從2000年到2016年，太陽能光伏的部署以年均44%的復合速度增長，從0.8吉瓦(GW)增長到291吉瓦。太陽能光伏組件的“學習率”很高，在18%到22%之間，這取決于所分析的時間段。隨著部署的快速增長，從2009年底到2016年，模塊價格下降了80-85%。2010年至2016年，全球公用事業(yè)規(guī)模的太陽能光伏項目的加權平均總安裝成本和平均電價(LCOE)分別下降了65%和67%。

Solar PV deployment has grown at an annual average compound rate of 44% between 2000 and 2016, from 0.8 gigawatts (GW) to 291 GW. Solar PV modules have high “l(fā)earning rates” of between 18% and 22% depending on the period analysed. With the rapid growth in deployment, module prices have declined by around 80–85% between the end of 2009 and 2016. Between 2010 and 2016, the global weighted average total installed cost and the levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) of utility-scale solar PV projects fell by 65% and 67% respectively.