Exports of solar power and wind power products totaled a combined US$100.9 billion in 2022.
The dollar total in 2022 for popular exported green or clean energy products results from a 73.9% expansion over $58 billion of international sales five years earlier in 2018.
Year over year, revenues from solar power and wind power exports accelerated by 24.2% compared to $81.2 billion for 2021.
To give some perspective to the green power metrics, the value of exported fossil fuels including crude oil, processed petroleum oils, gases and coal was $3.678 trillion for 2022.
Therefore, the $100.9 billion spent for renewable clean energy exports worldwide amounts to 2.7% compared to the $3.678 trillion paid for fossil fuel exports in 2022. That percentage is smaller than the 3.8% for one year earlier.
Revenues for globally exported fossil fuels advanced by 68.4% from 2021 to 2022, compared to the 24.2% year-over-year gain for solar power plus wind power exports.
For research purposes, there are now 6 Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) codes for photosensitive semiconductor device components including photovoltaic cells used to convert sunlight into electric electricity. These codes are 854140, 854141, 854142, 854143 and 854149. The HTS code for wind-powered generating sets is 850231.
Solar Power Exports: Global Sales by Top Countries
The worldwide value of exported photosensitive semiconductor device components including photovoltaic cells used to convert sunlight into electric electricity was $95.8 billion for 2022.
That dollar amount reflects a 29.4% increase from 2021 to 2022, and an 83.9% improvement since 2018.
The 5 most lucrative exporters of solar power products are mainland China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Germany and Japan. By value, that quintet of leading exporters earned nearly three-quarters (72.6%) from solar power products exported in 2022.
Below, you will find a list of the 15 best exporters of solar power sorted by highest international sales.
- China: US$50.8 billion (Up 51.5% from 2021)
- Vietnam: $6 billion (Up 26%)
- Malaysia: $5.9 billion (Up 21.6%)
- Germany: $3.4 billion (Up 10.9%)
- Japan: $3.39 billion (Down -11.4%)
- Hong Kong: $3.3 billion (Down -18.3%)
- Singapore: $3 billion (Up 40.4%)
- South Korea: $2.8 billion (Down -8%)
- Thailand: $2.7 billion (Up 38.3%)
- United States: $2.5 billion (Up 1.5%)
- Taiwan: $2.1 billion (Down -19.5%)
- Netherlands: $28 billion (Down -21.8%)
- Cambodia: $1 billion (Up 274.9%)
- France: $929.2 million (Up 11.9%)
- Portugal: $613.7 million (Up 92.1%)
The top exporters shown above generated 94.7% of all solar power components sold on international markets during 2022.
Among the leading 15 global suppliers, the strongest gains belong to Cambodia (up 274.9% from 2021), Portugal (up 92.1%), mainland China (up 51.5%), Singapore (up 40.4%), Thailand (up 38.3%) then Vietnam (up 26%).
The major exporters of solar power equipment that recorded double-digit sales declines were the Netherlands (down -21.8 from 2021), Taiwan (down -19.5%), Hong Kong (down -18.3%) and Japan (down -11.4%).
Wind Power Exports: Global Sales by Top Countries
An alternative form of green energy, exports of wind-powered generating sets totaled $5.1 billion in 2022 or 5.3% of the amount spent on globally exported solar products. That percentage is much lower than the 10.1% for 2021.
Wind power related exports shrank in value by -28.9% from 2021 to 2022 and by -14.2% since 2018, compared to the robust double-digit gains for solar power component exports.
The 5 primary exporters of commodities related to wind power are Germany, Denmark, mainland China, India and Spain. Collectively, those leading suppliers were responsible for 89% of overall international sales for products related to harnessing wind power.
That percentage is much more concentrated that the comparable metric (72.6%) for the top 5 solar power exporters.
The 15 major exporters of wind power products are presented below, starting with the highest sales leaders.
- Germany: US$1.5 billion (Down -39.4% from 2021)
- Denmark: $1.4 billion (Down -29%)
- China: $1 billion (Down -30.5%)
- India: $367 million (Up 25.4%)
- Spain: $296.3 million (Down -49.8%)
- United States: $175.1 million (Up 1001.2%)
- United Kingdom: $122.1 million (Up 3.8%)
- Brazil: $72.7 million (Down -37.2%)
- Netherlands: $41.2 million (Up 52%)
- Vietnam: $41.1 million (Up 15688.5%)
- Greece: $27.5 million (Down -14%)
- Portugal: $22.9 million (Down -43.5%)
- Belgium: $20.3 million (Up 7.7%)
- Lithuania: $12.6 million (Down -62.3%)
- Algeria: $4.4 million (2021 data unavailable)
The above exporters fulfilled 99.5% of all wind power international sales during 2022.
Among the above 15 global suppliers, the strongest growth from 2021 to 2022 was attained by sellers in Vietnam (up 15,689%), United States of America (up 1,001%), Netherlands (up 52%), India (up 25.4%), ahead of Belgium (up 7.7%).
Posting the severest decline year over year were exporters in Lithuania, dragged down by a -62.3% reduction in sales from 2021. Other major decreases were experienced by suppliers in Spain (down -49.8%), Portugal (down -43.5%), Germany (down -39.4%), Brazil (down -37.2%) then mainland China (down -30.5%).
See also Crude Oil Exports by Country, Petroleum Gas Exports, Coal Exports by Country and Electricity Exports by Country
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on August 16, 2023
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on August 16, 2023
Wikipedia, Solar power. Accessed on August 16, 2023
Wikipedia, Wind power. Accessed on August 16, 2023
