Solar power contributes to a small portion of China's total energy use, accounting for 3.5% of China's total energy capacity in 2020. Chinese President Xi Jinping announced at the 2020 Climate Ambition Summit that China plans to have 1,200 GW of combined solar and wind energy capacity by 2030. is the largest market in the world for both and. China's photovoltaic. Photovoltaic research in China began in 1958 with the development of China's first piece of. Research continued with the development of solar cells for space satellites in 1968. The Institute of Semic. A July 2019 report found that local air pollution ( and sulfur dioxide) has decreased the available solar energy that can be harnessed today by up to 15% compared to the 1960s.