SiliconBeat

SolarBuzz, a San Francisco consultancy, is out with its list of the world’s hottest spots for solar today.

In 2008, it says, Spain become the world’s No. 1 solar nation, as its amount of PV solar installations grew 285 percent last year. Germany fell to No. 2, and the U.S. is third. (At 0.36 GW, the U.S. accounted for about 6% of the world’s solar market in 2008.) Korea, Italy and Japan round out the top 6. Europe still accounts for 82% of solar demand, it noted.

Worldwide, 5.95 GW of PV solar were installed last year, a record and a 110% increase from 2007.

Other findings:

* Solar cell production reached 6.85 GW, up from 3.44 GW in 2007. Nearly half of all solar cells (44%) came from China and Taiwan.

* Polysilicon supply increased 127%.

* The PV industry generated $37 billion in revenues, while raising $11 billion in equity and debt.

You can find a press release on the report and order one for yourself for just $3,950 at Solarbuzz.