China added in total 9.65 GW of solar PV power generation capacities in the first quarter of 2018, made up by 1.97 GW of utility-scale and 7.68 GW of distributed solar PV, respectively. According to the consultancy Asia Europe Clean Energy (Solar) Advisory Co. Ltd. (AECEA), this represents an increase of 22 percent compared to Q1 2017. However, year over year the utility segment dropped by 64 percent, whereas the distributed solar segment increased by 217 percent.

China’s National Energy Administration (NEA) distributed a draft version of it’s to be amended solar PV policy and has requested the industry to submit comments. The organization suggests three types of operation mode (100 percent self-consumption; less than 50 percent feed-into the grid; 100 percent feed-into the grid) and furthermore three project capacities: (1) Less than 6 MW can only apply for mode one and mode two (residential systems below 50 kW can choose any of the three modes); (2) 6 MW to 20 MW (can only apply for mode one); (3) Larger than 20 MW (can only apply for mode three, subject to regular FIT via competition). Rooftop systems larger than 20 MW are not considered »distributed generation«, but rather as regular power plants and therefore subject to regular FIT via competitive bidding. According to AECEA, in addition NEA suggests, amongst others, that projects which have received approval in 2018, but are unable to start construction shall be cancelled and not rolled-over to 2019. Unapproved, non-registered and projects initiated construction without prior government consultation shall no longer be accepted.

AECEA maintains its view that for the full year possibly 40 to 45 GW will be installed.