China's installed solar capacity reached 1.31 TW at the end of September 2026, up 16.5% year on year, according to national power statistics released by the National Energy Administration (NEA) on October 26. Together with wind, the country's wind and solar fleet has now passed 2 TW.
The headline numbers
Total installed generating capacity in China reached 4.13 TW at the end of September, an increase of 11.2% on a year earlier. Wind capacity stood at 0.70 TW, up 20.4%. Average utilisation of generating equipment in the first nine months was 2,174 hours, 194 hours fewer than in the same period of 2025, as more variable renewable capacity joined the system.
According to NEA figures reported by 21st Century Business Herald, cumulative wind and solar capacity reached 2.01 TW, and the two technologies added about 170 GW together between January and September.
A slower year, but a strong September
Solar additions in the first nine months of 2026 totalled 110.83 GW, according to the NEA data table as reported by Chinese industry outlet PV Headlines. That compares with 240.27 GW in the same period of 2025, when capacity grew by 45.7% year on year. In other words, China installed less than half as much solar as in last year's exceptionally strong first nine months.
September itself showed a clear rebound. With 97.19 GW installed by the end of August, monthly additions in September came to 13.64 GW, up 41.2% from 9.66 GW in September 2025.
Wind and solar now drive demand growth
The new capacity is doing more of the work in the power system. Wind and solar generation reached 1,933.3 TWh in the first nine months, up 193.7 TWh year on year. That increase covered 64% of the growth in China's total electricity consumption.
On the peak load day this summer, wind and solar supplied more than 40% of total demand at midday. Wind and solar investment accounted for about one-third of all energy-sector investment in the first nine months.
The NEA statement said that the rapid development of new energy has played an irreplaceable role in the energy sector.
What it means
China remains by far the world's largest solar market, and its installation pace sets the tone for global module, cell and polysilicon demand. Roughly halved domestic additions add to the oversupply and price pressure facing manufacturers in 2026. The September rebound is an early sign that domestic demand may be stabilising towards the end of the year. For developers and buyers worldwide, the numbers point to continued strong availability of modules, while China's grid operators face a growing task of integrating more than 2 TW of wind and solar.
Source: National Energy Administration (China), January to September 2026 national power statistics; additional figures from 21st Century Business Herald and PV Headlines.
