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Global solar photovoltaic installations reached a new record in 2025, with 664 gigawatts added worldwide, according to the Global Solar Market Outlook 2026-2030 from SolarPower Europe. The report, released on June 22, 2026, in Munich, Germany, notes that this marks another record year for solar PV deployment, though the pace of growth slowed to 12 percent last year after several years of extraordinary expansion.
The document forecasts a temporary decline in global installations in 2026, with growth expected to resume in 2027. This anticipated contraction—the first in over two decades—is projected at 8 percent, bringing installations to 612 gigawatts under the report’s Medium Scenario. The decline is largely attributed to policy changes in China, where a 24 percent drop in installations is expected, outweighing continued growth in all other regions and highlighting China’s influence on the global market.
In 2025, solar PV accounted for 77 percent of all renewable capacity additions worldwide. Solar electricity generation reached 2,778 terawatt-hours, covering approximately 9 percent of global electricity demand. The total global solar fleet surpassed the 3-terawatt milestone in early 2026, having tripled in just four years.
China installed 382 gigawatts in 2025, representing 57 percent of global installations. India became the world’s second-largest solar market, installing 45.7 gigawatts—a 49 percent year-on-year increase—surpassing the United States. As a single market, the European Union-27 would rank second, with 67.2 gigawatts installed and 1 percent annual growth.
The report emphasizes solar’s role in reinforcing energy security amid renewed geopolitical tensions and a second fossil fuel crisis in less than four years. It describes solar as a domestic and affordable solution to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels and shield economies from price volatility. In 2025, the electricity generated by solar was equivalent to nearly five years of liquefied natural gas flows through the Strait of Hormuz.
Walburga Hemetsberger, chief executive of SolarPower Europe, commented that the solar age is firmly established, with solar continuing to outperform all other energy technologies. She noted that the slowdown in growth observed in 2025 and the expected dip in 2026 signal a new reality: scaling solar is no longer just about deploying more capacity but about how well it can be integrated into the system. She pointed out that in a growing number of markets, deployment is increasingly constrained by system integration challenges, including grid congestion, curtailment, and negative price signals. She stressed the urgent need for investment in grids, battery storage, and other non-fossil flexibility solutions to continue integrating large volumes of renewables.
Sonia Dunlop, chief executive of the Global Solar Council, stated that the global solar market reached new heights in 2025, with record installations and important markets such as India, France, and Saudi Arabia making significant strides in solar-plus-storage adoption. She said the report demonstrates the vital role of solar-plus-storage in an increasingly volatile world, adding that the long-term trend of record-breaking growth remains unchanged despite policy adjustments in some major markets. She noted that the industry is on track to more than double its capacity by 2030 and called for stable policy frameworks, faster permitting, grid modernization, and stronger investment environments to unlock the next chapter of solar growth.
Markus Elsasser, chief executive of Solar Promotion GmbH, remarked that while 2025 marked another record-breaking year, the focus is now shifting to efficiently integrating solar into the wider energy system, where rapid deployment of storage, smarter infrastructure, and stronger grids are much needed. He highlighted that events like The smarter E Europe are essential for bringing together the full solar value chain, battery storage and e-mobility industries, and policymakers to address solar’s opportunities and challenges.
Despite the expected dip in 2026, the long-term outlook remains robust. Annual installations are projected to reach around 864 gigawatts by 2030, while total global capacity is expected to grow to 6.6 terawatts, with upward potential to 7.6 terawatts in the High scenario. Solar is expected to deliver around 60 percent of the renewable capacity needed to meet global 2030 targets.
The report includes analysis of global trends, regional developments, and system integration challenges. This year’s edition features a regional focus on Australia, one of the world’s most advanced solar markets, demonstrating how solar-plus-storage is evolving into a system solution with very high rooftop solar penetration and rapidly scaling battery deployment.
The Global Solar Market Outlook is launched annually at The smarter E Europe in Munich, which runs from June 23 to 25, 2026, at Messe München.
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