That dollar amount reflects an 8.1% increase since 2016 and a 2.6% gain from 2019 to 2020 for these so-called green or clean energy products.
To give some perspective, the value of exported fossil fuels including crude oil, processed oils, petroleum gases and coal was $1.321 trillion for 2020.
Therefore, the $66.2 billion spent for renewable energy exports worldwide amounts to just 5% of the $1.321 trillion paid for fossil fuel exports in 2020.
Exports of solar and wind energy products did increase from 2019 and over the 5-year period starting in 2016. In contrast, revenues for globally exported fossil fuels declined by almost a third (-32.5%) from 2019 to 2020.
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 $58.2 billion for 2020.
That dollar amount reflects a 2.8% improvement from 2019 to 2020.
The 5 biggest exporters of solar power products are China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Japan and Hong Kong. By value, that quintet of leading exporters shipped roughly two-thirds (67.3%) of solar power exports in 2020.
Below, you will find a list of the 15 best exporters of solar power sorted by highest international sales.
- China: US$23.8 billion (Up 1% from 2019)
- Vietnam: $4.5 billion (Up 27.2%)
- Malaysia: $4.2 billion (Down -10.6%)
- Japan: $3.4 billion (Down -2.6%)
- Hong Kong: $3.3 billion (Up 0.1%)
- South Korea: $3.1 billion (Down -11.4%)
- Germany: $2.4 billion (Down -2.2%)
- United States: $2.3 billion (Up 5.1%)
- Thailand: $1.9 billion (Up 41%)
- United States: $1.83 billion (Down -10.9%)
- Singapore: $1.81 billion (Up 17.4%)
- Netherlands: $1.5 billion (Up 27.9%)
- France: $700.7 million (Up 21.8%)
- Philippines: $483.3 million (Up 28.9%)
- Italy: $424 million (Up 22.1%)
The top exporters shown above generated 95.5% of all solar power products sold on international markets during 2020.
Among the above 15 global suppliers, 10 countries grew their revenues from solar power exports from 2019 to 2020. Posting double-digit gains from 2019 to 2020 were Thailand (up 41%), Philippines (up 28.9%), Netherlands (up 27.9%), Vietnam (up 27.2%), Italy (up 22.1%), France (up 21.8%) and Singapore (up 17.4%).
Leading the declining solar power exporters were South Korea (down -11.4% from 2019), United States (down -10.9%) and Malaysia (down -10.6%).
Wind Power Exports: Global Sales by Top Countries
A competitive form of green energy, exports of wind-powered generating sets totaled $8 billion or 13.7% of the amount spend on globally exported solar products.
Wind power related exports posted a modest 1.5% increase from 2019 to 2020, compared to a 2.8% gain for solar power exports.
The 5 primary exporters of commodities related to wind power are Germany, Denmark, Netherlands, China and Spain. Collectively, those leading suppliers were responsible for 91.8% of overall international sales for products related to harnessing wind power.
That percentage is much more concentrated that the comparable metric (67.3%) for solar power exports.
The 15 major exporters of wind power products are presented below, starting with the highest sales leaders.
- Germany: US$2.3 billion (Up 2.7% from 2019)
- Denmark: $2.1 billion (Down -30.1%)
- Netherlands: $1.1 billion (Up 57.8%)
- China: $1.1 billion (Up 16.9%)
- Spain: $664.7 million (Up 7.8%)
- Brazil: $196.3 million (Up 762%)
- India: $195.4 million (Up 361.8%)
- Japan: $104.3 million (Up 663.5%)
- Belgium: $42.9 million (Up 287.4%)
- United States: $25 million (Down -81.2%)
- Greece: $21 million (Up 37.2%)
- Estonia: $14.9 million (Up 53.9%)
- Portugal: $14 million (Down -42.5%)
- Sweden: $8 million (Up 26,413%)
- Poland: $7.6 million (Up 381.1%)
The above exporters fulfilled 99.7% of all wind power shipments during 2020.
Among the above 15 global suppliers, a dozen nations garnered greater revenues from wind power exports from 2019 to 2020. Generating the strongest improvements from 2019 to 2020 were Sweden (up 26,413%), Brazil (up 762%), Japan (up 663.5%), Poland (up 381.1%), India (up 361.8%) then Belgium (up 287.4%).
There was a trio of decliners namely the United States of America (down -81.2% compared to 2019), Portugal (down -42.5%) and Denmark (down -30.1%).
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 January 17, 2022
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on January 17, 2022
Wikipedia, Solar power. Accessed on January 17, 2022
Wikipedia, Wind power. Accessed on January 17, 2022
