Solar Energy Growth in 2023

347 gigawatts (GW) of solar energy were added globally in 2023, a 74% increase over the year before. According to a research by IRENA and the International Labour Organization (ILO), this quick expansion was fueled by supporting government policies and the declining cost of solar panels.

Solar Energy Boom in 2023

Key Contributors:

• 216.9 GW of capacity came from new solar additions, 63% of which were in China.
• Other major countries added 83.4 GW.
• Europe added more than 54 GW of new solar capacity compared to the previous year.

Employment Growth:

• Worldwide solar photovoltaic employment reached 7.1 million jobs in 2023 (mostly in China).
• The EU conquered about 757,500 solar jobs in Europe.
• This region includes India, which employed 318600 people in that sector.
• Organizational demand in the US and Brazil was also strong.

Decentralized renewable energy (DRE)

• 307,000 jobs were created across India, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda and Ethiopia in 2023.

Policy Recommendations:

• These require serious, send-the-right-signs policies to keep up the rate of growth and fairness during an energy transition.
• The energy transition must be centered around good jobs and bringing communities along.