2020年，全球能源需求下降了4.5%，尽管如此，可再生能源技术的进展仍令人鼓舞。可再生能源出现了全面强劲增长，太阳能光伏发电一马当先， 2020年的装机容量为127GW，是有史以来最高的年度容量扩张。上述信息图使用了国际可再生能源机构（IRENA）的数据，绘制了2021年各国的太阳能电力容量，包括太阳能光伏（PV）和集中式太阳能电力容量。中国是无可争议的太阳能装机容量领导者，拥有逾35%的全球容量。更重要的是，这个国家没有显示出放缓迹象。中国正在开发的风能和太阳能项目的规模为全球之最，这会使其清洁能源容量再增长400000MW。排在中国之后的是美国， 2021年前三个月，美国又安装了50000MW光伏项目。最近，美国的光伏容量超过了100000MW。过去十年，美国的太阳能年平均增长率为42%，令人印象深刻。像太阳能投资税收抵免这样的政策为户用和商业太阳能系统提供了26%的税收抵免，推动了行业前行。
       澳大利亚的太阳能发电量只是中国的一小部分，但由于人口相对较少，只有2600万，因此人均排名名列前茅。澳大利亚大陆的太阳辐照量是所有大陆中最高的。目前，超过30%的澳大利亚家庭都拥有屋顶太阳能光伏系统。
2020年，习近平主席表示，中国的目标是2060年实现碳中和，中国正在采取措施实现这一目标。中国是太阳能行业的领导者。中国似乎已经破解了整条太阳能供应链的密码。2019年，中国企业生产了全球66%的多晶硅，多晶硅是硅基光伏组件的基石。此外，超过四分之三的太阳能电池以及72%的全球光伏组件都来自中国。全球最大的10个太阳能电站中，有5个都在中国，综上所述，这并不出人意料。随着向碳中和的过渡，中国或会继续建造更多的电站。
     是什么推动了太阳能电力热潮？
     能源转型是可再生能源崛起的一个主要因素，但太阳能的增长部分是因为，随着时间的推移，它的价格变得非常便宜。在过去的十年里，太阳能成本成倍下降，现在，它是最便宜的新能源电力来源。自2010年以来，太阳能电力的成本已经下降了85%，从每千瓦时0.28美元降至0.04美元。麻省理工学院的研究人员表示，规模经济是在过去十年中令成本持续下降的最重要因素。换句话说，随着全球安装和制造的太阳能组件越来越多，生产也变得更便宜、更高效。由于供应链问题，今年的太阳能成本正在上涨。但是，随着瓶颈问题的解决，这种上涨很可能只是暂时的。

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.