China has reported its highest ever first-quarter solar capacity addition, installing 60 gigawatts (GW) in the first three months of the year.
Rooftop Solar Leads the Surge
According to Rystad Energy, rooftop solar accounted for 60% of that total, or 36 GW, marking the largest quarterly addition for distributed photovoltaic (PV) systems in China’s history. This surge is driven by urgent efforts to meet policy deadlines established by the National Energy Administration’s (NEA) new guidelines, which were announced last October and took effect in May.
The NEA directive encourages self-consumption of distributed solar projects to ease grid congestion, enhance grid stability, and reduce reliance on centralized power plants.
Outlook for the Rest of 2025 and Beyond
Rystad anticipates steady growth in China’s annual solar PV capacity through 2030. Rooftop installations are expected to continue into the second quarter, pushing total distributed solar capacity additions for 2025 to 130 GW, with 92 GW coming from commercial and industrial (C&I) projects and 38 GW from residential projects.
While the installation rush for utility-scale PV may be less impacted by these policies, 2025 is still on track to set a new record with an expected 167 GW of new utility-scale projects. This growth is driven by China’s large-scale project pipeline and accelerated provincial efforts to meet targets under the country’s 14th Five-Year Plan, which concludes this year.
Author’s Opinion
China’s aggressive expansion in solar capacity highlights its commitment to renewable energy leadership. The focus on distributed rooftop solar not only strengthens grid resilience but also empowers consumers. This approach sets a strong example for other nations aiming to balance energy growth with sustainability. However, managing grid integration will be critical to ensure stability as capacity soars.
Featured image credit: Climate Group via Flickr
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