Solar power heats Zhejiang's economy

Jiangshan, a county in Zhejiang province, is investing heavily in photovoltaic and digital development to boost its economy and write a new chapter in the transition toward common prosperity.

Guantian village's 384 kilowatt photovoltaic project, which began operations on May 7, is the first photovoltaic project to be completed since Jiangshan decided to become a demonstration county with a new power system geared toward carbon reduction and common prosperity.

"Guantian was created after Guantianwu village and Shanhou village were amalgamated in 2007. Although the new village is rich in natural resources, its infrastructure is weak," Zhao Huisheng, deputy director of the Development and Construction Department of the State Grid Jiangshan Power Supply－the company responsible for the photovoltaic project－told China Daily.

"The Guantian project is located in the Gongmu Mountains and covers an area of about 0.27 hectares. The slopes are gentle and at the proper angle, so the panels are exposed to light as soon as the sun rises, maximizing utilization."

It all adds up to more profits, Zhao said.

"Annual power generation of about 420,000 kWh is expected to bring in an income of 180,000 yuan ($27,081) to Guantian, but once you add in the various subsidies, such as new energy subsidies, that figure is expected to reach 300,000 yuan, with 30 percent to be directly distributed to 78 low-income farmers," Zhao added.

"Besides directly increasing incomes, the project also provides jobs for villagers, and shade-loving cash crops can be planted under the panels to improve land use and efficiency while developing green energy."

The State Grid Jiangshan Power Supply Company is making full use of an online power grid, a cloud platform for regulation and remote sensing technology to create a photovoltaic navigation map.

It aims to encourage government and society to prioritize the construction of photovoltaic power projects in relatively underdeveloped villages with abundant resources, as a new means of common prosperity and to help rural vitalization.

"At present, the Jiangshan company's power supply department is using digital analysis methods to draft Jiangshan's photovoltaic navigation and load distribution map. It will also help funds and social capital invest more scientifically in photovoltaic projects," Zhao said.

"The company is scheduled to build one more 110 kilovolt green energy station in southwestern Jiangshan, and two to three 35 kV green energy stations in its north and east to meet large-scale demand for new energy."

In recent years, Jiangshan has actively pushed combined agricultural and photovoltaic power generation projects, promoting economic development by building in a variety of locations. New photovoltaic projects are also under construction elsewhere in the county, which seeks to combine modern agriculture and forestry with power generation.

Fang Xiaoying contributed to this story.