Mercom Capital Group has released its annual report on funding and M&A activity for the solar sector, finding that total corporate funding, including from VC, public market and debt financing, increased 42% year-over-year in 2023.
The report further found $34.3B was raised in 160 deals, compared to $24.1B in 175 deals the previous year. Almost 45.4 GW of large-scale projects were acquired in 2023, with 35% of these being acquired by project developers and IPPs. Investment firms acquired 23%, followed by utilities with 17% of acquisitions.
“Investments into solar continue to defy expectations,” says Raj Prabhu, Mercom Capital Group CEO. “Despite high-interest rates and challenging market conditions, corporate funding in the sector was the highest in a decade. Debt financing also hit a decade high, and venture capital investments and public market financing recorded the second-highest amounts since 2010. Driven by the Inflation Reduction Act, the global focus on energy security and favorable policies worldwide, solar continues to attract significant investments.”
