Which country has the second-highest solar power capacity in the world?

Note: As of 2023, if it were a single country, the European Union (EU) would have the second-highest solar capacity in the world at 263 MW. With 139,205 MW of solar power online and more on the way, the U.S. currently has enough solar power capacity to power more than 21 million households.

How much solar energy does each country produce?

It is followed by the United States at 139,205 MW and Japan at 89,077 MW. However, total capacity is only one way to view solar production. Another method is to examine solar penetration—that is, the percentage of each country’s total energy consumption that comes from its solar installations.

What is the contribution of solar energy to global electricity production?

While the contribution of solar energy to global electricity production remains generally low at 3.6%, it has firmly established itself among other renewable energy technologies, comprising nearly 31% of the total installed renewable energy capacity in 2022 (IRENA, 2023).

What percentage of solar power is installed in Europe?

European countries still account for about 60 percent of worldwide deployed capacity of solar power in 2013. Austria had 421.7 MW of photovoltaics at the end of 2012, 234.5 MW of which was installed that year. Most of it is grid connected.

What is the difference between GW and total solar power?

Cumulative installed solar capacity, measured in gigawatts (GW). Total solar (on- and off-grid) electricity installed capacity, measured in gigawatts. This includes solar photovoltaic and concentrated solar power. IRENA (2025) – processed by Our World in Data

What percentage of US electricity is generated by solar power?

A report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory found that solar power accounted for 54% of new U.S. electricity generation capacity in 2023, with 22 states generating more than 5% of their electricity from solar, led by California at 28.2%.