Global solar: 3 things to look for in 2026

2025 was a challenging year for solar markets across the globe, including the top three solar markets. In China, the world’s largest market, structural changes to energy market policy led to notably fewer solar installations in the second half of the year. In the US, a stream of policy changes and executive actions by the Trump administration made for an uncertain and volatile environment for solar, causing numerous project cancellations and delays. And in India, set to displace the US as the world’s second largest market, new local content requirements and challenges with finalising offtake arrangements pose challenges. 

So, what will 2026 bring? Drawing on insight from Wood Mackenzie Lens Power & Renewables, we’ve set out our view of the factors that will shape the year ahead – and beyond – in Global solar: 3 things to look for in 2026. Fill in the form for your complimentary copy, and read on for a brief introduction to some of the key themes.  

Solar will be a vital contributor to near-term power demand growth 

Despite the challenging events of 2025, solar market fundamentals and demand will remain strong in 2026, especially as the global economy continues to electrify. 

Electricity load growth is accelerating over the next decade in several regions of the globe. Data centres, manufacturing facilities and transport electrification are driving unprecedented growth, particularly in the US and Asia Pacific. Despite numerous industry challenges and bottlenecks, solar will be one of the primary new sources of electricity generation that supplies this load growth in the next five years.  

Cumulative solar capacity installed worldwide is set to nearly triple from almost 3 TWdc of capacity today to nearly 8 TWdc by 2034. Read the full report for a look at regional demand growth and projected changes in power generation by technology.  

Balcony solar will initiate a wave of new policies in the US – but its outlook remains unclear 

Balcony solar, or more broadly ‘plug-in solar’, first started to cause market chatter a few years ago. Its appeal is that a few solar panels and an inverter can be plugged directly into a wall outlet and supply a home with some electricity – without need for an electrician, utility interconnection approval or time-consuming permits.  

Having grown mostly in Germany, till now the electricity rules and regulations enabling its adoption seemed relatively contained to that market. It would be easy to conclude that the growth and reach of this newer solar application would remain fairly limited. But this has started to change.  

How fast is balcony solar growing in Germany? And could it be about to take off across Europe and the US? Read the full report to learn more.  

Also in Global solar: 3 things to look for in 2026… 

Masdar and the Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC) broke ground on a 5.2 GWdc solar PV facility paired with 19 GWh of battery storage in Abu Dhabi in October 2025. It’s the world’s first gigawatt-scale renewable project, engineered to deliver 1 GW of continuous, around-the-clock baseload power. Read our view on the implications of this mega-project in the full report.  

Fill in the form at the top of the page for your complimentary copy.