China Now World’s Largest Solar PV Market, With 43.2 GW Of Installed Capacity, Outstrips Germany

[nationalize the fed]

08 February 2016 | Posted by HLindon



China now represents the largest market for solar photovoltaic (PV) technology in the world -- with a total installed capacity of 43.2 gigawatts (GW) -- according to the latest statistics from the National Energy Administration (NEA).

The new statistics echo those released by the state news agency Xinhua, revealing that the country had recently surpassed the 43 GW of capacity milestone. The news means that Germany has lost its position as the overall top market for solar PV in the world -- and very likely will never regain that distinction (particularly due to the size of the country, the competitiveness of solar power worldwide, and the huge growth in the three most populous countries in the world -- China, India, and the US).

Much of the country's aforementioned solar PV capacity was installed just last year -- 15.1 GW, to be exact -- demonstrating just how rapidly things have been changing in the market. Considering that China is the most populous country in the world currently, and also one of the most robust economically, there's still a fair bit of room for further growth -- which will very likely be demonstrated over the coming years as solar PV installation growth ramps up there.

The country's solar PV capacity has increased roughly 13-fold since just 2011. Interestingly, though, much of the country's installed capacity has remained underutilized -- with roughly 30% remaining unused in 2015 in the province of Gansu, and 26% in Xinjiang, according to the NEA. This was reportedly the result of grid constraints in the areas involved...more
http://sustainnovate.ae/en/industry-news/detail/nea-china-now-worlds-largest-solar-pv-market-with-43.2-gw-of-installed-capa



China Outstrips Germany in Solar Capacity After Record Additions

China, the world’s largest consumer of energy, surpassed Germany as the country with the most installed solar capacity after record additions last year.

The nation added 15.1 gigawatts of new solar last year, bringing the total to 43.2 gigawatts, the National Energy Administration said Friday on its website. That’s equal to more than a quarter of global additions and a third of the nation’s solar-panel production, the NEA said...more
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-02-05/china-outstrips-germany-in-solar-capacity-after-record-additions


China has done this in a few years. This kind of thing is possible when a nation doesn't spend every spare cent on a military industrial complex, bombing, invading and "regime changing" other nations all the time. Meanwhile, the US plans to re-occupy Iraq, or Libya, or Both, or more.

Reminder- Cheap solar=Cheap electricity=Cheap Green Hydrogen!

[Cassiopeia]

1. How much of that capacity is placed in the massive ghost cities

that have no inhabitants?

I would hazard a guess that their newest cities that can hold hundreds of thousands yet have no residents hold most of that capacity. The newest technology is typically added to the latest growth, not retrofitted like Germany.

[DetlefK]

2. Certainly not in actual major cities, because the smog there blots out the sun.

But China has lots of deserts and other areas that are useless for agriculture. They would be perfect for solar-parks.