China’s rapid solar expansion comes with help from local residents and businesses

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Shandong Province in east China is taking an early lead in the country’s solar energy development, but it now faces challenges that will be met by other regions sooner or later. China is ramping up to install clean energy to meet the urgency of cutting its greenhouse gas emissions. The country wants one-fifth of its power to come from renewables by 2025, and it’s offered a wide range of subsidies to local governments and businesses. Wang Xingyong installs and maintains rooftop solar panels for clients ranging from villagers to factories. His business has doubled every year since 2016. Wang said the concept was a hard sell at first, with few people believing the government would pay them for generating electricity. “As people’s understanding of solar power deepens, our business has grown. This trend is reflected in our company’s operation. We have an annual business growth of 100% to 200%,” said Wang. Shi Mei and her husband earn a decent living by growing corn and millet on their small farm near Jinan, the capital city of Shandong Province. In 2021, they diversified by investing in solar energy—signing a contract to mount some 40 panels on their roof to feed energy to the grid. Now, the couple gets paid for every watt of electricity they generate, harvesting an extra 10,000 Chinese yuan (about $1,300) per year that Shi can track through an app on her phone. “When the sun comes out, you make money,” said Shi. But now, the grid has more power than it can handle. Shi was fortunate to get in early; some cities across Shandong province, including her village, are halting new rooftop solar installations. It’s the leading province for renewable energy capacity, but that also means it’s the first to encounter the difficulties of rapid growth. Wang is optimistic about his prospects despite the halt to new projects. “We would like to use some of our costs to invest in transformers to increase their capacity so we can solve the problem of capacity constraints. Everyone wants to be part of the effort,” said Wang. This article was provided by The Associated Press.