China sets rooftop solar record
An analysis has shown that China achieved a remarkable milestone by installing 36 gigawatts of rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) in the first quarter of 2025, setting a new record. This surge in installations is part of China’s efforts to meet new policy deadlines.
Rystad Energy’s analysis indicates that the 36 GW of rooftop PV installed is the highest ever for any quarter in China. Moreover, there are expectations of an additional 94 GW of new installations on residential and commercial properties in the second quarter.
Record-breaking PV Capacity Expansion
In addition to rooftop solar, China added 60 GW of new PV capacity in the first quarter of 2025, marking a record for this period. The focus, however, is on the projected 130 GW of new distributed PV capacity set for the first half of the year.
Driving Factors Behind Rooftop PV Surge
The surge in rooftop PV installations is primarily attributed to new policy guidelines aimed at promoting self-consumption of distributed solar projects. These guidelines seek to address grid congestion issues, enhance grid stability, and reduce dependence on centralised power systems.
Rystad Energy highlights that the increase in rooftop solar capacity comes with certain restrictions to promote self-consumption. Notably, large-scale commercial and industrial (C&I) projects exceeding 6MW will now be mandated to fully utilise generated power and are prohibited from selling excess power to the grid.
Yicong Zhu, Vice President of Renewables & Power Research at Rystad Energy, emphasised that while these guidelines are propelling China’s progress, they are impacting the C&I sector by addressing grid connection challenges and aiding in carbon trading advancements.
Impact on Carbon Emissions and Clean Energy Goals
China’s continuous efforts to ramp up clean energy technologies like solar are showing tangible results in reducing carbon dioxide emissions. With a target to peak CO2 emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, China saw a 1.6% year-on-year decrease in CO2 emissions in the first quarter of 2025.
Lauri Myllyvirta, Lead Analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, noted that despite rapid demand growth, China’s CO2 emissions have been stable or declining for over a year. The shift towards wind, solar, and nuclear power sources has enabled a reduction in coal-power output.
While the analysis indicates a positive trend in emissions reduction, Myllyvirta cautioned that any short-term increase could lead to a rise in CO2 emissions, underscoring the need for sustained efforts to achieve long-term environmental goals.
