Graphic of Solar Installations by Country Might Be Misleading

As illustrated here (larger graphic below), there are many ways of presenting data.  The intended take-away here is clear: outside of the U.S., Germany, China and the U.K., very little is happening in solar energy at the global level.

Having said that, here’s something to consider:  Small countries don’t need tens of GWs of solar, or anything else.  Of the 56 countries in Africa, only seven have populations over 50 million.  We’d all like to see solar, wind, and whatever else come in and leapfrog the need for fossil fuel plants, but even when they do, there won’t be any green on that entire continent.

In addition, some countries have extraordinary renewable resources other than solar, e.g., Iceland’s geothermal and Costa Rica’s hydro.