Southeast Asia Emerges as Major Market for China’s Solar and Energy Storage Exports

September 7, 2026 — Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia is emerging as a major growth market for China’s clean-energy exports, driven by rapidly increasing demand for solar panels, battery storage systems and other clean-energy technologies.

According to recent data, Southeast Asian countries are expected to spend more than US$20 billion on Chinese-made clean-energy products in 2026, representing a 50% increase from the previous year.

Solar and energy storage are among the fastest-growing segments. ASEAN countries imported approximately US$4.1 billion worth of solar panels and nearly US$7 billion of energy storage batteries, with solar panel imports increasing by around 90% compared with 2025.

Growing urbanisation, industrialisation and electricity demand across markets including the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam are driving investment in renewable energy infrastructure.

The region’s rising demand also reflects the increasing need for flexible power systems capable of integrating larger volumes of intermittent renewable generation.

With Southeast Asia’s electricity demand continuing to grow, the region is expected to remain an important market for solar PV, battery energy storage and other clean-energy technologies in the coming years.