Solar's bright future in powering rural areas

"Compared with cities, China's rural areas have more spare spaces to install solar power systems at lower costs," said Lin Boqiang, head of the China Institute for Studies in Energy Policy at Xiamen University.

"As developing distributed solar power in rural areas also offers residents extra earnings and helps reduce power expenses, local governments and power supply companies should continue to simplify processes to better tap the potential in distributed photovoltaics in China's rural regions as long as it is legal, compliant and beneficial to the industry."

Zhang Xiaobin, executive vice-president of the Shandong Solar Energy Industry Association, believes the southern markets will continue to remain robust, including those in Jiangxi and Fujian provinces and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

Wang Dongsheng, chairman of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation who is also a political adviser this year, agreed, saying that joint efforts are required to promote the development of distributed photovoltaics in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The GBA market is one of the most dynamic and internationally advanced regions in the Chinese economy, serving as a new engine for sustainable and high-quality development with massive potential for distributed solar power development and energy optimization, he said.

Research conducted by HSBC on the development of distributed photovoltaics in the GBA indicates that despite great potential, there are still various challenges in terms of investment and financing, he said.

Wang suggested enhancing government coordination and planning, innovating business models and introducing innovative green financial products to accelerate the development of distributed photovoltaics in the GBA.