Exports of solar power and wind power products totaled a combined US$79.6 billion in 2021.
The dollar total in 2021 for these so-called green or clean energy products results from a 37.5% expansion over since five years earlier in 2017.
Year over year, revenues from solar power and wind power exports accelerated by 19.7% compared to $66.5 billion for 2020.
To give some perspective to the green power metrics, the value of exported fossil fuels including crude oil, processed oils, petroleum gases and coal was $2.069 trillion for 2021.
Therefore, the $79.6 billion spent for renewable clean energy exports worldwide amounts to 3.8% compared to the $2.069 trillion paid for fossil fuel exports in 2021. That percentage is smaller than the 5% for one year earlier.
Revenues for globally exported fossil fuels advanced by almost half (49%) from 2020 to 2021, compared to the 19.7% gain for solar power plus wind power exports.
For research purposes, the Harmonized System (HS) code is 854140 for photosensitive semiconductor devices including photovoltaic cells used to convert sunlight into electric electricity. The HS code for wind-powered generating sets is 850231.
Solar Power Exports: Global Sales by Top Countries
The worldwide value of exported photosensitive semiconductor devices including photovoltaic cells used to convert sunlight into electric electricity was $72.3 billion for 2021.
That dollar amount reflects a 24.1% increase from 2020 to 2021.
The 5 most lucrative exporters of solar power products are mainland China, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Japan and Vietnam. By value, that quintet of leading exporters earned over two-thirds (68.3%) from solar power products exported in 2021.
Below, you will find a list of the 15 best exporters of solar power sorted by highest international sales.
- China: US$33.5 billion (Up 40.6% from 2020)
- Malaysia: $4.9 billion (Up 16.7%)
- Hong Kong: $4.1 billion (Up 24.9%)
- Japan: $3.8 billion (Up 11.1%)
- Vietnam: $3.1 billion (Down -30.6%)
- South Korea: $3.1 billion (Down -1.9%)
- Germany: $3 billion (Up 25.3%)
- Netherlands: $2.7 billion (Up 78.7%)
- Taiwan: $2.6 billion (Up 42.3%)
- United States: $2.5 billion (Up 7.3%)
- Singapore: $2.2 billion (Up 19.7%)
- Thailand: $2 billion (Up 3.7%)
- France: $830 million (Up 18.5%)
- Philippines: $473.7 million (Down -2%)
- Italy: $408.3 million (Down -3.9%)
The top exporters shown above generated 95.5% of all solar power products sold on international markets during 2021.
Among the leading 15 global suppliers, the strongest gains from 2020 to 2021 belong to the Netherland (up 78.7%), Taiwan (up 42.3%), mainland China (up 40.6%), Germany (up 25.3%) then Hong Kong (up 24.9%).
The declining major exporters of solar power equipment were Vietnam (down -30.6 from 2020), Italy (down -3.9%), Philippines (down -2%) and South Korea (down -1.9%).
Wind Power Exports: Global Sales by Top Countries
An alternative form of green energy, exports of wind-powered generating sets totaled $7.3 billion or 10.1% of the amount spent on globally exported solar products.
Wind power related exports shrank in value by -11.8% from 2020 to 2021, compared to the robust double-digit gain for solar power exports.
The 5 primary exporters of commodities related to wind power are Germany, Denmark, mainland China, Spain and India. Collectively, those leading suppliers were responsible for 93.6% of overall international sales for products related to harnessing wind power.
That percentage is much more concentrated that the comparable metric (68.3%) for solar power exports.
The 15 major exporters of wind power products are presented below, starting with the highest sales leaders.
- Germany: US$2.5 billion (Up 5.2% from 2020)
- Denmark: $1.9 billion (Down -15.3%)
- China: $1.4 billion (Up 29.6%)
- Spain: $590.6 million (Down -11.1%)
- India: $292.6 million (Up 49.7%)
- United Kingdom: $117.6 million (Up 9,651%)
- Brazil: $115.7 million (Down -41%)
- Portugal: $42.5 million (Up 204%)
- Vietnam: $34.8 million (Up 17,369%)
- Lithuania: $33.4 million (Up 463.3%)
- Greece: $31.9 million (Up 52.2%)
- Netherlands: $24.8 million (Down -97.8%)
- Belgium: $18.9 million (Down -56%)
- United States: $14.9 million (Down -40.3%)
- Estonia: $8.7 million (Down -41.4%)
The above exporters fulfilled 99.6% of all wind power international sales during 2021.
Among the above 15 global suppliers, the strongest growth from 2020 to 2021 was attained by Vietnam (up 17,369%), United Kingdom (up 9,651%), Lithuania (up 463.3%), Portugal (up 204%), ahead of Greece (up 52.2%).
Posting the severest decline year over year was the Netherlands dragged down by a -97.8% reduction in sales from 2020. Other major decreases were experienced by Belgium (down -56%), Estonia (down -41.4%), Brazil (down -41%), the United States of America (down -40.3%), Denmark (down -15.3%), then Spain (down -11.1%).
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 November 9, 2022
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on November 9, 2022
Wikipedia, Solar power. Accessed on November 9, 2022
Wikipedia, Wind power. Accessed on November 9, 2022
