Village cadres asked to install photovoltaic panels

Does community management influence household adoption of rooftop solar photovoltaics in rural China?

This paper examines inequality in household adoption of rooftop solar photovoltaics in rural China through a qualitative study of three villages. The Chinese government promotes distributed solar to drive low-carbon development. However, community management and China’s institutional system influence unequal access.

Can a village adopt a solar power system?

Usually, only about 30% of households can adopt PV. To increase that percentage, the village would need to expand transformer capacity. The costs of that expansion get divided up and paid by later adopters. This raises their construction costs and creates an obstacle to adoption. It is another form of injustice.

Do villagers have a role in photovoltaic negotiations?

From a procedural justice standpoint, the village committee acts as an agent negotiating with photovoltaic enterprises while villagers participate limitedly (e.g., voting at meetings). Regarding pricing roof resources and determining cooperation specifics, villagers’ absence in negotiations diminishes the fairness of the process.

How does SEPAP support solar installations in high-poverty rural villages?

SEPAP supports solar installations in high-poverty rural villages through three primary types of projects: village-level arrays (for projects generally no more than 300 kW), village-level joint construction arrays (for projects generally no more than 6000 kW), and rooftop installations targeted toward poor villagers (typically several kW).

How do village committees promote solar adoption?

There are three modes for village committees to promote solar adoption: non-intervention, partial intervention, and full intervention. Generally, government-involved adoption can give households more external support, including information, supply chain, maintenance service, etc.

Can solar photovoltaic projects help alleviate poverty in rural areas?

Nature Communications 11, Article number: 1969 (2020) Cite this article Since 2013, China has implemented a large-scale initiative to systematically deploy solar photovoltaic (PV) projects to alleviate poverty in rural areas.