India’s position on solar power production
In 2023, India overtook Japan to become the world’s third-highest producer of solar power, said a report by international energy analytics agency Ember
India generated 113 billion units (BU) of solar power in 2023 compared to Japan’s 110 BU.
In terms of installed power capacity, which includes sources of renewable and non-renewable energy, India at 73 gigawatt (1 GW is one billion watts) ranks fifth in the world while Japan is at third place (83 GW), according to data computed by Ember.
While reflective of the rising share of solar power in India’s energy mix, the power produced per year can vary due to fluctuations in a country’s power demand and local circumstances which lead to a gap between the installed capacity and actual power produced.
NITI Ayog’s projection
Data from government think-tank, NITI Ayog suggest that as of May 2024, solar power while making up 18% of India’s total installed electricity of 442 GW, made up only 6.66% of the power actually produced – reflecting the gap between potential and actuals.
Other countries
Power demand in Japan decreased by 2% (2 BU) in 2023 after rising in 2021 and 2022, thus allowing India to overtake Japan.
While it is unclear if this trend will sustain next year, as surpassing the next country – the United States which is in the second spot – will require India to more than double its current solar production and exceed 228 BU.
The leading producer of solar power in the world is China which produced 584 BU of solar power in 2024 – more than the next four countries combined — the United States, Japan, Germany and India
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