The world has reached a significant milestone in the push for more renewable energy. According to photovoltaics publication PV Magazine, There are now enough solar panels installed throughout the globe to generate 1 terawatt (TW) of electricity directly from the sun, enough to power all of Europe.
- The number of solar installations worldwide increased by 23% last year.
Zoom Out: While this is a major accomplishment for humanity, solar energy still accounts for just 3.1% of the global energy supply, most coming from burning fossil fuels.
- Solar energy only accounts for a fraction due to several reasons, one being the technological limitations in the distribution and storage of solar power.
- The largest contributor to the 1 TW of solar capacity is China, which blew past the 100GW milestone in late 2016 or early 2017, a year after the European Union. The latest to achieve this milestone, in the first quarter of 2021, was the United States. Together they account for more than half of the world’s solar capacity.
📷 : The world's largest concentrated solar power plant, the Ouarzazate Solar Power Station (aka Noor Power Station), in Morocco.
