China’s installed solar capacity reached 1.286 GW at the end of July 2026, surpassing the country’s 1.285 GW of coal-fired capacity for the first time and making solar the country’s largest power source by installed capacity, accounting for 32% at the end of the month (Chinese government press release, 25/08/2026).
According to the Global Times China (01/09/2026), the country’s solar fleet comprised 704 GW of utility-scale solar and 582 GW of distributed solar. Solar generation reached 802 TWh between January and July 2026, up 15.5% year-on-year, and supplied 13% of the country’s electricity consumption. The milestone follows coal’s share of China’s electricity generation falling below 50% for the first time in the first half of 2026.
China is accelerating the development of a “new-type power system” to accommodate growing volumes of solar and wind generation, with investment in the country’s new-type power grid expected to exceed CNY5tn (USD744bn) during the 2026-2030 period. During the same period, China plans to further develop integrated solar-storage systems, solar-thermal hybrid projects and solar-powered hydrogen production to improve the dispatchability of solar generation.
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