Key Takeaways
- 25.9% year-over-year growth occurred in global solar PV additions in 2023 vs 2022, meaning installed solar capacity additions rose by 25.9%
- 8.1% of global electricity generation came from solar in 2022, meaning solar’s share was 8.1% the prior year
- 387.8 GW of solar PV capacity was installed globally by the end of 2023, meaning global cumulative solar PV nameplate capacity reached 387.8 gigawatts
- In 2023, Europe installed about 99 GW of solar PV capacity, meaning European installations reached roughly 99 gigawatts
- China added about 216 GW of solar PV capacity in 2023, meaning annual PV additions in China were about 216 gigawatts
- U.S. residential solar accounted for about 42% of new solar installations in 2023 by capacity, meaning 42% of new PV capacity came from residential systems
- The Global Solar Council reports that from 2010 to 2023 solar module prices declined from about $1.00/W to about $0.11/W, meaning module costs dropped by roughly 89%
- NREL estimated that residential rooftop solar PV had a median installed cost of $3.00/W in 2022 in the dataset cited in its market update, meaning median pricing was about three dollars per watt
- For utility-scale solar PV, NREL’s reported median installed cost declined from roughly $1.25/W in 2020 to about $1.10/W in 2023, meaning a drop of about 12%
- A typical utility-scale solar PV system capacity factor in the U.S. is about 25%, meaning it generates electricity roughly one-quarter of the maximum possible output over the year
- In the IEA, the median capacity factor for solar PV in 2022 was reported around 12–20% depending on region, meaning typical PV output utilization is in that range
- A study of utility-scale PV in the U.S. reported average annual degradation rates of about 0.3%/year to 0.7%/year, meaning typical degradation is under 1% per year
- In 2023, utility-scale solar development pipeline (ERCOT queue) included thousands of MW; specifically, ERCOT’s interconnection queue reported over 100,000 MW of solar projects, meaning the queued solar capacity exceeded 100 GW
- In 2023, the IEA reported that global clean energy investment reached $1.7 trillion, with solar among the leading contributors, meaning solar is a major share within the clean energy portfolio at that scale
- In 2023, BloombergNEF reported that solar module costs declined substantially year-over-year and that solar remains a key driver of new power additions; module pricing decreased by about 15–30% depending on segment in 2023, meaning solar equipment costs fell
In 2023, solar surged 25.9 percent year over year, reaching 387.8 GW globally.
Related reading
Market Size
Market Size Interpretation
Adoption & Employment
Adoption & Employment Interpretation
Cost Analysis
Cost Analysis Interpretation
Capacity & Performance
Capacity & Performance Interpretation
More related reading
Industry Trends
Industry Trends Interpretation
Performance Metrics
Performance Metrics Interpretation
Environmental Impact
Environmental Impact Interpretation
How We Rate Confidence
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
James Okoro. (2026, February 13). Solar Power Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/solar-power-industry-statistics
James Okoro. "Solar Power Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/solar-power-industry-statistics.
James Okoro. 2026. "Solar Power Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/solar-power-industry-statistics.
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