Bharat: World’s third largest country in solar energy production

Recently, according to the Global Electricity Review 2024 report released by global energy think tank Amber, Bharat has overtaken Japan to become the world’s third largest solar energy producing country in the year 2023.

Key Points

• According to the report, India was at ninth place in the year 2015, which has come to the third place in the year 2023.
• This report has been prepared on the basis of national level data 2023.
• The report covered 80 countries representing 92 percent of global electricity, as well as historical data from 215 countries.
• According to the report, solar energy has contributed to 5.5 percent of global electricity production in the year 2023. Whereas India has generated 5.8 percent of electricity from solar energy in the year 2023.
• India has achieved the world’s fourth largest increase in solar power generation (+18 terawatt hours or TWh) in the year 2023.
• Solar energy will play a central role in the future energy system in decarbonizing electricity.
• According to the IEA’s Net Zero Emissions report, solar energy will increase to 22 percent of global electricity production by 2030.

What is solar energy production?

Solar energy production is the process of harnessing sunlight and converting it into usable electricity or heat. This is achieved primarily through photovoltaic (PV) panels, which absorb sunlight and generate direct current (DC) electricity through the photovoltaic effect.

This electricity can be converted to alternating current (AC) using inverters and fed into the electrical grid or stored in batteries for later use. Solar thermal systems, on the other hand, use sunlight to heat a fluid, usually water or oil, which then produces steam to drive a turbine and generate electricity.

Both photovoltaic and solar thermal technologies provide clean and renewable energy options, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and reducing environmental impacts associated with traditional energy sources.

Global solar energy production

• Global solar energy production in the year 2023 was six times higher than in 2015, while in India it was recorded 17 times higher.
• India’s share in solar power generation will increase from 0.5 percent of India’s electricity in 2015 to 5.8 percent in 2023.

FAQ

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