IRENA – Renewable Capacity Statistics. The renewable power capacity data represents the maximum net generating capacity of power plants and other installations that use renewable energy sources to produce electricity. For
Solar energy is the most abundantly available and one of the cleanest energy resources that humankind has known for a long time. With the benefits of solar energy and its advantages, many countries worldwide are on the path to
The utilization of renewable energy as a future energy resource is drawing significant attention worldwide. The contribution of solar energy (including concentrating solar power (CSP) and solar photovoltaic (PV) power) to global electricity production, as one form of renewable energy sources, is generally still low, at 3.6%.
While the contribution of solar energy to global electricity production remains generally low at 3.6%, it has firmly established itself among other renewable energy technologies, comprising nearly 31% of the total installed renewable energy capacity in 2022 (IRENA, 2023).
Through a systematic literature survey, this review study summarizes the world solar energy status (including concentrating solar power and solar PV power) along with the published solar energy potential assessment articles for 235 countries and territories as the first step toward developing solar energy in these regions.
In the UK, more than 17,000 households installed solar panels every month in 2023. Solar photovoltaic production increased 23% from 2019 to 2020, and it's now the third-largest renewable electricity source worldwide, accounting for a significant portion of renewable energy production.
In 2022, the most significant expansion in the solar PV market occurred in China, the US, and India, with increments of 86.1 GW, 17.8 GW, and 13.5 GW, respectively (IRENA, 2023). Fig. 2 shows the contribution of each continent in the world's solar PV installed capacity in 2018, followed by 2030 and 2050 based on IRENA’s REmap analysis.
The growth of solar energy is expected to continue, with some projections estimating that global solar installations could reach 4.7 terawatts by 2050. The statistics surrounding the solar PV industry are awe-inspiring. Solar PV installations have also substantially reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
