Chen et al. developed a comprehensive solar resource assessment system based on the GIS + MCDM method in 2019. This system was applied to the assessment of the potential of PV power generation in the countries under the “Belt and Road” initiative. The results showed that the PV potential of China is 100.8 PWh.
The results of this study indicated that China, as one of the fast-growing countries in the global south, shows outstanding potential for solar PV power station installation and generation potential.
Then, the technical, policy and economic (i.e., theoretical power generation) constraints for wind and PV energy development were comprehensively considered to evaluate the wind and solar PV power generation potential of China in 2020.
This study used a PV power generation potential assessment system based on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) methods to investigate the PV power generation potential in China.
The researchers first found that the physical potential of solar PV, which includes how many solar panels can be installed and how much solar energy they can generate, in China reached 99.2 petawatt-hours in 2020.
Fig. 2. Spatial distribution of annual theoretical power generation of China in 2015. The results of theoretical PV power generation show that the high-value areas are mainly concentrated in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, followed by Northwest China and Yunnan, where are rich in solar radiation resources.