Subscribe to Newsletter
  • ACQUIRE

logo

  • Energy
  • Construction
  • Resources
  • Trending
  • Business Insight
  • Events
  • Magazine
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Home
  • Home
  • Energy
  • Construction
  • Resources
  • Trending
  • Business Insight
  • Events
  • Magazine
  • Advertise
  • Contact

Australia’s PV per capita leads the world

24 May, 2022



Australia has again shown its strength in PV, leading the world in PV penetration, and having the world’s highest solar PV per capita according to the IEA PV Power Systems Snapshot of Global PV Markets 2022.

Prof Renate Egan, Australian PV Institute (APVI) Member and Australian contributor to the report, notes “Last year Australia moved ahead of Germany for the most solar installed per capita. With a strong year in 2021, we have increased our lead – with solar now contributing over 13% of all electricity demand, a figure that has doubled in less than three years.”

Australia also remains in the top ten for both new installs and total market, as it has done for over twenty years. Renate continues, “The APVI has been tracking solar PV installs in Australia since 1992, when 7MW was installed, with only 1.6MW on -grid. With at least 4.6GW installed in 2021, we are now installing twice as much every day as we did in an entire year in 1992.”

The report which analyses the 2021 preliminary reported PV market data, found that despite a second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the global PV market again grew significantly. Over 175 GW of PV systems were installed and commissioned in the world last year which means that the total cumulative installed capacity for PV at the end of 2021 reached 942 GW. China remains in the top spot for annual installed and total cumulative PV capacity, continuing the dominance of previous years.

Although preliminary in nature, the Snapshot report reveals some important trends:

  • Australia, Spain, Greece, Honduras, the Netherlands, Chile and Germany now have enough PV capacity to produce more than 10% of their annual electricity demand with PV.
  • Some growing key markets contributed significantly to new additions in 2021, Brazil (5.5 GW, fifth), Australia (4.6 GW, eighth), Korea (4.2 GW, ninth), Mexico (1.8 GW). Preliminary numbers show that Taiwan, Pakistan each have installed close to 2 GW.
  • Among the top 10 countries, there are now five Asia-Pacific countries (Australia, China, India, Japan, Korea), three European countries (Germany, Spain and France) and two countries in the Americas (Brazil and the USA).
  • The Chinese PV market grew again in 2021, despite shortages observed in the value chain during the year and was the largest market in terms of annual installed capacity. In 2021, 54.9 GW of PV were installed, compared to 48.2 GW in 2020 and 30.1 GW in 2019. China remains the leader in terms of cumulative capacity with 5 GW installed, almost one third of the global PV installed capacity.
  • In addition to China, the rest of the global PV market grew significantly from 97 GW in 2020, to at least 120 GW in 2021, a 24% increase year on year.
  • The US market saw its market increasing to 26.9 GW which allowed it to overtake the European Union that was ranked second last year. Utility-scale installations accounted for about 75% of the new additions.

Find Full Report here

About the APVI
The Australian PV Institute is a not-for-profit, member-based organisation which focuses on data analysis, independent and balanced information, and collaborative research. Our objective is to support the increased development and use of PV via research, analysis, and information. The APVI promotes solar through its live solar mapping platform [http://pv-map.apvi.org.au], the national solar research conference and Australia’s participation in two International Energy Agency (IEA) programs – PVPS (Photovoltaic Power Systems) for solar photovoltaics and SHC (Solar Heating and Cooling), concerned with new solar thermal products and services. www.apvi.org.au

Related Articles

WOMEN IN ENERGY 2025

Women in Energy & Renewables Summit 2025

Asia-Pacific Hydrogen Summit & Exhibition 2025

Enlit Asia 2025

International Energy Week (IEW) 2025

Comments

Leave a comment Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Breaking

  • Energy
  • Construction
  • Resources
09 Jul

Federal government funds green iron project in Kwinana

09 Jul

US battery storage market growth defies uncertainty

09 Jul

RISE Accelerator applications have now closed

09 Jul

Sanderson unveils guideline supporting community benefits

03 Jul

Governments double solar battery incentives in NSW

10 Jul

FWPA launches national recycled timber standard

10 Jul

WorldGBC urges stronger building climate policies

25 Jun

Cool project reduces car park surface temperatures

25 Jun

Ocean Reef Marina achieves top sustainability certification

18 Jun

McNab wins Queensland Sustainability Award 2025

10 Jul

AI adoption accelerates the discovery of green ammonia

03 Jul

Pilbara aims to lead clean shipping as a green fuel bunkering hub

03 Jul

Denison Gas pioneers Australia’s energy storage transformation

25 Jun

Japanese scientists create plastic dissolving in seawater

25 Jun

Australia opens largest renewable hydrogen refuelling station

  • BATTERY ASSET MANAGEMENT SUMMIT

Online Magazine

    Current Cover
  • Login
  • Subscribe

Subscribe

Subscribe to Newsletter

Our Titles

  • Share on Newsletter
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
© Sage Media Group 2025 All Rights Reserved.
×
Authorization
  • Registration
 This feature has been disabled
 This feature has been disabled until further notice, however you may still register
×
Registration
  • Autorization
Register
* All fields required