◊ This is part of the ‘solar energy’ series of articles ◊
The high level overview
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), in their publication ‘Solar Energy Perspectives’, the earth receives enough sunlight in 90 minutes to supply the entire planet’s energy needs for a year. IEA statistics for 2017 indicate that we get 2% of our global energy needs from solar. We are significantly under utilizing this renewable energy resource. The majority of solar energy expansion by 2022 will be from China, USA and India based on published targets.
For 2018 IRENA – the International Renewable Energy Agency reported the total worldwide solar generation installed capacity was 485,826 MW. China was first and Canada ranked 17th in total capacity share.
| Rank | Country | Percentage of Total |
| 1 | China | 36% |
| 2 | Japan | 11.4% |
| 3 | USA | 10.6% |
| 4 | Germany | 9.5% |
| 5 | India | 5.6% |
| 6 | Italy | 4.1% |
| 7 | UK | 2.7% |
| …17 | Canada (see note) | 0.6% |
Global growth of solar energy production
Solar energy capacity has grown exponentially over the last decade and will likely continue in the near future.
Note: According to NRCan, a 2017 study ranks Canada at 9th in the world. I have no way to validate the accuracy of either the IRENA or NRCan rankings. The ranking will change continuously over time as additional capacity is added and end of life facilities are decommissioned.
https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy/facts/renewable-energy/20069#L7
You can read more about the global economics in the articles that follow.
Derek
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