Solar, wind and battery storage are moving from supporting roles to the core of power-system growth.

A structural shift in global power

The global electricity transition reached a major milestone in 2025. Renewables supplied 33.8% of global electricity and overtook coal for the first time in the modern power system. Solar was the main driver: global solar generation increased by 30% in one year, while a record 647 GW of new solar capacity was added. Solar alone met about three-quarters of the increase in global electricity demand.

Storage is changing the value of solar

The next phase is not simply about installing more renewable capacity. Battery storage is increasingly being deployed alongside solar and wind to move electricity from periods of high output to periods of higher demand. Ember estimates battery deployment grew to about 250 GWh in 2025 while battery costs fell sharply, improving the economics of hybrid solar-plus-storage projects and reducing curtailment.

What does this mean for investors

The opportunity is to broaden from stand-alone generation to integrated energy systems: solar, wind, battery storage, grid reinforcement, digital control, demand flexibility and long-term power purchase structures. The strongest projects will be those that combine good resource quality with grid access, bankable revenue arrangements, realistic construction schedules and a clear operating strategy.

Experts Group perspective

Experts Group can support investors and project owners through Project Development & Management, feasibility and market assessment, technical and commercial evaluation, EPC Contracting, Trading, Supply & Procurement, Operation & Maintenance, Consultancy Services, Training & Capacity Building and financing support. The objective is to turn an attractive renewable-energy concept into a technically sound, commercially viable and executable project.

Sources: Ember, Global Electricity Review 2026 (April 2026); Experts Group analysis.