India, 3rd-highest solar power generator in the world, overtakes Japan

Due to rapid growth in installed solar power capacity, India became the third-largest solar power generator in 2023. The 5th “Global Electricity Review” report published by the United Kingdom-based global think tank Ember said that India, which was ranked ninth in 2015, jumped to third position in 2023, overtaking Japan.

Main Points of the Global Electricity Review

The Global Electricity Review report covers 80 countries, representing 92 per cent of the global electricity demand. The main points of the report are as follows:

• Solar is the fastest-growing electricity source in the world for the 19th year in a row. 
• Solar added twice as much new electricity in 2023 as coal
• The contribution of solar power to the world's electricity was 5.5 per cent in 2023.
• Out of the total electricity produced in India in 2023 the contribution of solar was 5.8 per cent.
• The contribution of solar power to total national electricity production in India increased from 0.5 per cent in 2015 to 5.8 per cent in 2023.
• The largest increase in solar generation in 2023 was in China (an increase of 156 Terawatt hours (TWh)). After China, the largest solar generation was in the United States (+33 TWh), followed by  Brazil (+22 TWh) and India (+18 TWh).

Solar power and the goal to reduce carbon emission 

• The transition to clean energy is a must to reduce carbon emissions and prevent or slow down climate change. The continuing use of coal and petroleum oil for producing electricity has led to an increase in carbon emission which in turn has led to global warming and climate change.
• Solar energy is one source of clean energy that can reduce the world’s reliance on coal and oil while meeting the electricity demand of a growing economy. 
• At the 2015 Paris Climate Change Conference, a target of limiting the average global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius was set. This is expected to prevent further worsening of global warming and climate change.
• According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), if the world is to achieve a "Net Zero Emissions" scenario, solar power's contribution to total global electricity production must increase to 22 per cent by 2030.
• At the United Nations COP28 climate change conference held in Dubai, UAE, in December 2023, an agreement was reached to triple the global renewable energy capacity by 2030.
• India has committed to achieving 50 per cent of its cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030.

Top 10 Solar Power-Generating Countries in the World 

Following are the top 10 solar power-producing countries in the world in 2023 as per the  Ember “Global Electricity Review’.

1. China 
2. United States of America 
3. India 
4. Japan 
5. Germany 
6. Brazil 
7. Australia 
8. Spain 
9. Italy 
10. South Korea