China’s Total Solar PV Capacity Around 520 GW

• NEA says in 9M/2023, the country installed 128.94 GW of new solar PV capacity 
• It should include 15.78 GW new capacity in September 2023; in Q3/2023, the additions were likely over 50 GW 
• Cumulatively, the country now has 520 GW of total solar PV capacity installed 

The National Energy Administration (NEA) says China installed a total of 128.94 GW of new solar PV capacity during the initial 9 months of 2023. According to the agency, this represents an annual growth of 69% over 76.33 GW installed last year.  

Previously the NEA had announced 52.6 GW new solar PV capacity addition in 9M/2022 (see 9M/2022 Chinese Solar Installations Grew 100%+ Annually). 

While the NEA does not distribute numbers individually across the 3 quarters, in July and August this year it had earlier reported PV additions of 18.74 GW and 16.0 GW, respectively. With 33.66 GW installed in Q1/2023 and 44.76 GW in Q2/2023, China is likley to have installed 50.52 GW in Q3/2023, including 15.78 GW in September 2023 (see China Exceeds 100 GW Annual Solar Milestone). 

With another quarter left before the year ends, even with an average of 15 GW installed per month, China is likely to exit 2023 with more than 170 GW PV capacity. 

Solar PV's 128.94 GW makes it the power generation technology with the largest contribution to the country's total energy generation capacity of 226.33 GW during 9M/2023. Thermal power added 39.44 GW while wind came next with 33.48 GW.  

On a cumulative basis, the world's largest solar market had deployed 520 GW PV capacity till the end of September 2023.