2020年，全球能源需求下降了4.5%，盡管如此，可再生能源技術(shù)的進展仍令人鼓舞?？稍偕茉闯霈F(xiàn)了全面強勁增長，太陽能光伏發(fā)電一馬當先， 2020年的裝機容量為127GW，是有史以來最高的年度容量擴張。上述信息圖使用了國際可再生能源機構(gòu)（IRENA）的數(shù)據(jù)，繪制了2021年各國的太陽能電力容量，包括太陽能光伏（PV）和集中式太陽能電力容量。中國是無可爭議的太陽能裝機容量領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者，擁有逾35%的全球容量。更重要的是，這個國家沒有顯示出放緩跡象。中國正在開發(fā)的風能和太陽能項目的規(guī)模為全球之最，這會使其清潔能源容量再增長400000MW。排在中國之后的是美國， 2021年前三個月，美國又安裝了50000MW光伏項目。最近，美國的光伏容量超過了100000MW。過去十年，美國的太陽能年平均增長率為42%，令人印象深刻。像太陽能投資稅收抵免這樣的政策為戶用和商業(yè)太陽能系統(tǒng)提供了26%的稅收抵免，推動了行業(yè)前行。
       澳大利亞的太陽能發(fā)電量只是中國的一小部分，但由于人口相對較少，只有2600萬，因此人均排名名列前茅。澳大利亞大陸的太陽輻照量是所有大陸中最高的。目前，超過30%的澳大利亞家庭都擁有屋頂太陽能光伏系統(tǒng)。
2020年，習近平主席表示，中國的目標是2060年實現(xiàn)碳中和，中國正在采取措施實現(xiàn)這一目標。中國是太陽能行業(yè)的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者。中國似乎已經(jīng)破解了整條太陽能供應(yīng)鏈的密碼。2019年，中國企業(yè)生產(chǎn)了全球66%的多晶硅，多晶硅是硅基光伏組件的基石。此外，超過四分之三的太陽能電池以及72%的全球光伏組件都來自中國。全球最大的10個太陽能電站中，有5個都在中國，綜上所述，這并不出人意料。隨著向碳中和的過渡，中國或會繼續(xù)建造更多的電站。
     是什么推動了太陽能電力熱潮？
     能源轉(zhuǎn)型是可再生能源崛起的一個主要因素，但太陽能的增長部分是因為，隨著時間的推移，它的價格變得非常便宜。在過去的十年里，太陽能成本成倍下降，現(xiàn)在，它是最便宜的新能源電力來源。自2010年以來，太陽能電力的成本已經(jīng)下降了85%，從每千瓦時0.28美元降至0.04美元。麻省理工學院的研究人員表示，規(guī)模經(jīng)濟是在過去十年中令成本持續(xù)下降的最重要因素。換句話說，隨著全球安裝和制造的太陽能組件越來越多，生產(chǎn)也變得更便宜、更高效。由于供應(yīng)鏈問題，今年的太陽能成本正在上漲。但是，隨著瓶頸問題的解決，這種上漲很可能只是暫時的。

Despite a 4.5 percent decline in global energy demand in 2020, progress in renewable energy technologies is encouraging.  Renewables saw strong growth across the board, led by solar photovoltaics, which installed 127GW of capacity in 2020, the highest annual capacity expansion ever.  The infographic above uses data from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) to map 2021 solar power capacity for each country, including solar photovoltaic (PV) and centralized solar power capacity.  China is the undisputed leader in installed solar capacity, with more than 35 per cent of global capacity.  More importantly, the country shows no signs of slowing down.  China is developing the largest wind and solar projects in the world, which could add another 400,000MW of clean energy capacity.  China was followed by the United States, which installed another 50,00MW pv projects in the first three months of 2021.  Recently, pv capacity in the United States exceeded 10,00MW.  Over the past decade, solar power growth in the United States has averaged an impressive 42 percent a year.  Policies like the Solar Investment Tax Credit, which provides a 26 percent tax credit for residential and commercial solar systems, have pushed the industry forward.  

Australia's solar capacity is a fraction of China's, but its relatively small population of 26 million puts it at the top of the list per capita.   The Australian continent receives the highest amount of solar radiation of any continent.  More than 30% of Australian homes now have rooftop solar pv systems.  

In 2020, President Xi Jinping said China aims to be carbon neutral by 2060, and the country is taking steps to achieve this goal.  China is a leader in solar energy.  China appears to have cracked the code on the entire solar supply chain.  In 2019, Chinese companies produced 66 percent of the world's polysilicon, the building block of silicon-based photovoltaic modules.  In addition, more than three-quarters of solar cells and 72% of the world's pv modules come from China.  Five of the world's top 10 solar power stations are in China, which is not surprising.  China may continue to build more power stations as it transitions to carbon neutrality.  

What's driving the solar power boom?  

The energy transition has been a major factor in the rise of renewables, but solar has grown in part because, over time, it has become so cheap.   The cost of solar energy has fallen exponentially over the past decade, and it is now the cheapest source of new energy electricity.   Since 2010, the cost of solar electricity has fallen 85 percent, from $0.28 to $0.04 per kilowatt-hour.  MIT researchers say economies of scale have been the most important factor in keeping costs down over the past decade.  In other words, as more solar panels are installed and manufactured around the world, production becomes cheaper and more efficient.   Solar costs are rising this year because of supply-chain problems.  But the rise is likely to prove temporary as bottlenecks are resolved.