China, Australia bask in solar panel success
Collaboration on breakthrough tech, and production pushing green transition forward
Complementary strengths
The success of the China-Australia partnership in the solar energy sector offers a model of cooperation to tap into complementary strengths amid the global green transition.
China is the main supplier of solar equipment to Australia, which also tops the world's per capita uptake of rooftop solar, according to industry figures.
There were nearly 255,000 new rooftop solar installations across Australia last year, bringing the number of households using the systems to 4.3 million, according to the Clean Energy Council, the sector's peak body in Australia.
In the second half of 2025, rooftop solar energy contributed 14.2 percent of the total electricity generated in Australia, nearly double the amount in 2020.
In 2024-25, Australian households saved about A$3 billion ($2.18 billion), or A$125 per capita, on electricity costs by installing rooftop solar, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
China continues to lead the world in PV supply chains. Its top manufacturers account for most of the global production, and have helped bring down costs and offered "multiple benefits for clean energy transitions", according to the International Energy Agency. Industry analysts have also pointed to a shift toward high-quality growth through the leveraging of technology and scale to maintain global competitiveness.
With similar strengths in wind turbines and lithium batteries, China is cementing its leading role in renewable energy technologies that countries like Australia are increasingly keen to leverage as they face resource disruptions due to the Middle East conflict, while addressing other traditional fossil fuel challenges.
The federal government's "Future Made in Australia" initiative includes a renewable energy focus on a more resilient, low-carbon economy through increased investments in research and manufacturing.
At the 64th Smart Energy Conference and Exhibition held in Sydney on May 6 and 7, Australia's Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen highlighted the "era of clean power growth", with "renewables overtaking coal in 2025 and record growth in solar meaning that renewable energy met the vast majority of new demand growth in 2025".
