China’s solar power industry generates new income for locals as development accelerates

China's solar power industry is generating new income for residents in Yantai, East China's Shandong Province, with fruit, vegetables and other economic crops being planted under photovoltaic (PV) panels, according to a Monday press release.

On the hillside of Fajuan village in Yantai, PV panels continually turn sun lights into green energy to supply many households, while fruits, vegetables and Chinese Traditional Medicine crops planted under the panels brought new incomes for villagers.

"I received 2,000 yuan ($ 280 dollar) per mu for renting the land for the PV panels, and I grow cherry under the panel, which is a double income," said local resident Wang Hongkui.

A new solar power project in Yantai has recently been connected to the power grid and entered operation. The project combined local farming features with solar power, allowed villagers to plant organic vegetables, fruit, and herbs under the PV panels.

The PV power station can produce 70.22 million kWh annually, and bring over 500,000 yuan to more than 700 residents. The solar power can save 21,417 tons of coal and reduce 57,160 tons of carbon dioxide emission.

Yantai power company, under the State Grid Corporation of China, has established PV projects that combined fishery and PV, animal husbandry and PV and farming and PV. The share of power generation rose as established and gridded more new energy projects.

As of the end of September, Yantai's green energy generating capacity has reached highest amount in Shandong to 11.75 million kWh, accounted for 54.49 percent of the Yantai's total generating capacity.

According to data from the local energy administration, Shandong's the new energy generating capacity in the first half of 2023 reached 83.82 million kWh. The PV generating capacity surged by 120 percent to 49.46 million kWh compare to the end of 2020.

China has focused on green energy development in light of the country's "dual carbon" goals.

The Hangzhou Asian Games in East China's Zhejiang Province, as the latest example, applied green sporting venues equipped with wind, photovoltaic and other clean energy, has realized 100 percent green power generation.

Official data showed that China's electricity generated on renewable resource reached to 1.34 trillion kWh in the first half of 2023.