PV data consultancy Wiki-Solar says the world’s top solar developers have added almost 50 GW of new solar capacity since the start of 2023, increasing their cumulative capacity to 146.7 GW – more than a fifth of the global total.
The world’s 27 largest PV developers installed 48.6 GW of new solar capacity between early 2023 and the third quarter of 2024, according to an analysis of the world’s 27 largest PV developers. Wiki-Solar.
The figure includes 451 new utility-scale projects (over 4 MW) around the world, representing almost 50% growth from the 100 GW these developers owned at the end of 2022.
Wiki-Solar’s rankings show that the top 27 utility-scale solar developers have a cumulative capacity of 146.7 GW – approximately 21% of global capacity – across 2,738 operating plants.
US-based NextEra Energy currently tops the list and has expanded its capacity by 74% since 2022, largely through new projects commissioned by subsidiary Florida Power & Light. The total capacity has reached 14.6 GW.
China’s State Power Investment Corp. (SPIC) is in second place, with a cumulative capacity of 11.6 GW. According to Wiki-Solar, China currently has more utility-scale solar capacity than the next six countries combined.
Italy’s Enel is in third place with 8.2 GW of solar capacity. Asian developers are rising on the list, with India’s Adani Green Energy and Tata Power in fourth and seventh place respectively. The Saudi ACWA Power enters the top 10 for the first time and takes ninth place.
Wiki-Solar founder Philip Wolfe said the database provides insight into how geography affects average project size.
“ACWA is developing mega-projects in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere with an average capacity of more than 330 MW,” Wolfe said. “For Chinese and Indian companies, 100 MW is typical, while an average of 20 to 30 MW is not uncommon for European developers.”
Wiki-Solar also collects data on the largest power plant owners and independent power producers (IPPs). The 28 largest plant owners and IPPs account for 135 GW of solar capacity, equivalent to 19% of the world total.
The database shows that some developers sell their projects once they are operational, while others buy projects, which allows them to move up the rankings. SPIC tops the list of power plant owners, with a cumulative capacity of 15 GW, followed by NextEra Energy with 10.8 GW and France’s Engie with 7.9 GW.
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