"Photovoltaic+" opens up a new track for China's clean energy development | Support | Energy

Hohhot, July 6th (Xinhua) - In the dark blue light panel, Na Shunmenghe slowed down and carefully examined the appearance of the panel and circuit next to him. Under several rows of photovoltaic panels not far away, sheep are bowing their heads to graze.

"These sheep are what I raise," said 30 year old Na Shunmenghe. "Besides being a herdsman, I also have a profession here, which is to be an operation and maintenance worker."

This photovoltaic power station is located on the desert grassland of Sunite Right Banner, Xilingol League, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China. It has a total installed capacity of 200000 kilowatts and is equipped with an 85 megawatt hour energy storage system. It will be connected to the grid for power generation in December 2022.

The photovoltaic power station covers an area of nearly 7000 acres and has rented two herdsmen's grasslands, with an annual rent of 40 yuan per acre. More than 2700 acres of grassland in Na Shun Meng He have been leased.

This is a photo taken on July 6th of the 200000 kW Mu Guang Storage Comprehensive Demonstration Project Photovoltaic Power Station in Sunite Right Banner, Xilingol League, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Shen Jizhong

"The photovoltaic panels are placed in the air, and there is still a lot of room for utilization in the grassland under the panels," said Guan Chao, the director of the photovoltaic power station. "We have set the distance between the lowest point of the photovoltaic bracket and the ground to 1.5 meters, which is higher than the ordinary photovoltaic bracket, leaving enough space for the sheep to move, achieving power generation on the panel and grazing under the panel."

Not long ago, photovoltaic power stations officially put into use grazing functions. People have found that the first batch of sheep to settle in love to move under photovoltaic panels. "Because there can be shade and the grass grows well," said Shun Menghe.

Industry insiders say that connected photovoltaic panels are like barriers covering desert grasslands, which can reduce sunlight exposure and strong winds in the area under the panels, reduce soil moisture evaporation, and help vegetation grow better.

"I herd sheep at the power station and feed them water at noon. I don't need to worry about other times, it doesn't affect my work." said Na Shunmenghe, whose monthly salary is nearly 4000 yuan and he can also earn nearly 110000 yuan in grassland rent every year, resulting in a significant increase in income.

On July 6th, staff conducted an inspection at the site of the 200000 kW Mu Guang Storage Comprehensive Demonstration Project in Sunite Right Banner, Xilingol League, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Shen Jizhong

Like Nashun Menghe, there are 13 residents of Sunite Right Banner engaged in operation and maintenance work here, including 5 pastoralists.

Guan Chao said that the photovoltaic power plant has produced over 160 million kilowatt hours of green electricity, which is transmitted to many parts of Inner Mongolia through the Mengxi power grid, one of China's three major power grids.

The "Photovoltaic+Grazing+Energy Storage" project in Sunit Right Banner is a microcosm of China's cross-border integration of photovoltaic power generation and other industries. The 14th Five Year Plan for the Development of Renewable Energy proposes to actively promote the "photovoltaic+" comprehensive utilization action, and encourage composite development models such as agricultural photovoltaic complementarity and fishery photovoltaic complementarity. Shanxi, Qinghai, Inner Mongolia, Hubei, Zhejiang and other regions in China are actively developing "photovoltaic+" projects according to local conditions, focusing on promoting the three-dimensional spatial value-added utilization of photovoltaic power stations.

Analysts believe that the "photovoltaic+" model not only promotes the development of clean energy, but also explores the integration of clean energy with rural revitalization and ecological protection, further empowering "green people's livelihoods" and opening up a new track for high-quality development of clean energy.

Currently, Inner Mongolia is continuously increasing its efforts in developing clean energy, and the development of "photovoltaic+" comprehensive utilization projects is also accelerating. At present, the installed capacity of new energy in Inner Mongolia is close to 70 million kilowatts, and the under construction and planned scale during the 14th Five Year Plan period has reached 150 million kilowatts.

Photovoltaic power generation base filmed on March 3rd in Dalate Banner, Ordos City, Inner Mongolia. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Beihe

As one of the provinces and regions with the most concentrated desertification and desertification land in China, Inner Mongolia actively promotes "photovoltaic+ecological governance" and "photovoltaic+ecological restoration" projects and base construction while developing agricultural photovoltaic complementary projects.

Entering the photovoltaic leader base in Dalate Banner, Ordos, lush vegetation catches your eye. In the herbal planting area under 5000 acres of photovoltaic panels, rows of Astragalus membranaceus have become a "living sand barrier" for wind and sand fixation.

This desert centralized photovoltaic power generation base is located in Chaidenggacha, Zhaojun Town, Dalat Banner. It covers an area of 50000 acres, with a total installed capacity of 1 million kilowatts and an annual green power generation of about 2 billion kilowatt hours, which is equivalent to saving 680000 tons of standard coal and reducing 1.65 million tons of carbon dioxide.

Zhang Bing, Director of the Electric Power New Energy Office of the Dalat Banner Energy Bureau, said that the base has developed 36000 acres of red dates, astragalus, and locust trees through on board power generation, under board planting, and inter farm breeding, and has also developed over 1000 beef cattle breeding, achieving deep integration between the photovoltaic industry and the planting and breeding industry.