Renewables investment decline comes to a halt. New capacity additions are nevertheless set to fall for the first time in more than 10 years this year

Global investment in renewable energy reached 327.5 billion dollars in the first half of 2026, roughly the same level as in the previous six months, bringing the further decline to a halt. The stabilisation in investment does not, however, signal a return to the previous model. Investors are paying closer attention to revenue and grid risks, with growing interest in projects combining generation with storage. BloombergNEF (BNEF) also expects this year's increase in new renewable capacity to fall year on year for the first time in more than a decade.

Behind the stagnation in total investment lies a change in its composition. Standalone large-scale solar and onshore wind projects, which typically account for around two-thirds of annual investment, together represented less than half of investment in the first half of this year. The standalone large-scale solar segment weakened most sharply, falling 20% year on year to 75.4 billion dollars, its lowest level since the start of the solar boom in 2021.