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Global solar energy market trends

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2026-09-26 22:07 UTC → 2026-10-07 07:33 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The global solar energy sector continues to expand, with total photovoltaic capacity reaching 2.96 TW by the end of 2025. This followed a year of approximately 690 GW in new installations, a 15% increase over 2024, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA) PVPS. China remains the primary market driver, contributing roughly 60% of global installations with 415 GW added in 2025. Other major contributors include India, the United States, Germany, and Pakistan. In the European Union, solar capacity grew by 68 GW in 2025. During the first half of 2026, the EU added at least 33.8 GW of new capacity, a 1.9% increase over the same period in 2025. This growth has led SolarPower Europe to raise its full-year 2026 forecast to 68.1 GW. The five largest EU markets—Germany, Spain, France, Italy, and Poland—account for approximately 75% of total installations. Regional trends within the EU show varied performance: Poland saw the highest growth at 39% year-on-year, while Italy grew by 10%. Conversely, Germany and Spain experienced declines of 4% and 6%, respectively. In Italy, solar energy accounted for approximately 90% of the 2.9 GW of new renewable capacity added in H1 2026; while residential installations fell by 20%, utility-scale projects larger than 10 MW surged by 197% quarter-on-quarter. ~~There is also increasing pressure to utilize building rooftops for solar installations across residential, commercial,~~ By mid-2026, Europe reached a milestone by generating 398.8 TWh of renewable electricity in the first half of the year. Solar power emerged as the continent’s primary electricity source during June and ~~industrial sectors.~~ July 2026, surpassing both coal and gas production. In France, the energy mix reached 95.2% decarbonization through nuclear, solar, and wind power, resulting in a net export of 51 TWh and approximately 3 billion euros in revenue during the first six months of 2026.

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