Globally, solar-thermal collector capacity has grown steadily, with large contributions from domestic hot-water systems in Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Energy yield in TWh tracks this rising installed base. However, growth slowed after 2013 as earlier subsidy programmes ended in China and Denmark.

The global thermal data is sourced from Solar Heat Worldwide by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and a more comprehensive view of their data can be found on their website.

This next diagram contrasts total operational solar-thermal capacity with newly installed capacity each year. Flat-plate collectors (FPCs) and evacuated tubes (ETCs) dominate. Although many mature markets slowed post-2013, new regions — MENA, Latin America — are now expanding.

Here, global thermal capacity and actual energy delivered is compared to other renewable energy sources globally. Solar thermal power generation is out shadowed by solar thermal heat, and power from wind and photovoltaics (PV). The distribution of solar thermal collector area, for heat or power, is shown by region.

This data shows the global distribution of total collector area across different applications, including domestic hot water (DHW), large DHW systems, swimming pools, and solar combi-systems. Domestic water heating remains the dominant use in most regions, but the use of larger DHW systems is growing.

The map below shows the capacity density of installed solar thermal capacity per 1000 inhabitants. Highlighted countries with high market penetration density include China, Turkey, Denmark, Germany, Austria, and Greece.

Image source: AEE INTEC 2024.

Photovoltaic Thermal Systems (PVT) combine solar thermal heat and PV electricity production within the same collector. This can boost total energy yield per installed collector area. This is especially promising when the available installation area is limited, such as the rooftop of high-rise buildings. Adoption remains modest compared to traditional PV and thermal systems, partly due to higher costs and varying market support. Europe has seen the biggest growth of PVT systems (65%), followed by Asia (28%), MENA (4%), and the rest of the world (3%).

South Africa's solar-thermal market grew rapidly during the period when Eskom subsidies were available (until around 2015). After subsidies ended, installations slowed but remained supported by building regulations requiring solar or heat-pump water heating in new buildings.

The SHIP database (Solar Heat for Industrial Processes) is a public online platform that maps and documents industrial solar-thermal installations worldwide. Managed by AEE INTEC under the IEA Solar Heating & Cooling Programme, it provides detailed information on each project, including its location, collector type, thermal capacity, industrial sector, and operating temperature range. The database helps researchers, engineers, and developers understand global market trends, compare technologies, and identify suitable reference cases for new industrial heat projects. Because industrial heat represents a major share of global energy demand, the SHIP database serves as an important resource for tracking how solar thermal is being adopted across different sectors and regions.

Below are some visual insights gained from the SHIP database, including the global collector area and thermal power per industry category, which is largely concentrated in the mining sector.

The diagram below provides detail into which solar thermal technologies are being used in industry across all sectors. This is dominated by parabolic trough collectors for larger scale systems compared to domestic applications.

The industry data is then categorised by country in terms of installed collector area and total number of systems. Interestingly, Oman has the largest collector area by far, installed in only 2 systems. 

Finally, we look at the thermal power each of these countries has installed in industry applications.