Solar Asset Mapper reveals Africa's accelerating deployment as energy security reshapes global markets

London, 7 May 2026: Africa recorded the fastest regional solar growth of any continent in the first quarter of 2026, with detected capacity expanding 12% in just three months, according to new satellite data released by TransitionZero.

The findings, drawn from the Q1 2026 update of the Solar Asset Mapper (TZ-SAM), highlight how emerging markets are accelerating deployment as energy security concerns intensify globally. South Africa led the continent with 7 GW of detected capacity (up 15%), while several smaller markets showed dramatic expansion: the Democratic Republic of the Congo grew 67%, Chad 76%, and Eritrea 79%, albeit from small bases.

The dataset tracks more than 108,000 solar facilities across 191 countries, with global detected capacity reaching 1,331 gigawatts (GW) - an 85 GW increase from the previous quarter. Built using planetary-scale machine learning applied to satellite imagery, TZ-SAM captures utility-scale installations that often appear in satellite data ahead of official reporting.

Spain's solar resilience dividend

As global energy markets face disruption from the Iran crisis, Spain's solar buildout is providing comparative insulation from fossil fuel price volatility. TZ-SAM detects 46 GW of solar capacity in Spain, the largest in Europe and up 5.5% from Q4 2025.

According to grid operator Red Eléctrica, renewables generated 56% of Spain's electricity in 2025, with solar contributing 18% of the generation mix. This diversified energy base means natural gas rarely sets the marginal price for electricity, keeping bills lower than in many neighbouring countries heavily dependent on imported fossil fuels.

Recent projects tracked by TZ-SAM include Zelestra's 162 MW Belinchón cluster in Castilla-La Mancha, commissioned in March 2026 after 14 months of construction, and EDP's 90 MW Cierzo solar plants in Navarre.

Q1 2026: Key findings

• 1,331 GW detected globally (+6.8% quarter-on-quarter; +85 GW)
• 108,000+ facilities mapped across 191 countries
• Around 1,535 new sites added in Q1
• 2,355 km² additional solar surface area detected (roughly the size of Luxembourg)
• Asia continues to dominate with 839 GW of detected capacity, led by China at 576 GW and India crossing the 100 GW mark

Europe reached 202 GW of detected capacity, growing 5.7% quarter-on-quarter. North America sits at 201 GW (up 5%), with the United States accounting for 179 GW. South America grew by 6.5% to 55 GW, led by Brazil with 33 GW of detected capacity.

Access and next release

TZ-SAM data is published retrospectively, with data for the preceding quarter delivered in the current quarter.

The dataset is available under two licensing tiers. Academic institutions, NGOs, and government bodies can access TZ-SAM free of charge for non-commercial research and analysis. Commercial organisations can purchase a commercial licence.

About TransitionZero

TransitionZero is a climate tech non-profit founded in 2021. TransitionZero builds software to reduce the time to build clean energy at scale. We pioneer open-access and open-source tools that make electricity system modelling more transparent, accessible, and actionable for governments, financiers and grid operators worldwide.

Our flagship tool, Scenario Builder, enables policymakers, planners and investors to rapidly build, analyse and share energy system and electricity grid models without coding expertise or external consultants. Supported by model-ready datasets, training and market insights, our tools strengthen in-house capacity and support resilient, affordable and locally-led energy transitions.

Since launching publicly in October 2025, Scenario Builder spans 15 countries and supports around 500 users from think tanks, government agencies, utilities, system operators, and financial institutions. TransitionZero is entirely grant-funded by leading climate philanthropies, including Google.org, Sequoia Climate Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies and the European Climate Foundation, among others. For more information, visit our website or contact us.