A major push to install rooftop solar panels on Chinese buildings is putting the nation on track for another record-setting year on renewable energy.
In September, China’s National Energy Bureau announced a new initiative for local governments to partner with solar developers to build rooftop arrays. Under the scheme, building owners can purchase solar panels and sell the power they generate to developers, or developers can lease rooftop space to install solar panels they own.
It is reported by China's National Energy Administration (CNEA) that more than half of all solar panels installed in 2021 are on rooftops (González-González et al., 2022; Li et al., 2019; Martinez-Rubio et al., 2015).
Fishman, an energy analyst at the Lantau Group, an economic consultancy firm in Shanghai, was keen to meet with developers in Shandong to understand how China is developing extensive rooftop solar installations at such a remarkable pace.
The plan seems to be working. Last year, China installed a record-breaking 87.4 GW of solar capacity, 59% more than in the previous year, according to China’s National Energy Administration. This takes the country’s total installed photovoltaic capacity to 392.6 GW.
Most of that rooftop solar has been added in the past two years, as China offered support for local governments to boost installations, and raised power rates to businesses, making generating their own electricity more attractive.