OVERVIEW- Utility-scale solar continues to race ahead, hits 120 GW

Half-year figures, published Monday by Wiki-Solar, show that deployment of utility-scale PV capacity continues to accelerate. Having passed the magic 100 GW figure early in 2017, just over 20 GW was connected in the first half taking the cumulative total towards 120 GW.

Asia dominated the new installations in the first half. China’s 9 GW and India’s almost 5 GW left the USA in third place with 2.5 GW of new capacity. South America, overtook Europe in terms of new capacity; and is starting to build a significant share, with Brazil now joining Chile in the world top 20. Europe continues to slip backwards, with modest growth in Germany and France unable to compensate for the UK’s decline in the wake of disintegrating support. Australasia lifted itself out of last place for the first time, overtaking Africa’s quiet half-year.

“We are well on track for an eighth consecutive record year, assuming installation volumes increase in the second half, as they normally do. I would expect us to get close to a cumulative total of 150-GW, by year-end,” says Wiki-Solar’s Philip Wolfe.

The national league table below shows several changes since last year-end:

- India enjoyed the highest percentage growth amongst major countries, ensuring that the top three are now well clear.
- Chile continues to climb the table while it builds out its huge project pipeline.
- Brazil is the biggest climber as its 2015 tender winners start to bring their plants on-line.
- Australia gets into the top-20 for the first time; and has a project pipeline, which should enable it to continue up the table.
- Other climbers are Jordan, Mexico and the UAE; as they too build out tender-winning projects.

Wiki-Solar reminds readers that the publication of data often lags installations by several months and these figures are therefore subject to revision.

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