Installed solar energy capacity in Canada

Canada: Installed solar energy capacity was 5.77 gigawatts in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
5.77 gigawatts
Change on year
up 8.4%
World rank
28th
of 218 countries
All-time high
5.77 gigawatts
in 2024
All-time low
0.001 gigawatts
in 2004
Years of data
21
2004–2024

Installed solar energy capacity in Canada, 2004–2024

02462004201420242004: 0.001 gigawatts2005: 0.001 gigawatts2006: 0.001 gigawatts2007: 0.002 gigawatts2008: 0.004 gigawatts2009: 0.05 gigawatts2010: 0.188 gigawatts2011: 0.423 gigawatts2012: 0.651 gigawatts2013: 1 gigawatts2014: 1.6 gigawatts2015: 2.1 gigawatts2016: 2.3 gigawatts2017: 2.5 gigawatts2018: 2.6 gigawatts2019: 2.8 gigawatts2020: 3.1 gigawatts2021: 3.9 gigawatts2022: 4.3 gigawatts2023: 5.3 gigawatts2024: 5.8 gigawatts

Source: IRENA (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in gigawatts.

Analysis

The most recent figure for installed solar energy capacity in Canada is 5.77 gigawatts, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 21 years on record.

That represents a change of up 8.4% on the previous year and up 268.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, installed solar energy capacity in Canada peaked at 5.77 gigawatts in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.001 gigawatts, in 2004.

Canada ranks 28th of 218 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 0.0098 gigawatts 0.001 gigawatts 0.05 gigawatts 6
2010s 1.62 gigawatts 0.188 gigawatts 2.83 gigawatts 10
2020s 4.47 gigawatts 3.07 gigawatts 5.77 gigawatts 5

Countries ranked near Canada

  1. 25 Hungary 7.7 gigawatts compare
  2. 26 United Arab Emirates 6.47 gigawatts compare
  3. 27 Portugal 5.81 gigawatts compare
  4. 29 Israel 5.61 gigawatts compare
  5. 30 Ukraine 5.5 gigawatts compare
  6. 31 Sweden 4.96 gigawatts compare

See the full ranking of 218 places →

More energy & mining data for Canada

All data for Canada →

Frequently asked questions

What is installed solar energy capacity in Canada?
Installed solar energy capacity in Canada was 5.77 gigawatts in 2024, according to IRENA (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest installed solar energy capacity recorded in Canada?
The highest recorded value was 5.77 gigawatts in 2024.
What is the lowest installed solar energy capacity recorded in Canada?
The lowest recorded value was 0.001 gigawatts in 2004.
How does Canada rank for installed solar energy capacity?
Canada ranks 28th out of 218 countries with data for 2024.
Is installed solar energy capacity rising or falling in Canada?
Over the last ten years it is up 268.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Canada data come from?
The figures come from IRENA (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Installed solar energy capacity. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 21 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Installed solar energy capacity
Unit
gigawatts
Source
IRENA (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
218 places, 3,927 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

Total solar (on- and off-grid) electricity installed capacity, measured in gigawatts. This includes solar photovoltaic and concentrated solar power.