China will become the world’s largest consumer of solar energy within two years, Applied Materials solar unit head Mark Pinto told the Wall Street Journal. Pinto said government support for solar power at both a local and national level will present a significant opportunity for solar panel manufacturers. Although China made around 40% of the world’s solar panels last year, its domestic consumption was very low. But Pinto believes that with the Chinese authorities’ commitment to sustainable energy, the country is set to overtake Germany as the largest consumer of solar power in the world by 2011.