How much land will China need to build 5000 GW solar PV?

Given the current average land use footprint of 35 W/m 2 and a goal to build 5000 GW solar PV by 2050 , the land required for PV installation will be 1.43 × 10 5 km 2, close to the area of Liaoning Province. This will pose significant challenges to China’s land use planning and ecosystem protection.

How to develop PV solar farms in China?

Land use policy for developing PV solar farms in China. Different from most developed countries, in China, urban lands are owned by the country, and rural lands are collective ownership. For this reason, the development of PV solar farms highly relies on the land use policy introduced by the government.

How much does solar power cost in China?

Additionally, the cost of solar PV power generation was CNY5.6–15.1 kWh −1 in 2000, which fell to CNY0.29–0.79 kWh −1 in 2018, with an average annual decrease of CNY0.28–0.75 kWh −1 (Fig. 1). Technological progress sheds light on less expensive and more commercially viable solar systems, and increases the competitiveness of the solar PV market.

Does China have a potential for solar PV power station installation & generation?

The results of this study indicated that China, as one of the fast-growing countries in the global south, shows outstanding potential for solar PV power station installation and generation potential.

Are consolidated land parcels suitable for PV installation in China?

The results indicate that while a total area of 425,191 km 2 is considered developable for PV installation in China, only 23% of that area (128,588 km 2) are consolidated land parcels which are suitable for developing large-scale PV power plants.

How much electricity can consolidated land parcels supply in China?

Moreover, the potential of these consolidated land parcels (8,289,662 gWh/year) can supply about 90% of China's electricity demand. However, when considering the infrastructure investment per kWh, high-potential land parcels doubled the moderate-potential ones.