Executive summary – Renewables 2023 – Analysis
In 2024, wind and solar PV together generate more electricity than hydropower. In 2025, renewables surpass coal to become the largest source of electricity generation. Wind and …
In 2024, wind and solar PV together generate more electricity than hydropower. In 2025, renewables surpass coal to become the largest source of electricity generation. Wind and …
Renewables as a whole contributed 38% of overall electricity generation (according to Ember Climate), and solar accounted for 11.5% of total renewables (see below). This gives an overall figure of 4.37%. In the US alone, the figure is slightly lower. The latest data shows solar producing 3% of total US electricity in 2020.
The world currently has a cumulative solar energy capacity of 850.2 GW (gigawatts). 4.4% of our global energy comes from solar power. China generates more solar energy than any other country, with a current capacity of 308.5 GW. The US relies on solar for 3.9% of its energy, although this share is increasing rapidly every year.
3,975,096 people are employed in the solar industry worldwide, and 263,883 of these are in the United States. The solar energy industry created more new jobs in the US than any other energy subsector last year. It would take around 18.5 billion solar panels to produce enough energy to power the entire US. What is the capacity of solar energy?
This figure has increased every year for the last decade and is more than ten times higher than it was in 2011, according to the latest data from IRENA and Ember. However, it is estimated that up to 173,000 TW (terawatts) of solar energy can hit the Earth at any given moment.
Solar energy consumption worldwide has accelerated in the last 20 years. China remains a global powerhouse for renewable energy, producing 427.72 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity from solar power in 2022. This figure is over 200 TWh more than the U.S. and greater than four times the generation of Japan.
Although China and the U.S. generate and consume the most solar power, Chile uses the most as a percentage of its total energy consumption. About 7.59% of Chile’s total energy consumed in 2022 came from solar power generation.
In 2024, wind and solar PV together generate more electricity than hydropower. In 2025, renewables surpass coal to become the largest source of electricity generation. Wind and …
In 2024, wind and solar PV together generate more electricity than hydropower. In 2025, renewables surpass coal to become the largest source of electricity generation. Wind and solar PV each surpass nuclear electricity generation in 2025 and 2026 respectively.
How to Calculate Solar Energy Offset. The basic equation is simple: Amount of Yearly Solar Electricity Generated in Kilowatt-Hours (kWh) / Amount of Yearly Electricity Consumed in Kilowatt-Hours (kWh) = Solar Energy Offset. Once you do this calculation, you can convert the answer into a percentage by multiplying it by 100. For example: 1 = 100% ...
As of 2023, solar energy was the world''s third-largest renewable energy technology, behind wind and hydropower — nearly 5.5% of global electricity generation came from solar energy in...
Around 4.4% of total global energy came from solar power in 2021. This is an increase from 3.3% in 2020. Renewables as a whole contributed 38% of overall electricity generation (according to Ember Climate), and solar accounted for 11.5% of total renewables (see below). This gives an overall figure of 4.37%.
Solar energy is the radiant energy from the Sun''s light and heat, which can be harnessed using a range of technologies such as solar electricity, solar thermal energy (including solar water heating) and solar architecture. [1] [2] [3] It is an essential source of renewable energy, and its technologies are broadly characterized as either passive solar or active solar depending on …
Wind and solar help reduce emissions intensity of electricity. Record growth in wind and solar pushed electricity to its cleanest level ever: 436 gCO2/kWh. Solar added a record 245 TWh of generation in 2022, while wind …
This interactive chart shows the amount of energy generated from solar power each year. Solar generation at scale – compared to hydropower, for example – is a relatively modern renewable energy source but is growing quickly in many …
Decarbonisation plans across the globe require zero-carbon energy sources to be widely deployed by 2050 or 2060. Solar energy is the most widely available energy resource on Earth, and its ...
As of 2023, solar energy was the world''s third-largest renewable energy technology, behind wind and hydropower — nearly 5.5% of global electricity generation came from solar energy in...
Clean energy sources comprised almost 41% of the US electricity mix in 2022. Wind, hydroelectric and solar power were the biggest areas of growth. Energy Transition A record share of US electricity comes from zero-carbon sources - but more work is needed Mar 9, 2023. Power capacity from clean energy sources comprised 40.6% of the US electricity mix in 2022, …
Capacity. Solar contributed 53.5% of all new electricity-generating capacity added to the U.S. grid in 2023. Solar energy capacity is the maximum amount of energy that a combination of solar ...
The chart below shows the percentage of global electricity production that comes from nuclear or renewable energy, such as solar, wind, hydropower, wind and tidal, and some biomass. Globally, more than a third of our electricity comes from low-carbon sources.
We rely on Ember as the primary source of electricity data. While the Energy Institute (EI) provides primary energy (not just electricity) consumption data and it provides a longer time-series (dating back to 1965) than Ember (which only dates back to 1990), EI does not provide data for all countries or for all sources of electricity (for ...
In 2023, solar energy produced 13,826 gigawatts of electricity. In 2013, the UK consumed more than 1.44 exajoules of renewable energy – a unit of measurement equal to 1018 joules of energy.
Globally, the share of wind and solar in power generation rose by 1.5 pt. in 2023 to nearly 14% (+11 pts. since 2010). It increased by 2.1 pts. to 15.5% in China and by 0.5 pt. to 15% in the US. In the EU, the share of wind and solar in the power mix grew by 4 pts. in 2023 to 27% (+21 pts. since 2010), with particularly high levels in the ...
Solar power is the fastest-growing renewable energy source in the world. But what country uses the most solar power? The leader in solar energy is China, at 306,973 MW total solar capacity, but that''s due to its colossal size; solar …
We estimate the direct primary energy consumption as the sum of the primary energy consumption from coal, oil, gas, and biofuels, plus the electricity generation from low-carbon sources (nuclear, hydro, wind, solar, bioenergy and other renewables). Finally, the share of electricity in direct primary energy consumption is calculated as the ratio of total electricity …
This interactive chart shows the amount of energy generated from solar power each year. Solar generation at scale – compared to hydropower, for example – is a relatively modern renewable energy source but is growing quickly in many countries across the world.
Globally, the share of wind and solar in power generation rose by 1.5 pt. in 2023 to nearly 14% (+11 pts. since 2010). It increased by 2.1 pts. to 15.5% in China and by 0.5 pt. to 15% in the …
Solar power is the fastest-growing renewable energy source in the world. But what country uses the most solar power? The leader in solar energy is China, at 306,973 MW total solar capacity, but that''s due to its colossal size; solar power accounts for …
The chart below shows the percentage of global electricity production that comes from nuclear or renewable energy, such as solar, wind, hydropower, wind and tidal, and some biomass. Globally, more than a third of our electricity comes …
Stay updated with the latest news and trends in solar energy and storage. Explore our insightful articles to learn more about how solar technology is transforming the world.