Solar becomes China’s largest power source by installed capacity

China’s installed solar capacity has overtaken coal for the first time, making photovoltaic power the country’s largest electricity source by capacity. At the end of July, solar installations totalled 1,286 gigawatts, narrowly exceeding the 1,285 gigawatts of coal-fired capacity, according to China’s National Energy Administration.

Solar now represents about 31.5% of the country’s total installed generating capacity. Of the solar total, 704 gigawatts came from centralised facilities and 582 gigawatts from distributed systems, which include smaller projects connected near where electricity is used. China added 85.65 gigawatts of solar capacity during the first seven months of 2026, accounting for more than 40% of all new generating capacity added during that period.

The milestone does not mean solar is producing more electricity than coal. Solar output varies with daylight and weather, while coal plants still play a central role in maintaining reliable supply. Even so, photovoltaic generation reached 802.4 billion kilowatt-hours from January through July, up 15.5% from a year earlier and equal to 13% of national electricity consumption.

New solar installations slowed compared with 2025, but the crossover illustrates the scale of China’s changing power system. Better grid integration and storage will be crucial to turning this capacity into a steadier supply of lower-carbon electricity.