Will China's photovoltaic industry expand in 2023?

After years of continuous increases, silicon prices in China have started to fall due to overcapacity, and this is likely to contribute to an expansion of China’s photovoltaic industry in 2023. In December 2022, the price of silicon, the key raw material of solar panels, started to drop.

What is China's production capacity for solar modules?

At the end of 2023, China's annual production capacity for finished solar modules was 861 gigawatts (GW) equivalent according to China Photovoltaic Industry Association data, more than double global module installations of 390 GW.

How much solar power does China have in 2022?

In total, by the end of 2022, China had built roughly 157 GW of distributed photovoltaic capacity, more than double that of the United States. China’s Whole County PV programme follows an earlier scheme that aimed to alleviate poverty in the country’s poorest villages using solar power.

Does China Export solar panels?

In the first half of 2022, China’s exports of solar panels amounted to 78.7 GW, an increase of 102% year-on-year. China’s leading PV companies derive from 50% to 80% of their revenue from outside China. Will the drop in the price of silicon translate into lower prices for foreign customers of Chinese solar panels?

Is China's Solar Plan working?

The plan seems to be working. Last year, China installed a record-breaking 87.4 GW of solar capacity, 59% more than in the previous year, according to China’s National Energy Administration. This takes the country’s total installed photovoltaic capacity to 392.6 GW.

Is China developing a rooftop solar system?

Fishman, an energy analyst at the Lantau Group, an economic consultancy firm in Shanghai, was keen to meet with developers in Shandong to understand how China is developing extensive rooftop solar installations at such a remarkable pace.