Combining Crops and Panels: State Grid Zhejiang’s Agrivoltaic Strategy for Low-Carbon Development

QUZHOU, China, July 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — In the rolling landscapes of Changshan County, on the outskirts of Quzhou, Zhejiang Province, solar panels stretch across the fields like a giant canvas, beneath which a variety of crops, including grapefruit saplings and exotic bearded tooth mushrooms, thrive. This innovative pairing, known as agrivoltaics, is part of a larger movement being pioneered by State Grid Zhejiang Electric Power at the Tongjing Photovoltaic Power Station.

The PV power station exemplifies the integration of photovoltaic (PV) technology with agricultural practices, covering an area of 70.7 hectares (174.6 acres). With an investment of 302.21 million yuan (approximately US$41.8 million), the station is outfitted with 117,647 polycrystalline PV modules. This infrastructure not only contributes to power generation—yielding annual revenues of approximately 16 million yuan—but also boosts the local economy. The project enhances the village’s collective income by about 1.1 million yuan (approximately US$152,000) annually through the leasing of land for PV installation and by creating new job opportunities within the agrivoltaic sector.

“The PV power station annually contributes around 36 million KWh of green electricity to the State Grid, equivalent to saving 12,000 tons of standard coal, mitigating CO2 by 36,000 tons and sulfur dioxide emissions by 110 tons,” highlighted Zhu Jianjun, Customer Manager at State Grid Zhejiang Electric Power. In recent years, the company has streamlined procedures for PV power generation and grid connection, facilitating the seamless integration of distributed PV. The endeavor underscores its commitment to scientifically efficient clean energy utilization and fully embracing the pioneering agriculture and solar co-location development paradigm.

Quzhou has a cumulative grid-connected PV installed capacity of 2,495.5 MW. Projections indicate a surge in new PV capacity to 1,500 MW by 2027, lifting the total grid-connected capacity to 3,750 MW. Agrivoltaics is proving to be a vital catalyst in enhancing farmers’ income and supporting broader economic development.

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