China is turning its roofs into power plants. He has achieved in three months what in Europe costs three years

China has turned its roofs into solar engines, and record time. In just three months he has installed more photovoltaic on roof than Europe in years.

Why is it important. China not only leads the energy transition, but is changing the usual rhythms to which it can occur. According to the latest report of Rystad Energyhas installed 36 GW of solar energy on roof only during the first quarter of 2025.

That is more than some European countries reach after three years. The Energy Newspaper He summarizes it in a phrase: China does everything big.

In figures:

• 60 GW Solares in total during the first three months of 2025.
• Of these, 36 GW (60%) in roofs.
• 130 GW of distributed lots are foreseen throughout 2025.
• The large facilities will even exceed that figure: 167 GW projected.

The context. China is closing its XIV five -year plan. The New regulations of the National Energy Administration (NEA), in force since May, has created a counterreloj race to install before the regulatory cut. There is an emergency climate generated by …

1. Self -consumption incentives.
2. Network access restrictions.
3. And the liberalization of green certificate trade.

Those 36 GW are superior to what countries such as Spain or France can install for more than two years, counting all of solar facilities. The EU, together, installed 56 GW throughout 2023, and only one part was in roofs.

In detail. The thrust has not been homogeneous. The provinces with greater normative flexibility, such as Jiangsu and Guangdong, have triggered the photovoltaic on roofs. Others, such as Interior Mongolia or Jilin, have restricted both the self -consumption that they have barely contributed.

Behind the photo of the record there are certain strap:

• Some large commercial projects can no longer sell electricity to the network.
• It is increasing legal and contractual complexity.
• Promoters and investors face a more uncertain environment.

And now what. China will continue to install at a speed far higher than we are accustomed to in the West. And the distributed model will grow, although foreseebly with certain adjustments. Europe lives much more slow display marked by a dense bureaucracy.

If you keep the rhythm, China will end up making more facilities on roofs in a year than the sum of many countries in a decade.

In Xataka | If Europe does not want to freeze this winter this winter will have to pay much more for gas. You can thank China

Outstanding image | Bill Mead in Unspash