Countries That Use the Most Solar Energy in 2024

---

Countries that use the most solar energy

Country	Solar generation capacity (MW)	Population	Watts per person	Estimated solar energy generation (GWh)
China	609,921	1,410,710,000	432	664,439
United States	139,205	334,914,895	416	227,711
Japan	89,077	124,516,650	715	96,981
Germany	81,739	84,482,267	968	96,453
India	73,109	1,428,627,663	51	96,981
Brazil	37,449	216,422,446	173	44,225
Australia	32,612	26,638,544	1,224	39,160
Spain	31,016	48,373,336	641	43,304
Italy	29,795	58,761,146	507	34,129
Netherlands	23,904	17,879,488	1,337	20,829

Numbers represent both solar thermal and solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity generation as of the end of 2023, sourced from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Generation numbers estimated based on 2022 production ratios from IRENA. Population numbers for the same point in time sourced from the World Bank.

China leads the world in solar power generation, with 609,921 megawatts (MW) of installed capacity as of December 2023. That is more than four times the amount of solar installed than the second place United States, but both countries have about the same number of installed watts per person because China’s population is so much greater.

The rest of the top 10 include Japan, India, and Australia, alongside European countries like Germany, Italy, Spain, and The Netherlands, all of which have high demand for renewable energy. Not shown on this list are France, the United Kingdom, and Poland, which are 12th, 14th, and 15th in the world in terms of installed capacity. South Korea (11th place) and Vietnam (13th) round out the top 15.

Solar energy per capita

When looking at the number of watts per capita, The Netherlands comes in first, with 1,337. That’s more than three 400-watt solar panels per person! But the amount of electricity generated from solar in the Netherlands is much lower than in other countries because the country experiences much less sun overall. 

These numbers illustrate the difference between power and energy. All solar panels are able to generate a certain amount of power under full sun, but the amount of energy they produce over time depends on the total amount of sunlight they receive. Solar panels are more effective in sunnier places on the Earth.

---

Where is solar most effective?

Solar radiation produced from the sun’s energy is abundant in most places on Earth, but some locations are more suitable for solar power generation than others. Solar installations have higher electricity production in places where the sun shines all year long, such as in deserts and high plateaus.

Some of the countries with the most sunlight are on the top 10 solar capacity list, such as Australia and India, but there is huge potential in Africa and South America to grow solar generation.

---

U.S. States that use the most solar energy

State	Installed solar capacity (MW)
California	38,565
Texas	21,310
Florida	12,449
North Carolina	7,267
Arizona	7,201
Nevada	6,179
New York	5,293
Georgia	4,603
Massachusetts	4,286
Virginia	4,647

Source: U.S. EIA Electric Power Monthly, November 2024, Table 6.2B

In the United States, California is the leader in installed solar energy capacity, with 38,565 megawatts (MW) as of August 2024. Solar capacity in Texas is growing quickly, and despite being known for wind energy, the state may overtake California in solar capacity in the next two years. 

As the table shows, most solar generating capacity is located in very sunny states, but places like New York and Massachusetts are on the list because of state policies that encourage the development of renewable energy sources like solar projects. 

The data used in the table above includes numbers for solar thermal and solar PV capacity from both large-scale power plants and small-scale power system installations. The top four states for solar capacity (California, Texas, Florida, and North Carolina) have more capacity together than all other states combined.

---

Where are solar panels manufactured?

As with the data on power capacity and energy production, China also leads the world in solar manufacturing. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), Chinese manufacturers built 510 gigawatts (GW) of solar modules in 2023, accounting for 84.6% of the market. 

Here are the numbers for the top five countries:

Country	GW of solar modules manufactured in 2023
China	510
Vietnam	21
India	16.6
Thailand	14.1
United States	13.5

Data source: IEA Trends in PV Applications 2024

In addition to accounting for the vast majority of solar module manufacturing, China also produces nearly all of the necessary raw materials and components, including 92% of the polysilicon, 98% of silicon wafers, and 91.8% of solar cells in the world. 

United States solar manufacturing has long been dominated by First Solar, which makes modules using thin-film solar technology, which is used in utility-scale solar farms. Recently, the country has experienced rapid growth in silicon-based solar manufacturing, driven by incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. The U.S. also has a small but significant amount of polysilicon raw material mining.

---

Where is solar power used the most?

China uses the most solar power of all countries in the world. In addition, China produces the vast majority of raw materials and finished products in the solar industry, accounting for nearly 85% of all solar panels manufactured worldwide. 

As the world seeks to curb carbon emissions by replacing fossil fuels with clean energy sources like solar and wind power, there is an enormous opportunity for all countries to build new solar power capacity and manufacturing facilities.