UPDATED: China mulls solar subsidy u-turn

February 19, 2019
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
Source: Panda Green Energy.

China could re-instate its solar subsidies for certain projects after officials opened discussions with the industry.

In a message sent on Monday by the Chinese Photovoltaic Industry Association (CPVIA) and seen by the PV Tech China team, the government could make a RMB3 billion (US$443 million) available for fixed subsidies in 2019.

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

Subsidies were largely halted in May 2018 forcing manufacturers to look for new international markets. Module prices slumped as a result of the fall in Chinese domestic demand.

The money would be ring-fenced for projects that are judged to require subsidy in order to be viable. These would include the country’s poverty alleviation solar programme, residential solar, ground-mount projects and C&I projects.

The ring-fenced funding for residential solar is a first in China. Residential projects connected to the grid after the 31 May policy change (531 New Deal) will be eligible to apply for the new support.

Projects looking to access subsidy support would be required to bid for it annually. The exact mechanism of any bidding remains a work in progress. However, three tiers of benchmark prices, based on three regions split by irradiation levels, have been revealed. These will fall on a predictable quarterly basis. Any project with a delayed grid connection would, therefore, have its support cut accordingly. 

Additional reporting by Carrie Xiao

Read Next

October 22, 2025
The Queensland government has launched the Social Licence in Renewable Energy Toolkit, providing local councils in Australia with resources to navigate renewable energy project engagement and community consultation processes.
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.
October 21, 2025
Australia's solar-plus-storage sector gained momentum with 725MW of solar PV approvals advancing across New South Wales and Queensland.
October 21, 2025
Luminous Robotics has successfully completed its first international deployment of AI-powered solar installation robots at Engie’s 250MW Goorambat East Solar Farm in Victoria, Australia.
October 21, 2025
An independent panel has granted resource consents for the 179MW Glorit Solar Farm in Auckland, New Zealand.
October 20, 2025
Details of tariffs on US imports of polysilicon products may be announced as early as the end of this month, according to a note from investment bank Roth Capital.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

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