A number of interesting statistics emerged last year regarding the growth of photovoltaic electricity as a power source. First, the United States no longer leads the world for installed solar electricity generation. Second, the amount of photovoltaic energy produced around the world is significantly increasing, just below 400 gigawatts (GW) at the end of 2017.
The World Leader in Solar Power
China is now the world leader in solar power facilities. While the United States led this sector for decades, China began investing in photovoltaic power around 2010 and became a heavy investor in 2015. In contrast, growth of solar power in the United States has grown steadily, but with little change in the annual growth rate since 2011. As a result, China leads the world with 130 GW of installed solar capacity, while the United States and Japan are second and third, respectively, with 51 GW and 49 GW. (Japan’s total is noteworthy, given their much smaller landmass and population than both China and the United States.)
Germany was the early world leader in photovoltaic power, since it has a goal to meet 80% of its energy needs by 2050 through renewable energy. At this time, their share of the worldwide total is approximately 42 GW, and that provides over a quarter of their energy needs. Considering Germany’s lesser amount of annual sunlight (especially compared to California), this is very impressive. Germans demonstrate the steadiest commitment to ongoing solar power growth, with constant increases since 2009. Also, a significant portion of their population, one in every fifty people, contributes renewable energy to the grid.
Help the United States Catch Up!
You can play a part in the growth of the United States’ amount of installed solar energy production. Every home that turns to solar for power generation adds to the net total. By producing free electricity for your home, you limit your reliance on the utility grid. If you have enough room for solar panels, you can even liberate your household from the electrical grid entirely or join the many others who send electricity back to the power companies.
Every year, the need for global power increases, and one-fifth of that demand is being met by the growth in photovoltaic electricity. Solaron of Sacramento can help you be a part of this worldwide movement to use free and non-polluting solar energy to power your home. Contact one of our technicians at 916-631-9293 or by using our online request form for a free consultation!