Energy from solar and wind hits 12% of global power generation, as fossil fuels decline. Image: Ember The above chart shows historical levels of annual electricity generation, as well as projections for 2023-2026, and illustrates the significant advances in wind and solar power generation investment during recent years.
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%.
Solar energy is on track to make up more than half of global electricity generation by the middle of this century – even without more ambitious climate policies. This projection far exceeds any previous expectations.
The major developments are the continuing rise of solar and wind as economically viable sources of electricity. Around the world, solar grew by 24% last year, enough to meet the annual demands of a country as big as South Africa. Taken together with nuclear and hydropower, clean sources produced 39% of global electricity in 2022.
Solar energy is a widely distributed, sustainable, and renewable energy source. As a renewable resource, solar energy has the capability to replace the widely used fossil fuel resource in the near future.
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.