Solar exports from China increase by a third

China's solar panel exports grew by 34% in the first half of 2023, reaching 114 GW. While manufacturing capacity is sufficient to meet 1.5C pathway goals, bottlenecks in installation and grid integration are leading to increased stockpiles, particularly in Europe.

• Exports of solar panels from China increased by 34% in the first half of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022, rising from 85 GW to 114 GW.
• Europe is the largest destination for Chinese solar modules, accounting for 58% of exports in the first half of 2023, with a 47% year-on-year increase to 66 GW.
• Africa experienced the highest percentage growth in imports, increasing by 187% (+3.7 GW), largely driven by South Africa, which imported 3.4 GW in the first six months of 2023.
• India saw a significant 76% decline in solar module imports from China, falling from 9.8 GW in H1-2022 to 2.3 GW in H1-2023, as the country prioritizes domestic manufacturing.
• Global solar PV manufacturing capacity is expanding rapidly and is not a limiting factor for the 1.5C pathway; it is expected to reach almost 1000 GW per year in 2024.
• There is a widening gap between module supply and actual installations, evidenced by an estimated 40 GW of solar panels sitting in European warehouses due to permitting, skills shortages, and grid integration issues.
• China's domestic manufacturing capacity is projected to nearly double by the end of 2023, increasing from 504 GW/year at the end of 2022 to 931 GW/year.

APA

Hawkins, S. (2023). Solar exports from China increase by a third. Ember. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2023/09/Report_-Solar-exports-from-China-increase-by-a-third.pdf

Chicago

Hawkins, Sam. Solar exports from China increase by a third. Ember, 2023. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2023/09/Report_-Solar-exports-from-China-increase-by-a-third.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Hawkins |first1=Sam |title=Solar exports from China increase by a third |publisher=Ember |date=14 September 2023 |url=https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2023/09/Report_-Solar-exports-from-China-increase-by-a-third.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{hawkins2023solar, author = {Hawkins, Sam}, title = {{Solar exports from China increase by a third}}, institution = {Ember}, year = {2023}, month = sep, url = {https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2023/09/Report_-Solar-exports-from-China-increase-by-a-third.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }