Featured in Lighting the way – 05-2024

China’s cash conundrum

The Chinese PV industry has benefited from the availability of substantial finance over the past two decades, supporting the development of the renewable, zero-carbon capability essential for meeting the goals of the Paris climate agreement. Easy access to finance has led to unsustainably low prices and unnecessary losses, however, impacting China’s ability to sustain support for renewable energy systems. As the nation expands renewable energy installations and enhances grid-balancing capacity, maintaining consistent financial support has become more challenging.
Bank loans facilitated by government support at various levels are one source of finance that enabled China to build out large scale PV projects and accompanying grid infrastructure. | Photo: Sungrow

 Around 20 years ago, when the global PV industry was in its infancy, China’s involvement in it was minimal. Technological expertise was concentrated in the Western world, particularly in the universities and technology companies of Europe. At that time, PV power plants were a rare sight across China’s vast landscape.Fast forward to the present day …

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