coal and nuclear
Constant solar power supply at competitive costs is possible for several sunny regions of the world now
It can help feed off-grid industrial zones, especially in emerging economies, thereby reducing the need to invest in expensive grid infrastructure expansion
Battery prices have now become cheap enough to allow solar energy to deliver cost-competitive electricity nearly round-the-clock in the world’s sunniest regions, claims a new Ember report. This ‘24/365 solar generation’ is already cheaper than coal or nuclear power in several parts of the world.
Global energy think tank Ember finds that combining solar panels with battery storage can now deliver cost-competitive electricity nearly every hour of the year in the world’s sunniest regions. Achieving at least 90% and up to 97% of the way to constant 24/365 solar generation is now possible at around $100/MWh, 22% less than a year ago. In comparison, the global levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) for coal stands at $118/MWh in many regions, and for nuclear it is around $182/MWh.
Battery technology prices fell around 40% in 2024, reaching a record $165/kWh for a full battery system, minus EPC and grid connection costs. Recent auction results in Saudi Arabia in 2025 show that the prices have fallen further to $72/kWh, according to the report writers.
As per the report, with an emphatic title Solar electricity every hour of every day is here and it changes everything, Ember explains that 1 kW of stable power can be achieved across 24 hours of an average day in sunny Las Vegas with 5 kW of fixed solar panels and a 17 kWh battery.
Oman’s Muscat can reach 99% of the way to a constant solar energy supply using 6 GW of solar panels and a 17 GWh battery. On the other hand, cloudier cities like Birmingham can get 62% of the way to a constant 24x7 supply.
“While this may not solve every challenge at the grid level, since not all places are as sunny and the electricity demand varies hourly and seasonally, it provides a pathway for solar to become the backbone of a clean power system in sunny regions and to play a much bigger role in less sunny regions,” opines Ember.
What it does help with enormously is provide round-the-clock (RTC) electricity for industries with constant power needs, especially in emerging economies where solar-powered industrial zones can emerge in off-grid regions, ensuring savings on expensive grid infrastructure upgrades.
As much as 5x more solar capacity can be installed in this fashion behind the same grid connection, boosting usage from 20% to near-100% by storing and shifting power to nighttime, according to Ember’s analysis.
“This is a turning point in the clean energy transition. Around-the-clock solar is no longer just a technical possibility and distant dream, but an economic reality. It unlocks game changing opportunities for energy-hungry industries like data-centres and manufacturing. Solar will be unleashed,” said Ember’s Global Electricity Analyst, Kostantsa Rangelova.
Solar and storage assets in a hybrid form are emerging as the ‘default’ model for clean power in some of the sunniest parts of the world, both off- and on-grid, as per the analysis. Report writers stress that the energy policy needs to catch up in order to ensure the sustainable development of this model. This can be done by integrating 24-hour solar generation into planning frameworks, electricity market design and infrastructure development strategies.
The complete report is available for free download on Ember’s website.