Top 5 solar countries

In the quest for sustainable energy, solar power has illuminated the path towards a cleaner and greener future. With its inexhaustible radiance as its fuel, solar energy emerges as a strong contender against the grip of fossil fuels. Its clean, cost-efficient, and renewable power is harnessed by the sun's interaction with human-made solar cells, transforming the sun's rays into the electrical lifeline that powers our modern world.

Energy transition

A global competition

In a world yearning to tackling climate concerns, solar energy provides a promising solution. Its appeal is giving us a glimpse of what the future could be: inexhaustible, renewable and with the prospect of cleaner skies and healthier lives. Embracing this green energy source means the beginning of a new era, where humanity reaches beyond the limitations en effects of fossil fuels and embraces the radiant gift of the sun.

In the middle of this energy transition, a global competition unfolds to harness the sun’s energy. And the question arises: which nations have embraced this radiant energy source the most?

New energy generation

The world stage

Race for solar energy

A nuanced perspective

A glance across the world stage highlights China’s solar dominance, with an astonishing 306,973 megawatts of total capacity. Yet, numbers alone do not tell the full story. Although China, a giant fuelled by innovation, invites us to think about the transformative potential of solar energy, a deeper narrative unfolds when looking at the numbers. While exceptional, solar energy represents only a fraction of China’s total energy consumption, hovering around 3,5%. Therefore, a nuanced perspective is important. One that evaluates the percentage of total energy generated and the per capita use of solar power.

Generated solar energy per capita

Belgium and the Netherlands

Belgium:

Installed capacity: 5,646 MW
Watts per capita: 394
Share of world total: 0,8%

The Netherlands:

Installed capacity: 10,213 MW
Watts per capita: 396
Share of world total: 1,4%

Generated solar energy per capita

Japan and Germany

Japan:

Installed capacity: 67.000 MW
Watts per capita: 498
Share of world total: 9,4%

Germany:

Installed capacity: 53,783 MW
Watts per capita: 593
Share of world total: 7,5%

And the winner is...

Australia

While Australia’s solar capacity pales in comparison to China’s, its per capita standings take the lead, primarily attributable to its smaller population of approximately 26 million. And with its geographical advantage, the Australian landmass receives the most abundant solar radiation across all continents, and an impressive 30% of households in the country have already adopted rooftop solar PV systems.

Installed capacity: 17,627 MW

Solar power per capita: 637 Watts

Share of world total: 2,5%

22% increase of solar capacity in one year

RENEWABLE RESURGENCE

What is fueling the rush for solar power?

Renewables are on the rise, and the popularity of solar panels is expanding rapidly. Their widespread adoption has everything to do with the growing solar industry and decreasing prices of solar panels. As technologies have become more efficient, the costs of solar installations have fallen exponentially in recent decades, making it the cheapest source of the new energy generation. This cost reduction is primarily attributed to economies of scale: as more solar panels are being made and installed, production becomes more efficient and the product becomes cheaper.

The yearbook of energy history

While many nations are at the forefront of solar power and renewable resurgence, the annuals of the energy history show the other side of the coin; a history dominated by the greedy hunger for fossil fuels since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. This story carries a grim legacy, with as much as three quarters of global greenhouse gas emissions coming from carbon emissions, wrapping the sky in smog and loading the air with toxic residue.

Low-carbon salvation

However, a new chapter is unfolding. A future in which renewable energy plays the lead in the grand theatre of decarbonisation. This new era shows a redefined energy landscape, where resources are not plundered from the exhaustive depths in the earth, but harvested from the inexhaustible resourced on the earth. From then onwards, progress will no longer be measured by the decibels of the thundering roar of coal, but by the harmonious whisper of the wind, the rhythmic dance of the water and the sun’s radiant embrace.