Countries that produce the most solar energy

Solar power installations are increasing rapidly around the world as countries step up their renewable energy efforts and attempt to cut carbon emissions from electricity generation.

China

As the nation with the largest population and carbon footprint, China’s clear commitment to renewable energy is encouraging. According to China’s National Energy Administration, the country installed more than 30.1 GW of photovoltaic (PV) capacity in 2019, bringing its total installed capacity to 205.2 GW.

This PV capacity is enough for China to keep its market leader position with the Chinese market representing 27 per cent of total global installations. However, it’s interesting to note that in 2017 China’s market share was 51 per cent . China’s declining dominance in the market coincides with a record number of new countries installing significant PV capacity.

United States

The United States has continued to improve its standing as a leader in solar power by expanding its utility sector and residential market installations. Much of the increase is attributable to substantial government incentives given to the residential sector, which is a fast-growing market segment.

In 2019, the U.S. utility sector saw an increase of 37 per cent in installed capacity over 2018. The residential market increased installed capacity by 15 per cent in 2019 compared to 2018. The total new installed capacity for 2019 came in at 13.3 GW, which brought the U.S. to 75.9 GW of cumulative installed capacity. As the cost of solar power becomes more cost-competitive with nonrenewable resources, U.S. output is expected to continue to grow in the years to come.

Japan

As one of the most densely populated countries in the world, Japan does not have the luxury of covering huge swathes of land with solar panels. Despite its lack of abundant open space, Japan is still among the world’s leaders in terms of total solar energy produced, with 7 GW of new installed capacity in 2019.

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