On February 5, the National Climate Centre of the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) and the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO) jointly released the Global Wind, Solar, and Hydropower Capacity Outlook for 2026.

The Report predicts that, globally,

• In 2026, the average annual operating hours for wind power generation will be approximately 2,310, a slight decrease from 2025. Considering the growth in installed capacity, wind power generation capacity will increase by 6%.

• The average annual operating hours for photovoltaic power generation will be approximately 1,340, a slight increase from 2025. Taking into account the growth in installed capacity, photovoltaic power generation capacity will increase by about 25%.

• Hydropower generation capacity will show a steady upward trend compared to 2025, increasing by approximately 7%.

The Report achieves three significant technical upgrades:

Enhanced meteorological forecasting accuracy through CMA's third-generation climate system model combined with deep learning algorithms.

Updated satellite remote sensing imagery and intelligent recognition technology to obtain the latest global wind and solar power plant location data.

First-ever integration of hydropower into the global annual outlook prediction system, establishing a comprehensive “precipitation-runoff-power generation capacity”prediction framework.

Author: HUANG Wanting

Editor: JIANG Zhiqing