China continues to lead, utility-scale PV installations hit new highs, tracking systems and bifacial modules become mainstream, and solar PV becomes one of the most competitive energy sources globally.

Global Utility-Scale PV Capacity Hits Record High

In 2023, the global solar PV industry experienced explosive growth. According to the "Trends Report" released by the International Energy Agency (IEA) Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme (PVPS), global newly added PV capacity in 2023 reached 456 GW, of which China added 277 GW, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the global total. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), global renewable energy capacity additions reached a record 473 GW in 2023, a 54% year-on-year increase, with solar PV accounting for 346 GW of new capacity, a 73% year-on-year increase. By the end of 2023, the cumulative global PV installed capacity had reached approximately 1.6 TW, with an annual increase of 420 GW from the end of the previous year, an annual growth rate of about 85%.

In the utility-scale ground-mount PV segment, growth was particularly significant. According to preliminary data from Wiki-Solar, new utility-scale PV capacity jumped to approximately 150 GWac in 2023, double the previous record, bringing cumulative operational capacity to over 600 GWac. China, the United States, and India continued to play dominant roles, but growth in other regions was also remarkable — North America grew by about 150% year-on-year, South America by 120%, accounting for more than 6% of global new capacity. Spain jumped to fourth place globally with 6 GWac of new utility-scale PV capacity, and the single U.S. state of Texas contributed more than 7.5 GWac of new utility-scale PV capacity. In terms of electricity generation, solar PV generation increased by 25% in 2023, adding 320 TWh, accounting for 5.4% of global electricity generation.

From a structural perspective, utility-scale ground-mounted solar plants still dominate. According to statistics from the Global Solar Council and SolarPower Europe, 60% of the global 2 TW of PV capacity comes from ground-mounted utility-scale solar plants, and 40% from rooftop solar projects. This proportion indicates that large-scale ground-mount plants remain the main source of global solar PV generation.

China Leads the Global PV Industry

China continued to lead the global solar PV market in 2023, adding 235 GW of new capacity, more than half of the global total, and cumulative capacity reached 649 GW, firmly ranking first in the world. China is also the world's main manufacturing base for solar PV products, accounting for about 85% of the global PV module manufacturing market in 2023. China's cumulative installed PV capacity has ranked first in the world for eight consecutive years since 2015, and new installations have ranked first in the world for ten consecutive years since 2013.

Technology Innovation: Tracking Systems and Bifacial Modules Accelerate Adoption

In 2023, the pace of technological innovation in ground-mount PV plants accelerated significantly. Tracking systems, due to their significant improvement in power generation efficiency, are rapidly becoming the mainstream choice for large-scale ground-mount plants. Dr. Chen Changhong, Dean of the Wind Engineering Research Institute of Arctech Solar, pointed out at the 2023 PV Annual Conference that in the "grid parity era," reducing costs and increasing efficiency are core industry demands. As the "skeleton" of a power plant, PV mounting systems can further improve efficiency by integrating AI intelligent tracking, cloud cover strategies, and control strategies. When combined with bifacial modules, they achieve a "1+1>2" effect. Data shows that tracking systems can increase the internal rate of return (IRR) over the project's entire lifecycle, while the initial investment is controllable or even reduced.

In terms of technology iteration, Arctech's flagship "SkyWing II" tracking system uses a world-first dual-row multi-point parallel drive system. Through its patented three-stage bidirectional transmission gearbox, it achieves 25% north-south slope adaptability and a 15% allowable height error between adjacent rows of piles in the east-west direction, greatly improving terrain adaptability. The system uses a modular design, increasing installed capacity and reducing civil costs under the same landform, saving 20% on foundation usage, 20% on precast pile costs, and about 2% on EPC costs. At the same time, through second-generation AI algorithms, it provides an additional 8% power generation gain.

Antai Technology's "Yuguang" series intelligent tracking system, launched in 2023, features the exclusive intelligent monitoring and operation platform "Space Cloud." It can comprehensively track solar radiation, wind conditions, and other natural factors, adjusting the tracking angle in real-time based on feedback, achieving an 18.5% to 24% increase in power generation. All products can track over a wide range of ±60°, with strong terrain adaptability, suitable for complex terrains such as water surfaces, snowy areas, mountains, and deserts.

Trina Solar also launched an integrated delivery solution combining its Vertex modules with the Vanguard tracker system in 2023, maximizing the power generation potential of 210mm bifacial modules and improving performance under low-light and uneven terrain conditions. TrinaTracker's Vanguard 1P system has multiple patents in structure and drive. Its intelligent control system, consisting of a controller, intelligent algorithms, and a cloud platform, adjusts the optimal power generation angle of the tracker in real-time, maximizing power generation on both sides of the bifacial modules.

In terms of patent innovation, Linyang Energy received an invention patent authorization for an "intelligent tracking system for bifacial modules" in 2023. The system uses a sky imager, irradiance meter, controller, and tracking brackets to intelligently sense weather conditions and real-time irradiance data, automatically adjusting the tracking angle.

Economic Leap: Solar PV Costs Achieve Absolute Advantage

In 2023, the economic competitiveness of solar PV reached a historic high. According to IRENA's "Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2023" report, the global levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of solar PV was 56% lower than that of fossil fuels and nuclear power. In contrast, in 2010, PV LCOE was 414% higher than fossil fuels. Between 2010 and 2023, total installed costs of utility-scale solar PV fell by 86%, and LCOE fell by 90%. Between 2022 and 2023, the global weighted average LCOE of newly commissioned grid-connected solar PV projects fell by 12%, the largest decline among all renewable technologies.

Looking at global average data, the installed cost of solar PV systems in 2023 fell to $758 per kilowatt, a decrease of more than 85% from 2010, and PV LCOE fell to $0.04 per kWh, making it one of the lowest-cost power generation technologies. IRENA noted that of the 473 GW of new renewable capacity added in 2023, 81% (i.e., 382 GW) of commissioned utility-scale projects had costs lower than their fossil fuel alternatives. It is estimated that renewable power capacity added since 2000 reduced the power sector's fuel costs by at least $49 billion in 2023.

In the United States, data from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory shows that LCOE for new projects in 2023 rose slightly to $46/MWh before tax credits but continued to decline to $31/MWh after accounting for federal incentives. Wood Mackenzie's analysis pointed out that LCOE in the Asia-Pacific region fell sharply to historical lows in 2023, with renewable energy costs already 13% cheaper than traditional coal, and expected to be 32% cheaper by 2030.

Policy Environment: China Issues Dense Support Measures and Land Use Regulations

In 2023, China issued a number of policies related to ground-mount PV plants, providing strong support for industry development.

Regarding project development, the Guangdong Provincial Energy Bureau issued the 2023 development plan for ground-mounted centralized PV power stations in April 2023, identifying 82 initial development projects and requiring steady progress and standardized preliminary work. The Hebei Provincial Development and Reform Commission issued a notice in October 2023 organizing the application for ground-mounted distributed PV projects, specifying that projects must be fully completed and grid-connected by December 20, 2023, and making flexible arrangements for supporting energy storage construction. Beijing issued implementation opinions on promoting high-quality PV development, integrating PV and other renewable energy application requirements as an important part of the urban planning system.

Regarding land use management, the General Office of the Ministry of Natural Resources, the General Office of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, and the General Office of the National Energy Administration jointly issued a notice on "Supporting the Development of the PV Power Generation Industry and Regulating Land Use Management" (Natural Resources Issuance [2023] No. 12), which clearly specified land use management requirements for centralized ground-mount PV projects. The document stated that siting of large-scale PV bases should be encouraged in deserts, Gobi, and wasteland areas. For oil and gas fields and coal mining subsidence areas, non-farmland areas can be planned for PV bases. Project siting should avoid farmland, ecological protection red lines, historical and cultural protection lines, and other sensitive areas. New or expanded PV projects are strictly prohibited from occupying permanent basic farmland, basic grassland, Class I protected forests, and key state-owned forests in Northeast Inner Mongolia.

This land use policy provided clear guidance for compliant investment and construction of centralized ground-mount PV projects, with significant practical implications.

Large-Scale PV Base Construction Accelerates

In 2023, construction of several large-scale PV base projects in China made significant progress. On December 29, 2023, the first phase of the pioneer project of the Kubuqi Desert Ordos Central and Northern New Energy Base — the country's first 10-GW-level large-scale wind-solar base — was fully connected to the grid. The total planned capacity of the base is 16 GW, including 8 GW of solar PV and 4 GW of wind power. The first phase of the pioneer project has a capacity of 1 GW, and after completion, it will provide about 2 billion kWh of clean electricity annually, saving about 600,000 tons of standard coal.

In Guizhou Province, the Panjiang million-kilowatt PV base project in Guanling County achieved its first grid connection on December 29, 2023, taking only 130 days from construction start to grid connection, setting a new domestic record for similar projects. The project has a total investment of 4.828 billion yuan, a planned capacity of 1,330 MW, and adopts a "PV + tourism + rural revitalization" model. It is the largest single PV power station in Guizhou.

In Xinjiang, the China Green Power Nilka County 4 GW wind-solar integration project — the largest single wind-solar project in Asia — successfully connected its first 2 GW phase to the grid in May 2024. The project began full construction at the end of September 2023, with a peak workforce of over 10,000 people, and completed the installation of 357.9 million PV panels in just eight months. After completion, it will provide 5.8 billion kWh of clean electricity annually, save about 1.73 million tons of standard coal, and reduce carbon emissions by 4.72 million tons.

The Shuangbai Shitou 106 MW PV power station project in Yunnan Province started construction on July 14, 2023, and achieved full-capacity grid connection on December 28, 2023, achieving "construction started in the second half of the year, put into operation in the second half of the year." It will provide about 180 million kWh of clean energy annually. The Huidong County 200 MW PV project in Liangshan Prefecture, Sichuan Province, also started construction in February 2023, with a total investment of about 1.06 billion yuan, using nearly 4,000 mu of barren hills and wasteland to build an intelligent PV power station.