China installed 48.2GW of solar in 2020, official figures show

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
A floating solar install in China's Guangxi Province. Image: Sungrow.

Official figures from China’s National Energy Administration reveal more than 48GW of solar PV was installed in the country last year.

The figures, released today (20 January 2021), state that new capacity from all renewables sources – including both solar and wind – topped 190GW, of which solar contributed 48.2GW. Around 72GW of wind and 13.2GW of hydropower was also installed.

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

The data also points to a significant rush of new solar installs in December 2020, with as much as 23.3GW of new solar installed in that month alone.

More to follow…

Read Next

October 16, 2026
Shangai ports handled 16 cases involving solar PV products suspected of infringing on IP with a total value of more than US$750,000.
October 16, 2026
Leading domestic polysilicon players in China’s PV industry held a closed‑door meeting to curb destructive price competition.
October 15, 2026
Sungrow has patched an iSolarCloud vulnerability that reportedly allowed unauthenticated access to platform accounts, according to reports.
October 14, 2026
The Becquerel Institute has released a segment briefing on the potential impact that AI and robotics can have on solar PV installations.
Sponsored
October 14, 2026
Leon Zhang, President of Utility Europe, LONGi, discusses the changing economics of European solar and the strategic role of storage.
October 13, 2026
Tongwei has noted that negotiations to acquire Qinghai Liaho remain ongoing with key terms still under negotiation.

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events, Upcoming Webinars
October 21, 2026
2pm AEDT
Solar Media Events
November 3, 2026
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
November 24, 2026
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
February 2, 2027
London, UK
Solar Media Events
April 20, 2027
Istanbul, Türkiye