Many countries and territories have installed significant solar power capacity into their electrical grids to supplement or provide an alternative to conventional energy sources. Solar power plants use one of two technologies: Photovoltaic (PV) systems use solar panels, either on rooftops or in ground-mounted solar farms, converting sunlight directly into electric power. Concentrated solar power (CSP, also known as "concentrated solar thermal") plants use solar thermal energy to make steam, that is thereafter converted into electricity by a turbine.

Photovoltaic systems account for the great majority of solar capacity installed in the world. CSP represents a minor share of solar power capacity, and is present in significant quantities only in a few countries. Most operational CSP stations are located in Spain and the United States, while large solar farms using photovoltaics are being constructed in most geographic regions.

The worldwide growth of photovoltaics is extremely dynamic and varies strongly by country. In April 2022, the total global solar power capacity reached 1 TW, increasing to 2 TW in 2024. The top installers of 2024 included China, the United States, and India.

Global use figures

Solar photovoltaics (PV)

The following table lists this data for each country: Total generation from solar in terawatt-hours. Percent of that country's generation that was solar. Total solar capacity in gigawatts at the end of the year. Percent growth in solar capacity year-on-year. The solar capacity factor for that year, calculated with the capacity reported. This tends to underestimate the actual capacity factor when growth is high. Capacity per capita, in watts, calculated by dividing total solar capacity in watts by country's most recently available population, which can be found on the demographics page (e.g., Demographics of Spain).

Data are sourced from Ember and refer to the year 2025, unless otherwise specified. The table only includes countries with more than 0.1 TWh of generation. Links for each location go to the relevant solar power page, when available. + Solar statistics by country in 2025 Country Cap. per capita (W) 2778.60 8.8 2391.47 27.2 13%288 1174.94 11.1 1202.18 45.6 11%854 388.82 8.6 211.61 19.2 21%626 195.99 9.4 135.5 37.6 17%95 101.06 9.8 92.21 2.9 13%752 89.62 17.9 106.27 16.5 10%1,265 88.64 11.8 64.69 21.8 16%292 62.92 21.9 47.21 23.7 15%997 56.42 19.7 41.07 14.1 16%1,494 44.63 16.9 41.19 16.2 12%676 37.80 6.1 30.35 13.8 14%589 37.25 10.5 25.47 25.9 17%301 36.61 20.7 3.72 0.0 14 32.01 5.6 31.23 22.7 12%456 28.50 21.1 25.88 4.5 13%1,471 26.34 7.4 12.93 7.8 23%98 23.07 7.4 19.25 3.1 14%180 22.18 25.1 12.14 10.2 21%636 19.55 11.3 25.42 17.0 9%663 19.48 8.0 11.26 24.3 20%184 19.32 6.6 21.66 14.0 10%315 16.14 5.6 15.47 8.3 12%655 (2024) 15.21 8.6 6.50 9.4 27%655 13.28 16.2 7.36 31.2 21%770 11.46 19.8 11.08 25.5 12%1063 10.98 27.3 8.18 14.1 15%832 10.46 15.6 10.40 17.9 11%870 10.31 14.1 10.30 15.7 11%1123 10.17 1.6 5.93 1.9 20%151 9.98 5.3 6.84 101.8 17%98 8.86 17.3 6.95 19.6 15%682 (2024) 8.23 1.8 6.20 154.1 15%167 7.89 12.1 9.11 17.4 10%1021 7.61 3.1 3.27 28.2 27%29 6.91 18.2 5.91 29.6 13%877 6.50 7.5 5.93 95.9 13%160 5.14 3.4 2.59 48.9 23%57 4.87 9.8 6.24 46.5 9%347 4.61 13.4 5.05 28.2 10%835 4.60 5.1 1.73 21.8 30%35 4.51 2.2 3.07 0.0 17%88 4.43 2.6 5.50 13.4 9%517 4.39 5.8 4.54 14.1 11%419 (2024) 3.93 16.6 2.20 10.6 20%419 3.03 17.6 2.51 58.9 14%114 3.00 2.4 3.89 30.1 9%34 2.84 0.2 2.43 7.5 13%17 2.58 5.8 1.09 14.7 27%29 (2024) 2.51 15.8 0.03 50.0 0 2.30 4.4 1.67 149.3 16%421 2.25 9.9 2.08 46.5 12%191 2.21 31.1 1.06 21.8 24%496 2.15 3.8 1.68 107.4 15%654 2.04 1.7 1.33 8.1 18%65 1.89 10.6 1.48 52.6 15%86 1.83 3.0 1.02 92.5 20%31 1.67 18.8 3.30 27.9 6%1172 1.64 2.7 1.52 25.6 12%250 (2024) 1.60 30.0 1.08 0.0 17%189 1.56 1.5 1.15 35.3 15%7 1.54 10.4 1.57 10.6 11%728 1.49 4.8 2.49 67.1 7%472 1.37 23.2 0.86 14.7 18%646 (2024) 1.35 0.4 0.94 49.2 16%3 1.33 20.6 0.74 0.0 21%117 1.29 8.8 1.32 46.7 11%324 1.22 19.7 0.98 11.4 14%731 (2024) 1.18 9.5 0.55 3.8 24%57 (2026) 4.37 7.7 2.08 246.67 24%43.24 (2024) 0.99 7.4 0.74 13.9 15%163 0.98 1.2 1.57 28.7 7%283 0.95 4.9 1.36 41.7 8%427 0.90 0.2 1.78 128.2 6%20 0.82 13.0 0.92 39.4 10%487 0.73 8.5 0.71 44.9 12%240 0.70 2.4 1.03 41.1 8%185 (2024) 0.68 8.9 0.27 17.4 29%14 0.65 4.6 0.55 0.0 13%10 0.61 5.1 0.34 0.0 20%99 0.59 4.1 0.67 9.8 10%183 (2024) 0.59 11.2 0.40 42.9 17%12 (2024) 0.58 35.4 0.24 0.0 28%84 0.56 2.5 0.89 15.6 7%74 0.53 0.3 0.90 13.9 7%162 0.47 30.5 0.77 40.0 7%1112 (2024) 0.44 2.8 0.36 16.1 14%9 (2024) 0.43 0.3 0.04 0.0 1 0.40 2.9 0.19 5.6 24%15 (2024) 0.39 39.4 0.30 15.4 15%55 0.37 0.9 0.84 44.8 5% 161 (2024) 0.34 4.1 0.72 238.1 5%262 0.34 15.5 0.25 4.2 16%479 (2024) 0.28 1.8 0.10 0.0 32%6 (2024) 0.26 0.6 0.26 3.6 11%29 (2024) 0.26 8.3 0.21 0.0 14%683 (2024) 0.26 8.3 0.21 0.0 14%39 0.23 7.9 0.71 77.5 4%198 (2024) 0.23 0.6 0.41 24.2 6%56 0.21 0.2 0.10 0.0 24%32 0.21 2.2 0.13 -7.1 18%37 (2024) 0.17 0.7 0.19 0.0 10%5 (2024) 0.17 0.6 0.14 7.7 14%5 (2024) 0.17 2.9 0.14 40.0 14%6 (2024) 0.17 5.0 0.16 23.1 12%122 (2024) 0.17 2.9 0.10 0.0 19%2 (2024) 0.17 0.9 0.19 46.2 10%9 0.16 0.4 0.43 43.3 4%65 (2024) 0.16 8.6 0.10 0.0 18%589 (2024) 0.16 1.1 0.19 0.0 10%4 (2024) 0.15 3.1 0.12 9.1 14%41 0.14 5.7 0.10 66.7 16%167 0.13 0.3 0.28 21.7 5%1 (2024) 0.13 18.3 0.07 0.0 21%8 (2024) 0.12 0.6 0.22 22.2 6%4 (2024) 0.12 1.1 0.17 41.7 8%5 (2024) 0.11 11.1 0.06 20.0 21%1 (2024) 0.11 6.5 0.21 16.7 6%9 (2024) 0.10 0.3 0.07 16.7 16%44 (2024) 0.10 9.0 0.07 0.0 16%255 (2024) 0.10 4.1 0.06 0.0 19%2 (2024) 0.10 0.4 1.61 57.8 1%66

Concentrated solar power

{| class="wikitable" |+National CSP capacities in 2024 (MWp) !Country !Total !Added |- | align="left" |Spain |2,302 |0 |- | align="left" |United States |1,480 |0 |- | align="left" |United Arab Emirates |600 |0 |- | align="left" |China |570 |0 |- | align="left" |Morocco |540 |0 |- | align="left" |South Africa |500 |0 |- | align="left" |India |343 |0 |- | align="left" |Israel |242 |0 |- | align="left" |Chile |114 |6 |- | align="left" |Kuwait |52 |0 |- | align="left" |Saudi Arabia |50 |0 |- | align="left" |Algeria |25 |0 |- | align="left" |Egypt |20 |0

Africa

Many African countries receive on average a very high number of days per year of bright sunlight, especially the dry areas, which include the arid deserts (such as the Sahara) and the semi-desert steppes (such as the Sahel).Solar Power in Africa , National Solar Power Research Institute, Yansane A. 2007 This gives solar power the potential to bring energy to virtually any location in Africa without the need for expensive large-scale grid-level infrastructural developments. The distribution of solar resources across Africa is fairly uniform, with more than 85% of the continent's landscape receiving at least 2,000 kWh/(m2 year). A study indicates that a solar generating facility covering just 0.3% of North Africa could supply all of the energy required by the European Union.Report on Solar Power Potential , German Aerospace Center

Algeria

Algeria is rapidly advancing its renewable energy agenda, targeting 15,000 megawatts (MW) or the equivalent of 15 gigawatts (GW) of solar power capacity by 2035 to reduce dependence on natural gas there are 45 active solar power projects in Algeria, valued at a combined US$6.1 billion. Algeria currently produces approximately 27,000 MW (27 GW) of electricity, according to ministry data. For 2026, Algeria is to commission Nine Solar Power Plants Totaling 1,480 MW (1.48 GW) by august for the first phase of the program to produce 3,200 MW (3.2 GW) of renewable energy which will also include the Ghar Djebilet solar power station and the Adrar wind farm for the entire program.

Algeria has the highest technical and economical potential for solar power exploitation in the MENA region, with about 170 TWh per year. First industrial scale solar thermal power project has been initiated by inauguration of Hassi R'Mel power station in 2011. This new hybrid power plant combines a 25-megawatt (MW) concentrating solar power array in conjunction with a 130 MW combined cycle gas turbine plant. In addition, Algeria has launched in 2011 a national program to develop renewable energy based on photovoltaics (PV), concentrated solar power (CSP) and wind power, and to promote energy efficiency.

Egypt

Benban Solar Park is a Photovoltaic power station with a total capacity of 1650 MW nominal power which corresponds to an annual production of approximately 3.8 TWh. It is located in Benban (Aswan Governorate) in the western desert, approximately 650 km south of Cairo and 40 km northwest of Aswan. Benban is currently the 4th largest solar power plant in the world.

Morocco

Solar power in Morocco is enabled by the country having one of the highest rates of solar insolation among other countries— about 3,000 hours per year of sunshine but up to 3,600 hours in the desert. In 2009, Morocco launched a collection of projects under its Solar Energy Plan costing an estimated $9 billion. The plan aims to create 2,000 MW of solar generation capacity by the year 2020. Five solar power stations are to be constructed, including both photovoltaic and concentrated solar power technology. The Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy (MASEN), a public-private venture, has been established to lead the project. The first plant, will be commissioned in 2015, and the entire project in 2020. Once completed, the solar project will provide 38% of Morocco's annual electricity generation.

Somalia

South Africa

South Africa had 1329 MW of PV installations and 100 MW of concentrating solar thermal at the end of 2016. It is expected to reach an installed capacity 8,400 MW by 2030, along with 8,400 MW of wind power. The country's insolation greatly exceeds the average values in Europe, Russia, and most of North America.

Asia

Armenia

Armenia due its geographical and climate properties is well-suited for the solar energy utilization. According to the Ministry of Energy Infrastructure and Natural Resources of Armenia the country is capable of producing 1850 kWh/m2 per year. For comparison European countries are capable of around 1000 kWh/m2 per year on average. Two main panel types utilized in Armenia are the photovoltaic and thermal solar panels. The country is aiming to invest heavy in the segment of renewable energy, as that arises from the geopolitical situation in the region, where Armenia has tenuous relations with some competitive (due to distance) oil-rich suppliers of the region. Thus, besides the investment in the sector by the state - e.g. providing finance for solar energy utilization for rural areas, Armenia also prepared a suitable legislative base to help attract foreign investments of capital - e.g. the guarantee by the state to buy at least for 15 years the surplus energy that will be produced by the solar plants. The country is aiming to developing its economy sustainably, through increase in the technological potential and productivity.

China

China is leading the world in solar PV generation, with the total installed capacity exceeding 600 GW by the end of 2023. Since overtaking Germany in 2015, China has been #1 in the world in solar power. China is the world's largest market for both photovoltaics and solar thermal energy. and in the last few years, more than half of the total PV additions came from the country. Solar power in the People's Republic of China is one of the biggest industries and the subsidies by the government have helped in bringing down the cost of solar power, not only in China, but the whole world. China also leads the world in solar water heating with 290 GWth in operation at the end of 2014, accounting for about 70% of the total world capacity. China's goal is to reach 1,300 GW of Solar Capacity by 2050.

Georgia

India