This study assesses the environmental consequences of PV construction and operation by examining changes in vegetation greenness on a national scale in China, where PV solar energy has rapidly expanded.
China's pursuit of photovoltaic (PV) power, particularly rooftop installations, addresses energy and ecological challenges, aiming to reduce basic energy consumption by 50% by 2030. The northwest region, with its solar potential, is a focal point for distributed PV growth, which has already exceeded 50% of the energy mix by 2021.
In addition, China has developed a series of policy incentives, including the Photovoltaic Poverty Alleviation Program [38, 39], which has led to a rapid increase in PV construction in China. The fact that the construction of PV power stations grew rapidly after 2010 is consistent with the trend of national policies. 5.3.
However, the environmental impacts of constructing and operating PV solar energy remain unclear. This study assesses the environmental consequences of PV construction and operation by examining changes in vegetation greenness on a national scale in China, where PV solar energy has rapidly expanded.
Why is China promoting photovoltaic system in rural areas?
Based on the above reasons, the Chinese government plans to vigorously promote the construction of photovoltaic system in rural areas, which has been included in the 14 th Five-Year Plan of renewable energy development. In the foreseeable future, rural photovoltaic system in China will achieve rapid and sustainable growth. Figure 4.
Energy policies are the main factor driving the rapid development of PV power stations in China . Since 2004, PV production in China has experienced tremendous growth due to the dramatic increase in demand for PV in European countries. To promote the domestic deployment of PV, China launched a national solar subsidy program in 2009 [36, 37].
Chinese governments at all levels provide significant financial subsidies for the photovoltaic industry, mainly including subsidies for installation costs and for surplus electricity sales.