Latest report from Ember says a surge in rooftop solar capacity in the Philippines is inevitable after the payback period for residential PV fell by almost a year between May 2025 and May 2026.
Over 4 GW of Chinese solar panels were imported into the Philippines between January and April this year, according to the latest report from energy think tank Ember.
Ember’s latest report uses Philippines customs data to highlight a growing surge in solar panel imports into the country.
Net solar imports stood at 3,130 MW in 2024, increasing to 5,068 MW in 2025 and reaching 4,133 MW over the first four months of this year, according to Ember’s figures. China has exported more solar panels to the Philippines this year than any other country except for the Netherlands, which acts as an import hub for much of Northwest Europe.
Ember’s report says the surge in solar panel imports suggests that rooftop solar deployment will begin to accelerate. The think tank analyzed generation data from electricity market operator IEMOP to calculate current rooftop capacity at around 1.3 GW, up from 721 MW towards the start of 2025.
