China ranks first worldwide in PV power capacity

Workers install solar panels on the rooftop of a company in Shangrao, Jiangxi province, October 11, 2015.[Photo/Agencies]

BEIJING  - China overtook Germany in 2015 to become the world's number one in terms of photovoltaic (PV) power capacity, official data showed on Thursday.

China added 15 gigawatts of PV power capacity last year, a 40 percent rise year on year, bringing the total capacity to 43 gigawatts, according to China Photovoltaic Industry Association (CPIA).

Many PV companies began to turn a profit last year thanks to the government's positive stance on green and innovative energy production and investment, said CPIA secretary general Wang Bohua.

Wang said the areas of technology research and development, and company financing needed more attention, and 2016 will see policies related to PV power grid connection and subsidies.

By the end of 2020, China aims to increase non-fossil energy to 15 percent of total primary energy consumption, and sharply enhance the ratio of renewable energy in production, according to the National Energy Administration (NEA).

NEA predicts that China's PV power capacity will hit 150 gigawatts by 2020.