Except for relatively low power or off the grid applications, solar is still not ready for prime time - not the most cost effective alternative.
Chinese investment in installing solar capacity is just more of the mal-investment in infrastructure, that they have become famous for.
The solar industry is growing around the world, but China is taking growth to another level. It recently set the most aggressive goal of any country by targeting 17.8 GW of solar installations in 2015. That’s 19% higher than the proposed 15 GW goal, and 70% higher than the 10.5 GW installed in 2014.
Just how big is China’s goal?
To put China’s goal into some perspective, here is how 17.8 GW stacks up in the solar industry.
17.8 GW of solar energy would power 2.9 million U.S. households, or about 2.5% of the homes in the U.S.
If built as a utility-scale power plant, 17.8 GW of solar energy would cover about 107,000 acres, or 167 square miles.
Next year alone, China could approach the grand total of 18.3 GW of solar ever installed in the U.S.
http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/03/22/chinas-new-solar-target-could-set-the-stage-for-a.aspx