Agricultural installations in China provide 300MW boost to PV domestic sales,says Solarbuzz Press release;Jackie Chang,DIGITIMES [Tuesday 18 September 2012]New solar projects on agricultural land are playing a pivotal role within the rapid growth of distributed solar power generation in China.Currently,there are more than 300MW of solar projects,according to Solarbuzz.
An increasing number of solar project developers in Central and Eastern China are now prioritizing these new opportunities,in particular in the provinces of Xinjiang,Hunan,and Hubei.The China Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection Group(CECEP)is currently targeting more than 100MW of solar projects specifically within the agricultural segment.
According to Steven Han,analyst at NPD Solarbuzz,"The agricultural solar market segment in China was previously overlooked by downstream solar suppliers and installers.However,with the threat of anti-dumping actions from the United States and Europe potentially restricting their available sales channels,creating additional demand locally is now essential for both module and balance-of-systems suppliers.
"Greenhouses have become a popular choice for agricultural solar installations,because they offer benefits in addition to a supply of electricity,"added Han."Solar panels located on greenhouses can shield the sunlight,replace building materials,and add to the overall aesthetics."
With farmland in short supply in Central and Eastern China,installing ground-mounted solar PV systems can be a challenge.Therefore,rooftop solar installations have become a higher priority,with the most attractive developments often combining agricultural applications with solar power generation.This mutually-beneficial arrangement allows solar developers to benefit from the solar power generation while providing the farmers a revenue stream.An example is the 9.8MW solar project by Zhongli Talesun and China Power Investment(CPI),developed in Changshu.In 2011,they mounted solar panels on the roof of a mushroom plant.Other smaller scale installations have been enabled by the Golden Sun programs.
Commercial agricultural solar projects continue to receive the backing of top-tier solar developers in China,and this new segment is forecast to grow rapidly in the coming years.Developers are trying to find additional land space in both central and eastern China in an effort to further boost domestic solar demand.