One thing that has never shut down during the pandemic is the sun, and thanks to the sun, in 2020 the world added enough new solar energy generation to power more than 95 million homes.
That’s 127 gigawatts, or 127 billion watts, of solar power added, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency, an intergovernmental organization that supports countries in their transition to sustainable energy.
But are we moving fast enough? According to IRENA, we need to step it up if the world wants to align the energy production with the Paris Accord — wherein it was agreed countries would work to keep the increase in global average temperature to less than 1.5°C. above pre-industrial levels.
Costs of solar and other renewables are falling, clean tech markets are growing and the benefits of the renewables become more clear. Even with the challenges of the pandemic, the numbers offer promise of a cleaner energy landscape.
According to IRENA’s 2021 renewable energy capacity statistics, the U.S. has an installed capacity of about 76,000 megawatts (or 76 billion watts—a megawatt is a million watts) of solar power, about 10.6% of the world’s total capacity. To put the numbers in perspective, by most rough estimates it’s enough to power 57 million homes. That amount translates to about 231 watts of solar electricity per person, according to IRENA. Recharging your smart phone uses 6 watts, a common lightbulb uses 60 watts, a coffee machine uses 1,000, a clothes dryer 3,000, and a tankless water heater uses 18,000.
As of 2020, the U.S. produced 3.27% of its primary electricity from solar, according to Our World in Data, and Italy produces 9.66% of its electricity from solar. That’s the most among the most populated countries in the world, (Italy is 23rd largest.)
The five countries that have the most installed capacity and the largest share of solar power in the world are China, the U.S., Japan, Germany, and India.
This list ranks the countries with the highest watts of solar per person. The data come from IRENA and Visual Capitalist.
1. Australia
- Installed capacity, megawatts: 17,627
- Watts per capita: 637
- Share of world total: 2.5%
2. Germany
- Installed capacity, megawatts: 53,783
- Watts per capita: 593
- Share of world total: 7.5% (No. 4 in the world)
3. Japan
- Installed capacity, megawatts: 67,000
- Watts per capita: 498
- Share of world total: 9.4% (No. 3 in the world)
4. Netherlands
- Installed capacity, megawatts: 10,213
- Watts per capita: 396
- Share of world total: 1.4%
5. Belgium
- Installed capacity, megawatts: 5,646
- Watts per capita: 394
- Share of world total: 0.8%
6. Italy
- Installed capacity, megawatts: 21,600
- Watts per capita: 345
- Share of world total: 3.0%
7. Malta
- Installed capacity, megawatts: 184
- Watts per capita: 312
- Share of world total: 0.03%
8. Switzerland
- Installed capacity, megawatts: 3,118
- Watts per capita: 295
- Share of world total: 0.4%
9. Greece
- Installed capacity, megawatts: 3,247
- Watts per capita: 258
- Share of world total: 0.5%
10. Luxembourg
- Installed capacity, megawatts: 195
- Watts per capita: 244
- Share of world total: 0.03%
11. U.S.
- Installed capacity, megawatts: 75,572
- Watts per capita: 231
- Share of world total: 10.6% (No. 2 in the world)
Pictured is a concentrated solar thermal plant in California’s Mojave Desert.
12. South Korea
- Installed capacity, megawatts: 14,575
- Watts per capita: 217
- Share of world total: 2.0%
13. United Kingdom
- Installed capacity, megawatts: 13,563
- Watts per capita: 200
- Share of world total: 1.9%
14. Czech Republic
- Installed capacity, megawatts: 2,073
- Watts per capita: 194
- Share of world total: 0.3%
15. Spain
- Installed capacity, megawatts: 14,089
- Watts per capita: 186
- Share of world total: 2.0%
16. Denmark
- Installed capacity, megawatts: 1,300
- Watts per capita: 186
- Share of world total: 0.2%
17. United Arab Emirates
- Installed capacity, megawatts: 2,539
- Watts per capita: 185
- Share of world total: 0.4%
Pictured are solar “trees” in the Sustainability Pavilion at the EXPO 2020 currently going on in Dubai.
18. Austria
- Installed capacity, megawatts: 2,220
- Watts per capita: 178
- Share of world total: 0.3%
19. Taiwan
- Installed capacity, megawatts: 5,817
- Watts per capita: 172
- Share of world total: 0.8%
20. Bulgaria
- Installed capacity, megawatts: 1,073
- Watts per capita: 152
- Share of world total: 0.2%
21. France
- Installed capacity, megawatts: 11,733
- Watts per capita: 148
- Share of world total: 1.6%
22. China
- Installed capacity, megawatts: 254,355
- Watts per capita: 147
- Share of world total: 35.6% (No. 1 in the world)
23. Cyprus
- Installed capacity, megawatts: 200
- Watts per capita: 147
- Share of world total: 0.03%
24. Chile
- Installed capacity, megawatts: 3,205
- Watts per capita: 142
- Share of world total: 0.4%
25. Israel
- Installed capacity, megawatts: 1,439
- Watts per capita: 134
- Share of world total: 0.2%
26. Hungary
- Installed capacity, megawatts: 1,953
- Watts per capita: 131
- Share of world total: 0.3%
27. Slovenia
- Installed capacity, megawatts: 267
- Watts per capita: 128
- Share of world total: 0.04%
28. Ukraine
- Installed capacity, megawatts: 5,360
- Watts per capita: 114
- Share of world total: 0.8%
29. Jordan
- Installed capacity, megawatts: 1,359
- Watts per capita: 100
- Share of world total: 0.2%
30. Estonia
- Installed capacity, megawatts: 130
- Watts per capita: 98
- Share of world total: 0.02%
Explore more of this data at Visual Capitalist.
Source: https://www.thestreet.com/personal-finance/race-for-solar-energy-which-countries-are-winning