China Now Has More Installed Solar Power Than the Rest of the World Combined

China’s solar power expansion has reached a historic milestone, cementing the country’s position as the world’s dominant solar market.

“As of the end of July this year, China’s installed solar power capacity reached 1.286 billion kilowatts,” China’s National Energy Administration (NEA) said.

“For the first time, photovoltaic installed capacity surpassed coal-fired power, becoming the largest power source category in China,” it added

The milestone highlights the extraordinary speed at which China is expanding renewable energy. During the first seven months of 2026 alone, China added more than 86 GW of new solar capacity, with total solar capacity rising about 16% compared with the previous year.

China’s solar generation is growing rapidly as well. Solar installations generated approximately 802.4 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity during the first seven months of 2026, marking a 15.5% increase from the same period in 2025.

The country’s renewable-energy expansion extends beyond solar. China had around 687 GW of installed wind power capacity by the end of July, creating one of the world’s largest renewable-energy fleets.

However, the solar milestone does not mean China has stopped depending on coal. Installed capacity represents the maximum potential output of power plants, while actual electricity generation depends on factors such as weather, demand and operating conditions. Coal therefore remains a major source of electricity in China.

The rapid growth of renewable energy is also putting pressure on China’s power grid. Expanding transmission networks, battery storage and other forms of grid flexibility will be increasingly important to ensure that the country can use more of the electricity generated by its growing fleet of solar and wind installations.

China’s enormous investment in solar manufacturing and deployment is also influencing energy markets worldwide. The country remains a major producer of solar panels and related equipment, helping drive the global expansion of low-cost solar power.

China’s latest milestone underscores the scale of the global energy transition — and demonstrates how quickly solar power can move from a growing technology to the largest source of installed power capacity in a major economy.

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