Solar energy becomes a “serious” player in the electricity market and Spain leads the sector

Sun lovers today have another reason to celebrate: solar energy will reach the fifth of the world’s electricity. Looking at midday highs on June 21, clean energy think tank Ember says the renewable energy It will represent 20% of the global energy mix, compared to 16% last year.

The Global solar generation tends to perform better in Junedue to the longer duration of summer days in the northern hemisphere, where 89% of the solar panels of the world. “With a share of 20%, solar energy has become a major global source of electricity,” says Kostantsa Rangelova, electricity analyst at Ember.

“The costs of the batteries have plummeted, meaning that solar energy is now used at night, not just during the day. “Solar energy is the fastest growing source of electricity and will undoubtedly grow to become the largest source of electricity and ultimately energy.”

The summer solstice – the point at which the Earth’s north pole is at its greatest tilt relative to the Sun – usually arrives on June 20 or 21. This year, that moment came shortly before 11:00 p.m. CEST on Thursday, the Earliest solstice since 1976.

Spain will break its solar energy record in summer

For the whole of June, Ember forecasts that the share of solar energy in total electricity generation will reach 8.2%, up from 6.7% in June 2023. Experts predict that the EU will surpass the world average in more than doubled, reaching 20% ​​this month. and there is a European country that is going to shine with its own light. Spain It has one of the highest solar quotas in the world, and its average in June 2024 is on track to reach 30%.

Although countries can generate a huge amount of solar energy, it does not always represent such a large proportion of their national electricity mix. China produces most of the world’s solar energy, with 36% of last year’s generation, but this renewable energy only represents 6.2% of its energy mix.

Which European countries make the best use of their solar resources?

Not all European countries are equally blessed by the sun. “Insolation” refers to the amount of solar radiation that reaches a given area, and is an important context for knowing how countries take advantage of their potential.

Spain, Greeceand Australia are doing well, as this chart from Ember shows.

But 66% of countries still generate less than 5% of their electricity from solar energy, including many with “insolation” higher than the world average. The UAE, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, for example, have much more solar potential.

At the other end of the spectrum, less sunny countries like the Netherlands and Germany are above their means, with 17% and 12% of solar energy in their energy mix, respectively.

This highlights the prominent role that solar energy can play to meet the electricity needs of the population, regardless of “natural endowments”, as Ember says.