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Forecasting the Energy and Economic Benefits of Photovoltaic Technology in China’s Rural Areas

Author

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  • Wenjie Zhang

    (School of Energy and Power Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China)

  • Yuqiang Zhao

    (School of Energy and Power Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China)

  • Fengcheng Huang

    (School of Energy and Power Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China)

  • Yongheng Zhong

    (School of Energy and Power Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China)

  • Jianwei Zhou

    (School of Energy and Power Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China)

Abstract

In recent years, with the rapid development of China’s economy, China’s energy demand has also been growing rapidly. Promoting the use of renewable energy in China has become an urgent need. This study evaluates the potential of solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation on the roofs of residential buildings in rural areas of mainland China and calculates the area that can used for generating energy, the installed capacity, and the power generation, and conducts a comprehensive analysis of the economic benefits of investing in the construction of distributed PV systems in various provinces. The findings unveiled in this study indicate that China still has more than 6.4 billion m 2 of rural construction area available for the installation of PV modules. If this is all used for solar power generation, the annual power generation can reach up to 1.55 times the electricity consumption of urban and rural residents for the whole society. Through a comprehensive evaluation of energy efficiency and economic benefits, the Chinese mainland can be divided into three types of resource areas. The three types of resource areas have their own advantages and disadvantages. According to their own characteristics and advantages, we can reasonably formulate relevant policies to accelerate the development of PV system application in rural areas.

Suggested Citation

  • Wenjie Zhang & Yuqiang Zhao & Fengcheng Huang & Yongheng Zhong & Jianwei Zhou, 2021. "Forecasting the Energy and Economic Benefits of Photovoltaic Technology in China’s Rural Areas," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-22, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:15:p:8408-:d:603172
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    Cited by:

    1. Rami David Orejon-Sanchez & Jose Ramon Andres-Diaz & Alfonso Gago-Calderon, 2021. "Autonomous Photovoltaic LED Urban Street Lighting: Technical, Economic, and Social Viability Analysis Based on a Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-17, October.
    2. Song, Chenchen & Guo, Zhiling & Liu, Zhengguang & Hongyun, Zhang & Liu, Ran & Zhang, Haoran, 2024. "Application of photovoltaics on different types of land in China: Opportunities, status and challenges," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    3. Zheng Lu & Yunfei Chen & Qiaoqiao Fan, 2021. "Study on Feasibility of Photovoltaic Power to Grid Parity in China Based on LCOE," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-14, November.
    4. Shali Wang & Jiaxi Wu & Yunan Peng & Jane Xu & Lisa Leinonen & Yuyu Wang & Zheng Meng, 2022. "Influence of Residential Photovoltaic Promotion Policy on Installation Intention in Typical Regions of China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-30, July.
    5. Kapsalis, Vasileios & Maduta, Carmen & Skandalos, Nikolaos & Wang, Meng & Bhuvad, Sushant Suresh & D'Agostino, Delia & Ma, Tao & Raj, Uday & Parker, Danny & Peng, Jinqing & Karamanis, Dimitris, 2024. "Critical assessment of large-scale rooftop photovoltaics deployment in the global urban environment," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 189(PB).
    6. Hongbo Gao & Shuang Qiu & Jun Fang & Nan Ma & Jiye Wang & Kun Cheng & Hui Wang & Yidong Zhu & Dawei Hu & Hengyu Liu & Jun Wang, 2023. "Short-Term Prediction of PV Power Based on Combined Modal Decomposition and NARX-LSTM-LightGBM," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-22, May.
    7. Jiehui Yuan & Wenli Yuan & Juan Yuan & Zhihong Liu & Jia Liao & Xunmin Ou, 2023. "Policy Recommendations for Distributed Solar PV Aiming for a Carbon-Neutral Future," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-16, February.

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