Tuesday, 9 June 2026

China added only 10 GW of new solar capacity in April, 79% less than a year earlier, as developers absorbed the end of fixed-price tariffs for renewable projects.

The April reading followed a March tally of 9 GW, also down 56% on the same month last year, Carbon Brief reported using official figures. Both months mark a sharp retreat from a record installation year, when China connected 315 GW of new solar, more than half the global total.

Beijing rewired the incentive system in February last year, replacing guaranteed feed-in payments with a contract for difference (CfD)-style auction for new wind and solar projects. Developers raced to lock in the old terms before the cutoff, pushing monthly additions to 45 GW in April and 93 GW in May of last year, before the pipeline emptied to 14 GW that June, Carbon Brief found in government data.

Ember Asia energy analyst Yang Biqing told Carbon Brief the CfD framework has left developers facing "greater uncertainty", alongside intense competition and pressure for "consolidation" across the sector.

The central government is aiming for 200 GW of combined new wind and solar capacity this year. The China Photovoltaic Industry Association puts the solar range at 180 to 240 GW for the same period. Both figures trail what the country built in solar alone last year.

Factory shipments tell a different story. Reuters reported that China sent almost 1.2 million tonnes of solar cells abroad in April, 60% more than a year earlier, though below the record set the previous month.