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Energy services for solar PV projects: Exploring the accessibility and affordability of clean energy for rural China

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  • Liu, Jing
  • Hu, Jiantuan
  • Wan, Qing
  • Ming, Junren
  • Shuai, Chuanmin

Abstract

China's rural solar photovoltaic projects (SPVPs), as an innovative initiative to improve livelihoods through clean energy, have played a positive role in poverty reduction. However, whether this measure can enhance energy services for rural families remains unconfirmed. This paper employs a quasi-experimental method from the perspectives of energy service accessibility and affordability to quantify the net contribution of China's rural SPVPs to enhancing family energy services. The results indicate: (1) SPVPs can significantly improve family energy services, with a net effect of 14.7 % on the energy service accessibility and a net effect of 44.5 % on the energy service affordability. (2) SPVPs can increase the energy consumption capacity, energy supply capacity and energy equipment utilization rate by 2.6 %, 7.1 % and 5 %, respectively. Furthermore, these initiatives can effectively slash the energy costs of rural families by 4.3 %, bolster the energy access affordability by 3.9 %, and catapult energy investments by an impressive 44.9 %. (3) These projects also perform well in the family energy consumption cleanliness. (4) The effect of SPVPs in providing energy services presents a regional difference, with the best performance observed in ‘Type III’ solar resource areas. Meanwhile, the implementation of China's rural SPVPs does not involve “elite capture.”

Suggested Citation

  • Liu, Jing & Hu, Jiantuan & Wan, Qing & Ming, Junren & Shuai, Chuanmin, 2024. "Energy services for solar PV projects: Exploring the accessibility and affordability of clean energy for rural China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 299(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:299:y:2024:i:c:s0360544224012155
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2024.131442
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