Solar-plus-storage investment reaches $25 billion in first half of 2026

BloombergNEF reports record $25 billion in solar-plus-storage projects during first half of 2026, nearly double the prior record set in second half of 2025.

BloombergNEF data shows record $25 billion in solar-plus-storage projects during the first half of 2026, nearly double the previous record for the second half of 2025. This project type constitutes the dominant subset of colocated renewable energy installations globally, with nearly half of all new grid-scale storage capacity added in the most recent quarter installed alongside solar farms. The United States is among the leading countries in investment in this specific project category.

This growth addresses solar energy intermittency by enabling grid-scale storage to match demand patterns. As the largest category of colocated renewable projects, solar-plus-storage expansion suggests potential for lower long-term costs of renewable energy access. However, the data reflects only half of 2026 and excludes non-colocated renewable projects. U.S. leadership remains limited to being one of the top investors, not the sole leader, in this category.

Source: Canary Media