China puts large-scale PV installs cap of 18.1 GW for 2016

In yet another effort to tackle the severe green power curtailment issues, China has set an official 18.1-GW limit to its annual large-scale photovoltaic (PV) capacity additions for 2016, while also banning some regions from installing new capacity.

Installing 18.1 GW for the year would translate into an annual growth rate of some 20%.

An official document by the National Energy Administration (NEA) and the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) shows that the cap for utility-scale solar parks is 12.6 GW. The remaining 5.5 GW are for high-efficiency PV projects under the country’s Top Runner programme.

In the meantime, the industry bodies decided not to set restrictions for building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV), rooftop and self-consumption solar schemes. Including them, the country is expected to add approximately 20 GW of solar to its power mix this year.

The regions with some of the highest solar curtailment rates -- Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, Gansu and Yunnan provinces -- were excluded from the plan. In January-March, Xinjiang left 52% of its PV capacity idled.

By the end of March 2016, China had already installed 7.14 GW of PV, 6.17 GW of which were large-scale plants.

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