中国今年这一指数排名达到了历史最高值，主要原因是陆上风电和CSP的安装量不断增加。
同时，在2010年，中国超过美国成为世界上最大的能源消耗国，十二五规划中设定的环保目标中，将2015年的非石化能源占总能源消耗的比例制定为11.3%，目前，这一指标值为8.3%。为了实现这一目标，中国表示，将最少建设70GW的风电场和5GW的光伏电站。
报告中的最新数据表明，2010年，中国开发银行（the China Development Bank (CDB)））为中国可再生能源公司提供了总共350亿美元的低利率信用贷款，美国为清洁能源公司提供资金为40亿美元的补助以及160亿美元的担保贷款。
2010年，中国超过美国成为世界上风电领域的领导者，总共安装了大约16GW的风电，几乎占了世界风电2010年装机容量的一半。截止到2010年，中国累计装机容量为42GW。美国去年新增风电装机容量为5GW，累计为40GW。
然而，在并网容量方面，中国排名第二。截至2010年底，超过三分之一的风电装机容量并没有并网。
2010年，中国的光伏发电市场也取得了强劲的增长。大约新增了1GW，并且累计装机容量达到2.6GW，最新的数据显示，美国拥有17个CPS 电站，总容量为507MW。DOE 设定，下个十年，美国将将光伏发电成本下降至1美元/W。
Influential commentators in Japan, Germany, Russia, the US, China, Spain, Italy, Thailand, Yemen and numerous other nations have all weighed in on the need to de-emphasise nuclear and focus on renewables in the wake of the Japanese tsunami and nuclear disaster. So concludes the Ernst & Young 2011 All Renewables Index.
At the same time, recent unrest and the risk of further conflict in the Middle East and North Africa region have highlighted crucial issues around energy supply security and oil price volatility. European governments have slashed budgets and reduced feed-in tariffs (FiTs), causing solar cell prices to fall while solar manufacturers' margins are being squeezed due to rising silicon and other commodity costs.
RANKINGS OVERVIEW
China has climbed to its highest ever score in the Index, principally by diversifying its renewables portfolio through an increased focus on offshore wind and CSP.
While China surpassed the US to become the world's largest energy consumer in 2010, environmental targets set out in the 12th Five-Year Plan include an increase in the proportion of energy from non-fossil fuels to 11.3 percent by 2015, from the current 8.3 percent. To meet this target, China says it intends to build at least 70 GW of new wind farms and 5 GW of new solar farms.
According to the report, the latest statistics indicate that, in 2010, the China Development Bank (CDB) made around $35 billion in low-interest credit available to Chinese renewables companies. This compares with the $4 billion of grants and $16 billion in loan guarantees awarded to clean-tech companies in the US.
China overtook the US at the end of 2010 to become the world leader in wind power, having installed around 16 GW in 2010 or almost half of global installations - taking cumulative installed capacity to 42 GW. This is contrasted with an additional 5 GW installed in the US last year and a total of 40 GW.
However, China ranks second globally in terms of grid-connected capacity; more than a third of wind capacity had yet to be connected to the national grid at the end of 2010.
China's PV market also experienced strong growth in 2010, installing around 1 GW and taking cumulative capacity to 2.6 GW. The latest figures also show that the US now has 17 CSP plants, totaling 507 MW. The DOE has set a goal of reducing the cost of solar to $1 per watt (parity) in the next decade.
India continues to slowly climb the rankings, leaving Germany in fourth position, a sign that developers are favouring countries with high economic growth. In order to meet the government's ambitious plans for wind and solar, Suzlon Energy intends to invest $1.3 billion to develop 1 GW of new wind in Gujarat by 2013.
Germany has dropped a point due to the solar benchmarking exercise. In addition, the long-term horizon for wind power growth in Germany has been revised down as the industry matures and space for new development becomes limited.
Italy has dropped two points in light of the new decree on phased reductions to FITs for solar PV from June 2011 onward.
In the UK, the results of the Department of Energy and Climate Change's "fast track review" of FITs for solar PV has resulted in dramatic cuts for installations over 50 kW, due to come into effect on August 1, 2011. This, coupled with additional market uncertainties, have caused the UK to fall three points.
France has slipped a point due to continued uncertainty over its tendering system for large-scale solar. First Solar Inc. and EDF Energies Nouvelles SA have placed a 120-MW project on hold until more clarity has been unveiled.
The fall of Portugal's government, the downgrading in sovereign credit rating and that of the Portuguese utility, Energias de Portugal, combined with an EU bailout, have all dampened the outlook. As a result, Portugal has fallen four points. However, it has benefited from the CSP benchmarking.
Brazil has risen four places as it seeks to reduce its reliance on large-scale hydropower and take advantage of strong Atlantic trade winds to develop offshore and build its onshore development pipeline of 5 GW to 2014.
Australia has fallen three points in the aftermath of the Queensland floods. The government has reduced spending on renewables by AU$1.8 billion (US$1.87 billion), including a reduction in the Solar Flagship Program intended to support large-scale solar.
Japan has dropped three places as the short-term focus on natural gas and fuel oil imports to replace lost nuclear power capacity is likely to hamper renewable energy investment. The long-term horizon is less clear, with analysts predicting that the government could favour distributed generation based on renewable technologies.