Renewable energy generation capacity expanded last year by 8.3% to 1,985gigawatts globally.
The figures, from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) show the fastest growth in annual rate on record.
The strong growth has been attributed to a continued decline in technology costs.
Overall, capacity has increased by around a third in the last give years, which has been mostly fueled by new installations of wind and solar energy.
IRENA’s director general Adnan Z Amin, said:”Renewable energy deployment continues to surge in markets around the globe, even in an era of low oil and gas prices.
“Falling costs for renewable energy technologies, and a host of economic, social and environmental drivers are favoring renewables over conventional power sources.”
Wind power capacity grew by 17% from the previous year as the cost of onshore wind turbines fell.
Solar power capacity increased by 37%, or 47GW, caused by declines in the price of photovoltaic modules.
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