China to start a comprehensive solar energy strategy and implementation plans

Currently the main use of solar energy in China is for heating water. PV is the main technology used in China for electricity generation – both in industrial and commercial applications. Total solar radiation reaching China land areas is estimated at 5×10²²J (equivalent to ~1700 billion tons of coal equivalent (TCE). The areas of Tibet and Qinghai receives that largest amounts of solar radiation, but many other areas receive relatively large amounts of solar radiation, among them: southern part of inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong, Liaoning, mid and south Yunnan, South Guangdong, south Fujian, east and west Hainan. PV is considered by the Chinese government as a royal route among the renewable energies, but they realize that it cannot be left to the markets alone. Hence, financial promotion and political regulations were announced. Unlike energy for transportation and heating, electricity generation is still very centralized in China, but the understanding of the need for decentralization is making progress. As a first step, the Chinese government has announced a plan to grant ~2.9USD/Watt-peak (!) for a cap of 20MW, while each project is above 50KW. This PV road map sets its priority on roof projects and PV curtains in large and midsize cities as well as off-grid solar PV. The Chinese believe that PV will eventually become commercially competitive with conventional power network. However, the full potential of PV will be achieved in energy-autonomous buildings rather than as add-on devices in the grid connected systems of current facilities.