Solar & Storage For 300 Million Homes & Businesses By 2030

The Global Solar Council (GSC) and the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM) have formed a global partnership to accelerate the adoption of rooftop solar and battery storage, with a goal of reaching 300 million homes and small businesses by 2030. 

Announced during GCoM's 10th anniversary celebration in London recently, the collaboration will combine GCoM's network of 14,000 cities across 150 countries. GSC will bring its technical expertise and industry network to the partnership. 

The aim of the partnership is to help mayors expand distributed clean energy through practical guidance, technical support, and access to global best practices. 

GSC CEO Sonia Dunlop said, “It took the world 70 years to reach 150 million solar rooftops. Our aim is to double that in the next four years.” 

According to the partners, the program responds to growing pressure from rising electricity costs, increasing power demand and climate-related challenges. Rooftop solar combined with battery storage can lower electricity bills, reduce peak demand, improve the use of locally generated renewable energy and strengthen energy resilience for communities. 

Dunlop explained that cities are central to the energy transition because local governments influence planning, procurement and public infrastructure.

The partners said the collaboration is intended to turn successful city-level projects into a coordinated international effort that supports local economic development while expanding access to clean, reliable energy. 

The initiative will initially focus on high-growth regions in Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Africa, where city leaders will receive support to develop and finance local rooftop solar and battery storage projects. 

The global initiative will be led by Hobart Mayor Anna Reynolds, who will work with cities worldwide to accelerate the adoption of rooftop solar and battery storage.