China's solar prowess is staggering. With a whopping 392 GW, the country is the largest producer of solar energy in the world.
1. Golmud Solar Park — China. The Golmud Solar Park in China is the world's largest solar farm with an installed solar capacity of 2.8 GW, putting it just above the second entry in our list. It's a hugely impressive site with nearly seven million solar panels all working to deliver clean energy.
As of 2021, China has the largest solar energy capacity in the world at 306,973 megawatts (MW), which produces roughly 4.8%-6% of the country's total energy consumption.
Flat solar panels work best near the equator, where the sun's position is high in the sky. Angled solar panels are more productive in locations farther to the north or south, where the sun has a lower altitude.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has today visited Australia's largest solar farm, located in Queensland's Western Downs region, to mark the end of construction on the mega project.
Bhadla Solar Park, India (2,245 MW)
Sprawling over an area of 14,000 acres, the Bhadla Solar Park in India has the position of the biggest solar plant in world. It is situated in Rajasthan in the Bhadla village of Jodhpur District.
For the second year in a row, the Netherlands ranks first, reaching the remarkable milestone of more than 1,000 watt per inhabitant in 2022, 28% up from 815 W/capita in 2021. Germany's average installed solar power per person increased to 816 W/capita, 13% growth 722 W/capita in 2021.
Experts say that China's glowing solar power success shows there is light at the end of the tunnel for a global green energy transition. Renewable energies like solar are key to reducing emissions in the electricity sector, which is the single largest source of global CO2 emissions.
It's true that Australia has made great strides in its transition to renewable energy, but the country still faces significant obstacles. The country's electricity grid was built to support large-scale power plants, so it can be difficult to incorporate renewable energy sources like solar farms.
The new report, which sources its Australian data from the APVI, says Australia has just over 1.1kW (1,166W) of solar per person at the end of 2022, giving it top spot on that metric, ahead of the Netherlands and Germany.
“Everyone who has installed solar on their home should be congratulated for being part of Queensland's biggest power station.” Energy Minister Mick de Brenni said a new solar system is connected every 11 minutes in Queensland. “Queensland not only leads the nation but also the world in rooftop solar,” he said.
On Earth, a solar day is around 24 hours. However, Earth's orbit is elliptical, meaning it's not a perfect circle. That means some solar days on Earth are a few minutes longer than 24 hours and some are a few minutes shorter.
In addition to plenty of sun and moderate temperatures, solar works best in regions with light winds and low humidity.
Albania, Iceland, and Paraguay obtain essentially all of their electricity from renewable sources (Albania and Paraguay 100% from hydroelectricity, Iceland 72% hydro and 28% geothermal).
It may seem counter-intuitive, but China is the world leader in wind and solar energy production. Aiming to generate a third of their energy from renewable sources by 2025, they're also one of the biggest investors in renewable energy worldwide.
China has been the world's largest manufacturer of solar panels since 2008 and, since 2011, has produced the majority of global photovoltaics on an annualized basis.
In the US, the residential share of small-scale solar systems is 56%, while in Australia it is 87%. According to Rystad, the discrepancy stems from the higher cost of purchasing in the US. The cost in Australia is USD 0.96 (EUR 0.876) per watt for a 3-kW system, and even lower if the capacity of the system is greater.
On average, Australia gets more sunlight than any other country in the world. This means that solar panels placed in Australia will be able to absorb more sunlight and convert it into electricity.
Share of energy usage from renewable sources in Australia 2022, by state. Tasmania had Australia's highest renewable energy penetration in 2022, at 99.1 percent.
The harsh environment of deserts affects solar panel efficiency. The dust and sand that gets accumulate on solar panels tamper with its functionality. Besides being very hot, the fluctuating temperatures during day and night puts rapid thermal cycles on any solar panel materials.
Lightsource bp, the largest solar developer and owner in Australia, has been selected to develop one of New Zealand's largest solar development at Christchurch Airport. Lightsource was awarded the contract alongside its New Zealand partner, Contact Energy, to develop the 150MW solar project.