MORE SUN FOR CHINA

China to boost solar power
June 10, 2011 (UPI)

"China has doubled its solar energy target for 2015 from 5 gigawatts to 10 gigawatts, an official with the National Energy Administration…That follows an NEA announcement… that the government expects a 20 percent price drop domestically for solar power over the next five years.

"As the world's biggest energy consumer, China relies on coal for more than 70 percent of its energy needs. As part of its latest five-year plan, China aims to generate 11.3 percent of its primary energy by non-fossil fuels by 2015…Meantime, China faces an electricity shortfall this summer of as much as 40 gigawatts…"

China's cumulative PV capacity is still quite modest but...(click to enlarge)

"Wang Sicheng, a senior researcher on solar energy at the National Development and Reform Commission…[said] the 2015 target was modified in response to concerns about nuclear power following Japan's Fukushima disaster…But Wang says 10 gigawatts would be difficult to achieve without financial incentives [such as a standardized feed-in tariff] to boost market development…

"Liang Zhipeng, deputy director of NEA's department of new and renewable energy…[said] construction of grid-connected solar-power projects will accelerate in western China, which has adequate solar energy resources."

...it has building capacity as fast as anybody in the world and now it’s going to up the pace. (click to enlarge)

"As for the cost of solar power, NEW said it is likely to drop to less than 12 cents a kilowatt hour by 2015…[T]he cost of solar energy in China has been dropping about 10 to 20 percent each year…[and] is basically about the same as [the price of electricity]…

"China is the world's top solar-panel manufacturer by output…Solar giants Suntech, Yingli and Hanwha SolarOne all reported higher shipments domestically in the first quarter of this year compared to 2010. Total domestic shipments are projected to reach 1 gigawatt, nearly double from last year…"