Which country has the best solar energy potential?

Namibia has the highest overall global PV output potential, according to the World Bank's ranking, with an nationwide average PVOUT measurement of 5.38 kWh/kWp/day.

Egypt, Botswana, Morocco and Sudan also feature in the global PVOUT top 20, thanks to similar solar radiation totals and land availability, suggesting African nations could come to dominate global solar production rankings if all the region's ambitious renewable energy development plans take root.

MIDDLE EAST CONTENDERS

Thanks to similarly high amounts of solar radiation and large swaths of usable land, several Middle East countries also place highly on PVOUT potential despite current low levels of solar installations.

Jordan, Yemen and Oman are the top three MidEast nations in terms of PVOUT, followed by Saudi Arabia.

China's overall PVOUT reading of 3.88 kWh/kWp/day is well below the national averages of other countries in Asia, including dry and sunny Mongolia (4.76 PVOUT measurement), India (4.32) and Afghanistan (5.02), the region's top overall PVOUT potential leader.

Nearly all countries in Asia are expected to accelerate the roll out of solar power in the decades ahead, but China looks set to remain the overall leader in terms of sheer scale thanks to generous state-funded subsidies and plans to steadily rebalance the country's energy system away from fossil fuels.