China installed 315.07 GW AC of new solar PV capacity in 2025, up nearly 14% from 277.17 GW AC in 2024, according to the latest statistics released by the NEA
Its total installed solar PV capacity rose 35.4% YoY to 1.2 TW AC by the end of 2025, although the growth rate slowed compared with 2024 as the market adjusted to market-based pricing
Solar and wind together reached over 47% of China’s total power capacity, with a combined 1.8 TW AC capacity installed
China has done it again. It broke its own record for installing the largest annual volume of solar PV capacity globally. In 2025, the country added 315.07 GW AC capacity, representing nearly 14% annual growth from the 277.17 GW AC it reported in 2024 (see China Exited 2024 With Over 277 GW New Installed Solar PV Capacity).
According to China’s National Energy Administration (NEA), the country’s cumulative solar PV installations increased 35.4% year-over-year (YoY) to 1.2 TW AC at the end of 2025, compared to 886.66 GW AC at the end of the previous year. The pace of growth, however, was slower than the 45.2% annual increase in 2024.
After hitting a record high of 92.92 GW AC in May 2025, installations dropped significantly after the country transitioned to a market-oriented pricing system from feed-in tariff (FIT) in June last year. China’s monthly PV installations picked up pace in November, with 22.02 GW AC (after adding 12.6 GW AC in the preceding month).
With 40.18 GW AC of installations in December 2025, monthly additions accelerated further. However, it was far off the 70.87 GW AC that the NEA reported for December 2024 (see China Nears Record Annual Solar PV Additions In 2025).
Overall, China’s solar PV market outperformed most forecasts for 2025, including that of China Photovoltaic Industry Association (CPIA), which revised its projections from 215 GW AC to 255 GW AC to between 270 GW AC and 300 GW AC. Yet, it fell short of meeting the 380 GW AC forecast by the State Grid Energy Research Institute (see China Forecasts 380 GW New Solar PV Installations In 2025).
S&P Global expected 286.67 GW AC capacity for 2025 while forecasting the market’s 1st year of annual decline in 2026 with 217.9 GW AC in 2026 as the world’s largest solar PV market pulls down global total with it (see Global Solar PV Installations Set For 1st Annual Decline In 2026).
Frank Haugwitz of Apricum—The Cleantech Advisory expects that the country will not be able to repeat its record annual installations “anytime soon in the years to come”. For 2026, he believes current estimates place China’s solar PV deployments between a conservative range of 160 GW AC to 185 GW AC, a realistic 220 GW AC, and an optimistic 275 GW AC. Annual installations will not exceed 315 GW AC till 2030, the end of the country's 15th Five-Year Plan.
“Regardless, how high or how low this year’s annual installation volume will be, its impact on the domestic industry can’t be underestimated, since for many local manufacturer the domestic demand was THE lifeline ensuring their financial survival,” stated Haugwitz in a LinkedIn post.
China’s wind power expanded to an aggregate 640 GW AC, increasing 22.9% YoY and adding a total of 119.33 GW AC in 2025.
At the end of 2025, the combined share of solar and wind power in China’s total power mix reached 1.84 GW AC or over 47% out of the country’s total installed power generation capacity of 3.89 TW AC. With this, China has already reached halfway to its 3.6 TW AC combined solar and wind capacity target for 2035 (see China Announces 3.6 TW AC Solar & Wind Target For 2035).