November 2026
IEA PVPS Task 1 has published its latest National Survey Report of PV Power Applications in China 2025, providing an overview of developments in the world’s largest PV market, including installations, electricity generation, industry trends and policy developments.
China added 316.6 GW (AC) of new PV capacity in 2025, an increase of 14% compared with 2024, bringing cumulative installed capacity to 1.2 TW (AC). PV electricity generation reached 1,170 TWh, accounting for 11.3% of national electricity consumption.
Key findings:
- Strong growth in distributed PV: Distributed installations increased by 29% to 153 GW (AC), driven by C&I systems (107.06 GW, AC) and residential PV (45.95 GW, AC, +55% YoY). Utility-scale PV accounted for 52% of new capacity.
- Growing contribution to electricity supply: PV generation increased by 40% year on year, while the national PV utilisation rate reached 95%.
- Major policy changes: New regulations in 2025 accelerated the transition towards market-based electricity pricing—notably Document No. 136, which set May 31, 2025 as the cutoff between existing and new projects and established a mechanism tariff and differential settlement framework. Measures also advanced distributed PV management, direct green power connection, green certificate markets, and PV-based sand control.
- Industry adjustments and technological progress: PV manufacturing output declined across several segments amid supply chain challenges—cell output fell 0.9% to about 689 GW, the first annual decline since 2010, and module output fell 8.4% to 574.5 GW. Meanwhile, Chinese manufacturers continued to set new solar cell efficiency records: LONGi’s HIBC cell reached 27.81% and its perovskite/silicon tandem cell 34.85%; Runergy’s TOPCon cell achieved 26.55%; and JinkoSolar’s TBC cell reached 27.79%.
The report also examines PV system costs, financing, manufacturing, energy storage and China’s longer-term renewable energy targets.
