Digest: Solar PV additions surpassed 600 GW in 2025 as wind grew nearly 40%

Source title: Technology: Solar PV and wind – Global Energy Review 2026 – Analysis - IEA

The International Energy Agency (IEA) published the “Technology: Solar PV and wind” analysis in its Global Energy Review 2026. The content below is summarized from the cited source.

According to the IEA, global annual renewable capacity additions increased by 16% in 2025 and reached 800 GW. This marked the 23rd consecutive year of record renewable expansion. Solar PV accounted for more than three-quarters of new renewable capacity additions worldwide, while wind made up about 20%.

For solar PV specifically, the IEA says 2025 additions rose by around 12% and surpassed 600 GW for the first time. The report also notes that cumulative solar PV capacity reached around 2,800 GW, making solar the technology with the largest installed capacity globally in IEA data. Thirty countries installed more than 1 GW of solar PV in a single year, nearly twice as many as in 2020.

On wind, the IEA reports that global annual capacity additions increased by nearly 40% in 2025 to around 160 GW, setting a new record. The report adds that Europe and China remained major markets, with China alone accounting for more than 60% of global renewable growth in 2025.