Worldwide usage of solar energy varies greatly by country, with the top 10 countries representing approximately 74% of the photovoltaic market. As of 2022, China has the largest solar energy capacity in the world at 393,032 megawatts (MW), which produces roughly 4.7%-5% of the country's total energy Contact online >>
Worldwide usage of solar energy varies greatly by country, with the top 10 countries representing approximately 74% of the photovoltaic market. As of 2022, China has the largest solar energy capacity in the world at 393,032 megawatts (MW), which produces roughly 4.7%-5% of the country''s total energy consumption.
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 most countries and technologies, the data reflects the capacity installed and connected at the end of the calendar year. The data is presented in megawatts (MW
Solar PV dominated investment in 2022, accounting for 64% of the renewable energy investment. The overall snapshot of the investment trends across Asia-Pacific, Africa, Europe & others and Latin America & Caribbean regions are captured in the solar PV investment trends section of this report.
Solar power is clean, green, inexpensive, and renewable power that is produced when sunlight strikes human-made solar cells and is subsequently converted into electrical energy. Solar power is effectively infinite in supply and can be generated at any point at which sunlight reaches the ground in every country on Earth. Solar energy also prevents the negative impacts of fossil fuels, such as greenhouse gas emissions from coal consumption.
With 113,015 MW of solar power online and more on the way, the U.S. currently has enough solar power capacity to power 21 million households. A report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory determined that solar panels covering a collective area of 22,000 square miles—roughly the area of Lake Michigan, or just over six tenths of a percent (.6%) of the country's total land area, could provide enough electricity to power the entire United States.
Solar energy is typically harnessed using either photovoltaic (PV) or concentrated solar power (CSP) systems. Photovoltaic systems are by far the more common and versatile of the two. Photovoltaic systems generate electricity directly from sunlight via solar cells: When solar radiation (sunlight) strikes a photovoltaic solar cell, the light's photons ionize semiconductor material (usually silicon) in the solar cell, which causes electrons to break free of their atomic bonds and creates an electrical current that can then be either directed or stored in a battery.
Solar cells absorb specific wavelengths of light. Other wavelengths are either reflected, too weak to be efficiently converted (infrared), or create heat instead of electricity (ultraviolet). However, solar cell technology continues to improve, increasing the efficiency of the conversion process.
The second-most-common method of harnessing solar energy is the concentrated solar power (CSP) installation. CSP plants produce electricity indirectly using devices known as solar thermal collectors, which focus solar energy to heat water, which then becomes steam and moves a turbine whose motion generates electricity. Globally, current CSP installations generate only a fraction as much energy (6,387 MW) as photovoltaic systems (843,086 MW).
Worldwide usage of solar energy varies greatly by country, with the top 10 countries representing approximately 74% of the photovoltaic market. As of 2022, China has the largest solar energy capacity in the world at 393,032 megawatts (MW), which produces roughly 4.7%-5% of the country''s total energy consumption. It is followed by the United States at 113,015 MW and Japan at 78,833 MW.
However, total capacity is only one way to view solar production. Another method is to examine solar penetration—that is, the percentage of each country's total energy consumption that comes from its solar installations.
All data and visualizations on Our World in Data rely on data sourced from one or several original data providers. Preparing this original data involves several processing steps. Depending on the data, this can include standardizing country names and world region definitions, converting units, calculating derived indicators such as per capita measures, as well as adding or adapting metadata such as the name or the description given to an indicator.
At the link below you can find a detailed description of the structure of our data pipeline, including links to all the code used to prepare data across Our World in Data.
Licenses: All visualizations, data, and articles produced by Our World in Data are open access under the Creative Commons BY license. You have permission to use, distribute, and reproduce these in any medium, provided the source and authors are credited. All the software and code that we write is open source and made available via GitHub under the permissive MIT license. All other material, including data produced by third parties and made available by Our World in Data, is subject to the license terms from the original third-party authors.
Our World In Data is a project of the Global Change Data Lab, a registered charity in England and Wales (Charity Number 1186433).
Which country uses the most solar energy as a percentage of total energy consumption? Examining the solar energy percentage by country in this way highlights how even if a country is not abundantly sunny (Germany, Netherlands, Luxembourg, etc.), it is still possible for solar energy to be a major contributor to overall electricity needs.
About Solar power by country 2022
As the photovoltaic (PV) industry continues to evolve, advancements in Solar power by country 2022 have become critical to optimizing the utilization of renewable energy sources. From innovative battery technologies to intelligent energy management systems, these solutions are transforming the way we store and distribute solar-generated electricity.
When you're looking for the latest and most efficient Solar power by country 2022 for your PV project, our website offers a comprehensive selection of cutting-edge products designed to meet your specific requirements. Whether you're a renewable energy developer, utility company, or commercial enterprise looking to reduce your carbon footprint, we have the solutions to help you harness the full potential of solar energy.
By interacting with our online customer service, you'll gain a deep understanding of the various Solar power by country 2022 featured in our extensive catalog, such as high-efficiency storage batteries and intelligent energy management systems, and how they work together to provide a stable and reliable power supply for your PV projects.
