Not only is China the world's most populous country, it's now also the world's biggest producer of solar energy. On Saturday, the National Energy Administration (NEA) confirmed that the nation officially claimed the title after doubling its already-installed photov oltaic (PV) capacity last year.

China Is World's Leading Solar Energy Producer

According to DigitalTrends, by the end of 2016, China's capacity has eclipsed 77.42 gigawatts, and while this is great in terms of raw numbers, it's a lot less impressive if we relate it to the country's massive population. As it stands, solar energy actually represents only one percent of the country's total energy output.

But this may soon change as China focuses more and more of its attention towards cleaner energy. The NEA says that China is looking forward to adding more than 110 gigawatts within the next three years, which could enable China to up the proportion of its renewable energy use to 20 percent by 2030.

Today, it currently stands at 11 percent.

China's Location Vital Towards Solar Energy

China's geography is certainly helping large solar energy farms. Last year, Shandong, Henan, and Xinjiang provinces enjoyed the greatest increase in their solar capacity, whereas Gansu, Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Inner Mongolia ended up with the most overall solar capacity at the end of 2016.

China Looking Forward To Investing In Cleaner Energy

Influencing itself off of fossil fuels would need quite a hefty investment, which is one that China appears ready to make. As per an Engadget report, the nation will be investing about 2.5 trillion yuan ($364 billion USD) into renewable power generation by the end of the current decade.

This dedication towards environment-friendly energy sources could influence other nations around the world to do the same. Ireland has already passed a bill that would make it the first country to divest from fossil fuels.