Ember China Solar Export Data Methodology

The Ember China Solar Export Data Methodology guide outlines how Ember tracks China's solar photovoltaic exports, utilizing data from the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC) and pricing from InfoLink Consulting Group to estimate export capacity in megawatts (MW).

• Ember's China solar export dataset tracks export amounts by weight (kg), US dollars (USD), quantity, average photovoltaic module price (USD), and calculated capacity (MW), focusing on panels, cells, and wafers.
• The dataset relies on the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC) for export data, using specific commodity codes: 85414020 for panels prior to 2022, 85414300 for panels from 2022 onwards, 85414200 for cells from 2022, and codes 38180019 and 38180015 for wafers depending on the year.
• To calculate capacity (MW), which is not provided by GACC, Ember uses export values from GACC combined with average monthly prices from InfoLink Consulting Group for panels and cells. For wafers, Ember uses g/W data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) to derive capacity from GACC's weight data.
• The methodology notes that GACC data records the first country of export rather than the final destination, citing The Netherlands as a significant re-export hub for Europe.

APA

Ember (n.d.). Ember China Solar Export Data Methodology. https://files.ember-energy.org/public-downloads/ember_china_solar_exports_methodology_v4.pdf

Chicago

Ember. Ember China Solar Export Data Methodology. n.d. https://files.ember-energy.org/public-downloads/ember_china_solar_exports_methodology_v4.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Ember |title=Ember China Solar Export Data Methodology |url=https://files.ember-energy.org/public-downloads/ember_china_solar_exports_methodology_v4.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{emberndember, author = {{Ember}}, title = {{Ember China Solar Export Data Methodology}}, institution = {Ember}, url = {https://files.ember-energy.org/public-downloads/ember_china_solar_exports_methodology_v4.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }