With the vast majority (80-85%) of solar manufacturing plants located in China, supporting deployment of ‘spare’ solar capacity in the developing world presents a significant opportunity for China to deliver national gains, in addition to helping deliver global goals on development and climate change.
As of at least 2024, China has one third of the world's installed solar panel capacity. Most of China's solar power is generated within its western provinces and is transferred to other regions of the country.
A large part of the solar power capacity installed in China is in the form of large PV power plants in the west of the country, an area much less populated than the eastern part but with better solar resources and available land.
China is expected to add 95 to 120 GW of solar power in 2023, which would be a record increase in annual capacity installation. The world's biggest solar products maker and solar power generator brought 86.05 GW of new solar power into operation in 2022, driving the total installed capacity to 392.61 GW. [email protected]
In 2020, China saw an increase in annual solar energy installations with 48.4 GW of solar energy capacity being added, accounting for 3.5% of China's energy capacity that year. 2020 is currently the year with the second-largest addition of solar energy capacity in China's history.
China has pledged to peak its carbon emissions by 2030 and has invested into renewable sources of energy, including solar power, to help meet this pledge. China has been opening new plants for solar energy production.