Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment Report 2018

This document reports global trends in renewable energy investment, detailing flows by asset class and economy, the technologies included, and the market context in 2017. It excludes large hydro and relies on Bloomberg New Energy Finance’s transaction tracking, estimation of undisclosed values, and periodic historical revisions. Key findings include strong investment driven by asset finance and small distributed solar, with developing countries – especially China – prominent. Solar dominated capacity additions in 2017, and renewables supplied most net new power capacity. Costs fell significantly, with benchmark LCOE declines for PV and wind, and record-low auction tariffs. Policy mechanisms, auctions, PPAs, and expanding finance channels supported deployment, while public markets and VC/PE activity remained subdued amid sector maturity.