A major push to install rooftop solar panels on Chinese buildings is putting the nation on track for another record-setting year on renewable energy. On Wednesday, the housing department and the National Development and Reform Commission, which oversees strategic planning, announced a plan for new-build public buildings and factories in town.
Will Chinese rooftop solar panels make China a record-setting year?
A major push to install rooftop solar panels on Chinese buildings is putting the nation on track for another record-setting year on renewable energy.
In September, China's National Energy Bureau announced a new initiative for local governments to partner with solar developers to build rooftop arrays. Under the scheme, building owners can purchase solar panels and sell the power they generate to developers, or developers can lease rooftop space to install solar panels they own.
Can solar power revitalize rural China?
At the same time, the Whole County PV programme provides an opportunity to revitalize rural China, local officials say. For example, homeowners can receive extra income by lending their rooftops to solar developers, or by selling the power generated by their rooftop system, Fishman says. The plan seems to be working.
Fishman, an energy analyst at the Lantau Group, an economic consultancy firm in Shanghai, was keen to meet with developers in Shandong to understand how China is developing extensive rooftop solar installations at such a remarkable pace.
Is China's Solar Plan working?
The plan seems to be working. Last year, China installed a record-breaking 87.4 GW of solar capacity, 59% more than in the previous year, according to China's National Energy Administration. This takes the country's total installed photovoltaic capacity to 392.6 GW.
Workers install solar panels on the Hongqiao Passenger Rail Terminal in Shanghai, China. The Climate Group via Flickr China is expecting to install 108 gigawatts of solar capacity this year, almost double the 55 gigawatts installed in 2021, with much of the growth driven by rooftop solar.