The top solar countries – past, present and future by Giles Parkinson

Despite all the problems supposedly surrounding the solar PV sector - bankruptcies, oversupply, the phasing out of feed-in-tariffs and other incentives, government austerity packages and low economic growth - it is still expected to register strong growth this year.

According to US research firm Maxim Group, the solar PV sector is expected to grow around 18 per cent in 2013 to around 38GW. This follows a 23 per cent rise in 2012, and comes as major economies such as China, US, Japan, and India overcoming declines in recent leaders Germany and Italy, and because of new growth in other Asian countries, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East.

In particular, it points to South Africa, Ukraine, Poland, and Southeast Asia as the potential big movers "While off the radar, a few tertiary markets could be sleepers that surprise to the upside," it says, noting South Africa's renewable auction program, where 1GW has already been approved and has begun construction,  Ukraine’s slow but steady growth, Poland splashing onto the scene late 2012, and a Thailand-led boom in SE Asia.

And, it says Latin America, rest of Africa, and the Middle East "have leapt out the gate" with aggressive targets that will yield multi- GW pipelines in Chile, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Qatar.

The Maxim researchers have put together some interesting statistics of which countries lead the way in solar PV. It is interesting to note where we were just a few years ago, where we are now, and where we will be in a few years.

Australia sticks stubbornly to 8th place, even though the names of the countries around them are shuffled over the years.