Forecasting the Energy and Economic Benefits of Photovoltaic Technology in China’s Rural Areas

In recent years, with the rapid development of China’s economy, China’s energy demand has also been growing rapidly. Promoting the use of renewable energy in China has become an urgent need. This study evaluates the potential of solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation on the roofs of residential buildings in rural areas of mainland China and calculates the area that can used for generating energy, the installed capacity, and the power generation, and conducts a comprehensive analysis of the economic benefits of investing in the construction of distributed PV systems in various provinces. The findings unveiled in this study indicate that China still has more than 6.4 billion m2 of rural construction area available for the installation of PV modules. If this is all used for solar power generation, the annual power generation can reach up to 1.55 times the electricity consumption of urban and rural residents for the whole society. Through a comprehensive evaluation of energy efficiency and economic benefits, the Chinese mainland can be divided into three types of resource areas. The three types of resource areas have their own advantages and disadvantages. According to their own characteristics and advantages, we can reasonably formulate relevant policies to accelerate the development of PV system application in rural areas.