IRENA's major report: Global Photovoltaic Installations soared by 133GW in 2021!

The latest "2022 Renewable Energy Generation Statistics Report" released by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) shows that in 2021, the global newly added installed capacity of renewable energy reached 257 gigawatts (GW), an increase of 9.1% year-on-year, driving the global cumulative installed capacity of renewable energy to exceed 3TW (3,064 GW).

Key data highlights

    • Hydropower still accounts for the largest share (cumulative 1,230 GW).

    • Photovoltaic power has seen the most rapid growth (with a growth rate of 19%), adding 133 GW of new installations.

    • Wind power added 93 GW (with a growth rate of 13%).

    • Photovoltaic and wind power together contributed 88% of the annual new installed capacity of renewable energy.

Asia leads the world in new installations:

    • The Asian region contributed 154.7 GW of new installed capacity, accounting for 48% of the global total.

    • As of 2021, the cumulative installed capacity of renewable energy in Asia reached 1.46 TW.

    • China performed outstandingly. Despite the impact of the epidemic, it still added 121 GW of new installed capacity.

    • Europe and North America added 39 GW and 38 GW respectively, among which the United States added 32 GW.

In this global wave of surging photovoltaic installations, Solar First Group is injecting impetus into the clean energy transition of many countries through diversified technological routes. Between 2021 and 2022, the group successfully connected dozens of benchmark projects to the grid in Asia (China, Southeast Asia), Europe (Germany, the Netherlands), Africa (Kenya), and North America (Canada), and its technology matrix comprehensively covers six major scenarios: BIPV photovoltaic roof systems in industrial parks, BIPV curtain wall power generation facades in commercial complexes, BIPV photovoltaic carports in public facilities, large-scale solar ground support power stations in desert areas, agricultural photovoltaic platforms in tropical rainforest areas, and distributed roof support networks in urban communities.

The projects of Solar First Group not only directly contributed GD-level new installed capacity, but also responded to IRENA's call for accelerated transformation with innovative applications - for instance, the BIPV curtain wall project in the Netherlands achieved net zero emissions of building energy consumption, and the agricultural scaffolding in Kenya reduced crop transpiration loss by 30% while generating electricity.

 （The photovoltaic project of Solar First Group）

IRENA warns: The growth rate is still insufficient and transformation needs to be accelerated

Despite the rapid deployment of renewable energy in major economies around the world, IRENA emphasized in its report that the growth rate of renewable energy generation must exceed the growth of energy demand.

Francesco La Camera, the director general of IRENA, pointed out:

The continuous growth once again proves the resilience of renewable energy. Last year's strong performance has created more opportunities for countries to utilize renewable energy to gain multiple social and economic benefits. However, despite the encouraging global trends, our "Global Energy Transition Outlook" indicates that the speed and breadth of the energy transition are far from sufficient to avoid the severe consequences of climate change.

Strategic Cooperation and Hydrogen Energy Prospects

    • IRENA launched the Strategic Partnership Agreement program at the beginning of this year, aiming to promote the sharing of experiences among countries in achieving carbon neutrality goals.

    • Many countries are taking measures, such as using green hydrogen to ensure energy supply.

    • According to IRENA data, if the global temperature rise is to be kept within the 1.5°C target set by the Paris Agreement by 2050, hydrogen energy (mainly relying on green hydrogen) will need to account for at least 12% of the world's total energy by then.

Case Studies on India's Green Hydrogen Potential

    • The Indian government signed a strategic partnership agreement with IRENA in January this year.

    • Lacamela emphasized that India is a powerful country in renewable energy and is committed to energy transformation.

    • Over the past five years, India's cumulative installed capacity of renewable energy has reached 53 GW, with an additional 13 GW added in 2021.

    • To support the decarbonization of the industrial economy, India is making efforts to build a green hydrogen energy supply chain.

    • According to the agreement, the Indian government and IRENA have positioned green hydrogen as a key driving force for India's energy transition and a potential source of new energy exports.

    • According to a report by market Research firm Mercom India Research, as of the fourth quarter of 2021, the cumulative installed capacity of renewable energy in India reached 150.4 GW, among which photovoltaic systems accounted for 32% of the newly added installed capacity of renewable energy in the quarter.

The global share continues to rise

    • In 2021, renewable energy accounted for 81% of the global increase in total installed power generation capacity (79% in 2020).

    • The share of renewable energy in the global total power generation rose from 36.6% in 2020 to 38.3% in 2021, an increase of nearly 2 percentage points.

    • The International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts that in 2022, renewable energy generation is expected to account for 90% of the world's total new power generation.