China's solar story is one of unprecedented scale. In 2024 the country added 277 GW of new photovoltaic capacity - a 28% increase on an already record 2023 - bringing cumulative installed solar to about 886 GW by year-end. Solar generation reached 834 TWh, up 44% year on year and equal to roughly 8% of national electricity consumption.
Manufacturing dominance
China produces on the order of 80% of the world's solar modules and leads across the value chain - polysilicon, wafers, cells and inverters. That vertical integration is why global module prices fell sharply and why project costs outside China track Chinese factory economics.
Cell technology: TOPCon, HJT and tandem
Most new capacity uses n-type TOPCon, with heterojunction (HJT) and back-contact (BC) cells gaining share. Chinese labs hold efficiency records for multiple cell types; LONGi reported a 34.6% perovskite/silicon tandem result in 2025. Residential panels now ship at 400-460W per module.
Utility-scale vs distributed
Of 2024 additions, utility-scale accounted for 57% (about 159 GW), driven by large "base" projects in the deserts of the northwest, while distributed PV was 43% (about 118 GW), led by commercial and industrial rooftops. For buyers, that split matters: utility plants feed the grid and green-power trading, while distributed systems serve on-site consumption and corporate RE targets.
Policy and market signals
China is shifting renewables toward market-based electricity trading - over half of new renewable generation was traded in markets in 2024 - and expanded Green Electricity Certificates (GECs) to track renewable consumption. New distributed-PV rules issued in 2025 standardized project classification and grid connection.
Related guides
Choosing hardware? See our Solar Panel Buying Guide and Solar Inverter Guide. For the wider picture, read the China Energy Transition overview.
Costs and LCOE
Falling module prices (utility TOPCon around 0.69 yuan/W in 2025) have pushed centralized PV LCOE to roughly 0.13-0.22 yuan/kWh - among the lowest in the world. See our China PV LCOE & Module Price page for the latest cost curve.
Frequently asked questions
How much solar capacity did China install in 2024?
About 277 GW of new PV, bringing cumulative installed solar to roughly 886 GW by the end of 2024 according to NEA and IEA-PVPS data.
What solar cell technology leads in China now?
n-type TOPCon is the dominant new technology, with HJT and back-contact cells growing; perovskite/silicon tandem cells have passed 34% efficiency in lab results.
What share of global solar modules does China make?
China manufactures on the order of 80% of the world's solar modules and leads upstream stages from polysilicon to inverters.