Global solar photovoltaic capacity has grown from around four gigawatts in 2004 to over 102 gigawatts in 2012. In that year, cumulative solar PV installations reached some 32.4 gigawatts in Germany alone. The country is home to Finsterwalde solar PV power plant, which has a capacity of around 83 megawatts and ranks among the largest solar PV power plants worldwide.

In 2012, the global market for solar photovoltaic manufacturing was sized at just under 80 billion U.S. dollars. Monocrystalline silicon was the most common cell type in 2011. Solar cells made from monocrystalline silicon accounted for some 57 percent of global solar cell production. In 2015, the residential solar PV market in the United States is projected to be worth around 3.7 billion U.S. dollars.

• Cumulative solar PV capacity in the U.S. 2012
• Ranking of solar PV countries 2011
• The largest solar PV power plants worldwide 2011
• U.S. residential solar PV market value 2016

• • Overview
  • The global solar PV market
• • The U.S. solar PV industry
  • Outlook