Through a detailed and systematic literature survey, the present review study summarizes the world solar energy status, including concentrating solar power and solar PV power, along with published solar energy potential assessment articles for 235 countries and territories as the first step toward developing solar energy in these regions.
The utilization of renewable energy as a future energy resource is drawing significant attention worldwide. The contribution of solar energy (including concentrating solar power (CSP) and solar photovoltaic (PV) power) to global electricity production, as one form of renewable energy sources, is generally still low, at 3.6%.
During the period 2019–2021, solar energy expansion outpaced any other technology, with a compound annual growth rate of 21%. 2021 was also the first year when solar and wind together met more than 10% of the world's global power demand. Solar represents 3.7% of all generated electricity in 2021 and wind represents 6.6% .
Growth in the solar market is expected to continue in coming years, with the world expected to near 2 TW of solar installed capacity by 2025, and potentially near 5 TW of installed capacity by 2030, depending on various estimations. These figures underline the significant potential for growth in the solar market.
The paper outlines the status of solar technology developments as covered in the World Solar Technology Report. A steady trend in technology improvements is observed, with crystalline solar PV being the dominant technology in the market.
Overall, the solar sector is seeing rapid technological innovation, a growing manufacturing supply chain, and a suite of technologies to ensure grid integration. The paper also covers the status of the solar market as covered in the World Solar Markets Report.