China slashes 2020 solar target by 20%

November 7, 2016
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
Credit: United PV.

China has confirmed a formal reduction in its 2020 PV deployment target from 150GW to 110GW.

The cut was confirmed by the National Energy Administration (NEA).

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

Parts of China have experienced severe curtailment of installed solar capacity owing to grid restrictions. Efforts to stimulate the distributed solar market have had mixed results at best.

A surge in connected projects on the government’s records saw a huge 22GW of capacity added to the official register in H1 2016. A consultation on a reduction to the country’s feed-in tariff was announced in September with utility-scale projects facing possible cuts of up to 31%.

Frank Haugwitz, the Beijing-based founder of solar consultancy AECEA, suggested that past experience of Chinese target-setting on solar could well mean that the 110GW is a minimum level. According to AECEA, the 2011-2015 target of 35GW was exceeded by more than 20%.

With overcapacity issues already under way potential FiT cuts coupled with reduced ambition from the Chinese government provide fresh headaches for module manufacturers in 2017.

Latest report now available – The latest PV Manufacturing & Technology Quarterly report from Solar Media Ltd. – the parent company of PV Tech – provides a definitive guide to solar PV technology today. The report covers production metrics for the industry and the leading solar manufacturers across the entire value-chain, including polysilicon, ingot, wafer, cell, and c-Si & thin-film modules.

10 March 2026
Frankfurt, Germany
The conference will gather the key stakeholders from PV manufacturing, equipment/materials, policy-making and strategy, capital equipment investment and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out PV manufacturing out to 2030 and beyond.

Read Next

October 28, 2025
Chinese solar inverter producer GoodWe has launched a new “low noise, low weight” string inverter for the European corporate & industrial solar market.
October 27, 2025
Chinese polysilicon producer Daqo New Energy saw an increase in sales and profits in Q3 2025, as the sector looks to address ongoing oversupply and financial losses.
Sponsored
October 23, 2025
Tongwei's rooftop-focused TNC 2.0 G12R-48 module will be among the products on show at All Energy Australia next week.
October 23, 2025
Solar PV technology has maintained its leading position as the most cost-competitive power generation source in 2025, according to analyst Wood Mackenzie.
Sponsored
October 22, 2025
LONGi vice president Dennis She discusses the value logic behind the company's strategic focus on back contact technology.
Premium
October 21, 2025
PV Tech Premium spoke with academic and industry experts about the rising tide of cybersecurity concerns in Europe's solar energy sector.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Webinars
November 12, 2025
10am PST / 1pm EST
Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
December 2, 2025
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK
Solar Media Events
March 10, 2026
Frankfurt, Germany