China-Europe photovoltaic energy storage installation

Chinese-manufactured solar photovoltaic (PV) panels are piling up in European warehouses, with Rystad Energy forecasting 100 GWdc of solar capacity in storage by the end of 2023.

There are currently over 40GW of Chinese-made solar modules in storage across Europe with a cumulative value of around €7 billion (US$7.8 billion).

As global PV supply has concentrated in China over recent years – stemming from polysilicon production- – Chinese manufacturers have been able to lower prices and dominate the market despite Europe's goals to establish a domestic manufacturing base.

Spain, Germany and France also imported more panels from China than they installed from any source. Greece has a similar profile to the Netherlands but on a smaller scale, with the country installing the equivalent of only 15% of the capacity imported from China.

These goals include a target for 30 GWdc of European manufacturing along the entire value chain by 2025 and 40% of installed solar PV being manufactured within the continent by 2030. Despite these ambitious goals, between 2019 and 2022, locally-made modules could not keep pace with the growth of imported panels.

He noted that China, as the world's largest solar application market, plays a vital role in Europe's energy transition not only by supplying quality products but also through local production and technology partnerships, fostering strong Europe-China industrial ties.