Solar power usage shines bright

China is expected to add 160 to 180 gigawatts (GW) of solar power in 2023, a record annual rise in capacity, the China Photovoltaic Industry Association (CPIA) said on Friday.

During the first ten months of this year, the output value of China's photovoltaic manufacturing sector exceeded 1.3 trillion yuan ($182.6 billion), a historic high. Solar power generation reached 142.56 gigawatts, a year-on-year increase of 156 percent, also a historic high, it said.

With continuous breakthroughs in photovoltaic technology and a more diversified export market, it is forecasted that by 2030, renewable energy generation will play a dominant role in the power generation landscape, said Wang Bohua, honorary chairman of CPIA.

The world's biggest solar products maker and solar power generator put into operation 87.41 GW of new solar power last year, driving total installed capacity to 392.61 GW.

zhengxin@chinadaily.com.cn