China
China’s modern utilisation of solar energy began in
the mid-1970’s: following the first national solar
conference in 1975, research into solar technologies
and their promotion was increasingly undertaken. The
development of solar energy was incorporated into
some government programmes but it was not until after
the Rio Conference of 1992 that the Government drew
up "Agenda of 21st Century in China", concentrating
on the renewable energies. In 1995 the State Development
and Planning Commission (SDPC), the State Economic
and Trade Commission (SETC) and the Ministry of Science
and Technology (MOST) formulated a "Program on New
and Renewable Energy from 1996-2010".
SDPC, SETC and MOST have launched the "Sunlight Program",
also running until 2010 but covering PV systems. It
is designed to upgrade the country’s manufacturing
capability of solar technologies, to establish large-scale
PV and PV/hybrid village demonstration schemes, home
PV projects for remote areas and to initiate grid-connected
PV projects. The "Brightness Project" first launched
in 1996 and coming to fruition in 2000 is aimed at
providing electricity from solar and wind energy in
a number of remote regions.
China is well-endowed with solar energy resources,
two-thirds of the territory receiving in excess of
4.6 kWh/m2/day solar radiation. With a large number
of remote communities (including many hundreds of
islands) without electricity, photovoltaic power generation
could play an effective role in serving these areas.
During the 1980’s China introduced a solar-cell production
capacity and in 1996, 1.5 MW solar panels were produced.
In 1996 there were the following installations utilising
solar energy:
