China officially installed 5.04GW of new solar capacity in Q1

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email

According to figures released by China’s National Energy Administration (NEA), a combined total of 5.04GW of new solar capacity was grid connected in the first quarter of 2015. 

The NEA said in a statement that the 5.04GW total included 4.38GW of utility-scale solar power plants and 660MW of distributed generation installations. 

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

Cumulative solar capacity was said to have reached 33.12GW at the end of the first quarter of 2015, which included 27.79GW of utility-scale projects and 5.3GW of distributed generation capacity. 

In a research note to investors, financial analyst Mahesh Sanganeria of RBC Capital Markets the NEA figures accounted for 28.3% of the 17.8GW target the Chinese Government had set for 2015 and was much stronger than Sanganeria had expected.

The RBC Capital analyst noted that historically, installations in China in the first quarter were low, given the late surge at the end of each year. However, the new figures indicate ‘the likelihood of achieving full year installation target,’ Sanganeria wrote in the research note. 

With strong demand also in Japan and the UK in the first quarter as financial year-end and FiT reductions are implemented, Sanganeria noted that he expects the likes of JA Solar, Trina Solar and Yingli Green Energy to ‘to meet or beat their respective Q1 shipment targets.’

Read Next

October 14, 2025
The curtailment of solar PV and wind capacity in Chile has reached 3.2TWh as of August 2025, a slight increase from the same period in 2024.
Premium
October 14, 2025
OCI Holdings’ decision this week to buy a Vietnamese solar wafer facility to supply the US solar cell manufacturing industry makes clear the biggest vulnerability facing the sector today.
Premium
October 14, 2025
Perovskite, tariffs, Section 232 and FEOC were among the key topics discussed at PV CellTech USA this year in San Francisco.
October 14, 2025
German IPP wpd has started construction at its 140.6MW Marcy solar park in the Nièvre department of central France.
October 14, 2025
Levanta Renewables will develop a 166MWp ground-mounted solar and storage project in the Visayas Islands as part of the Philippines’ Fourth Green Energy Auction. 
October 14, 2025
India has installed 4.9GW of residential rooftop solar capacity in the first half of 2025, according to a report by IEEFA and JMK Research.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
October 21, 2025
New York, USA
Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
December 2, 2025
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK