In the rhythm of adding 1 MW of green electricity installed every 11 seconds globally, the latest statistical report released by the International Renewable Energy Agency in 2026 has officially pushed the global renewable energy industry to the critical point of accounting for half of the electricity installed capacity.

5155 GW scale rewrites energy landscape

By 2025, the total installed capacity of renewable energy worldwide will reach 5155 gigawatts, an increase of 15.5% compared to 2024, accounting for 49.5% of the global total installed capacity of electricity. Solar energy has topped the list of the largest renewable energy category for the first time with an installed capacity of 2397 gigawatts, followed closely by hydropower with 1296 gigawatts and wind power with 1291 gigawatts.

In 2024, the total global green power generation reached 9836 terawatt hours, accounting for 31.7% of the total power generation. Hydroelectric power still ranks first in green power generation with a volume of 4472 terawatt hours, while wind power at 2499 terawatt hours and solar power at 2106 terawatt hours ranked second and third. The difference in utilization hours has prevented solar energy from surpassing traditional green power categories at the power generation end.

The growth pace of regional markets is significantly differentiated

Asia, with a green power installed capacity of 2895 gigawatts by 2025, holds 56% of the global share and is the absolute core battlefield for global green power expansion. In 2025, the installed capacity of green electricity in Europe will be 937 gigawatts, of which the European Union will account for 779 gigawatts. By 2024, the proportion of regional green electricity generation will increase to 48.8%, leading the low-carbon progress of developed economies.

South America relies on mature hydropower systems, with green power generation accounting for 77.2%, the highest in the world. The current proportion of green electricity in the Middle East is only 5.1%, but its annual installed capacity growth rate of 29% makes it the most promising emerging green electricity market in the world. Keywords: global energy transition, power installation capacity

The transition from scale explosion to system replacement, as well as the subsequent progress of power grid consumption, energy storage support, and cross regional transmission, will directly determine how fast the global energy transformation can go in the next decade.Editor/Cheng Liting