The International Energy Agency has published its latest Snapshot report on the global photovoltaic (PV) sector. According to the numbers collected by this international body, at least 175 gigawatts (GW) of new PV capacity (the best year ever) have been installed worldwide in the twelve months of 2021, which means that the total cumulative PV capacity worldwide by the end of that year has reached at least 942 gigawatts.
China ended 2021 as the world’s largest market again in terms of annual installed capacity. According to the IEA’s 2021 balance sheet, China recorded PV installations worth 54.9 gigawatts last year, compared to 48.2 gigawatts installed in 2020 or 30.1 in 2019.
But this latest Snapshot of Global PV Markets from the IEA also highlights some markets as significant contributors to the 2021 growth of the global PV fleet. Such as: Brazil, the world’s fifth largest power, with 5.5 new gigawatts; Australia, eighth, with 4.6; South Korea, ninth, with 4.2 gigawatts; Mexico, with 1.8 gigawatts; and, Taiwan and Pakistan, with about two gigawatts (2 GW).
China is also the leader in cumulative power, with a national PV park with 308.5 gigawatts, followed by the European Union with 178 gigawatts, the United States with 123 gigawatts and Japan with 78.2 gigawatts.
This material from the energías-renovables portal has been edited for clarity, style and length.
Source and graphic: https://www.energias-renovables.com/fotovoltaica/espana-regresa-al-top-10-de-las-20220523