The year 2026 marks the beginning of China's 15th Five-Year Plan period

and also a decisive phase in the country's efforts to peak carbon emissions.

The photovoltaic industry is embracing

dual opportunities from policy empowerment and business model upgrades

The nation has anchored its goal of building a new energy system

propelling the PV industry through heavyweight policies from scale expansion

towards qualitative transformation and leapfrog development

From adding over 200 GW of new wind and solar power capacity annually

to optimizing distributed grid-connection thresholds

broadening the "PV+" application scenarios

and setting the target for new energy generation to account for 30% of total electricity by 2030

the continuous policy refinement

provides a crucial opportunity for PV

to consolidate its role as a mainstay energy sourceIt further activates innovation momentum across the entire industrial chain

leading the industry to shoulder significant responsibilities

and forge new chapters in the low-carbon transition

Data Insights on New PV Developments in 2026

Strong Growth Expected for Global PV New Installations

According to BloombergNEF's (BNEF) Global PV Market Outlook report, global new PV installations are projected to reach approximately 649 GW in 2026, indicating the industry is entering a phase of slower growth. The report notes that regions like Southeast Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa are accelerating their PV planning and deployment, demonstrating strong market demand. Globally, over 23% of large-scale ground-mounted power plants are already equipped with energy storage, making it a standard solution for enhancing grid flexibility and project economics. The integration of PV with energy storage and growth in emerging markets will drive long-term expansion.

A Historic Shift from Quantity to Quality

Currently, energy development has entered a period of intensified low-carbon transition and accelerated energy innovation breakthroughs. The 2026 National Energy Work Conference proposed anchoring the primary goal of initially building a new energy system: by 2030, the share of non-fossil energy consumption should reach 25%, and the installed capacity share of new energy should exceed 50%, making it the mainstay of power capacity. This charts a clear path for energy development planning during the 15th Five-Year Plan period and beyond.

Continued Growth in China's New Wind and Solar Installations

The 2026 National Energy Work Conference clarified the commitment to steadily advance the green and low-carbon transformation of energy, continuously increase the proportion of renewable energy supply, and add over 200 million kilowatts of wind and solar power capacity annually.

Further Increase in the Share of New Energy Power Generation

The Guiding Opinions on Promoting High-Quality Development of the Power Grid issued by the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration propose that by 2030, the share of new energy generation in total electricity consumption should reach 30%, doubling from the current level. It also specifies that the power grid needs to possess the capacity to integrate 900 GW of distributed new energy, further opening up space for PV installation.

Significant Reduction in Distributed Grid-Connection Thresholds

The National Energy Agency revised and issued the Guide for Assessing the Power System Hosting Capacity for Distributed Generation, introducing major adjustments to the original evaluation rules. The new regulations clarify that the classification of hosting capacity into red, yellow, and green zones will no longer use 80% as a rigid threshold. Areas previously classified as "red zones" (prohibited or restricted from connection) due to grid capacity limitations can now be converted to "yellow" or "green" zones if safety conditions are met, significantly expanding the allowable installation scope for distributed PV.

Deep Integration with Diverse Industries

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) announced the first list of National Green Computing Power Centers and Zero-Carbon Parks. Jointly with four departments including the National Development and Reform Commission, MIIT issued the Guidelines for the Construction and Application of Industrial Green Microgrids (2026-2030), promoting the deep integration of PV with various scenarios such as industry, computing power, and industrial parks. This signifies that PV is transitioning from solely power generation to deep coupling with a thousand industries, creating stable demand in areas like green electricity trading, park carbon reduction, and computing infrastructure, thereby opening up diverse growth paths for the industry.

Opportunities lie ahead, and the mission is clear for the PV industry in 2026. Policy support paves a smooth development path, while business model upgrades activate endogenous momentum.

Riding the trend with a focus on qualitative transformation, the PV industry is poised to demonstrate its commitment within the new energy system and write a new chapter of high-quality development on its new journey.