The National Village-level PV-powered Poverty Alleviation Power Station Construction and Management Working Conference recently took place in Jinzhai County of Anhui Province. Hong Tianyun, Deputy Director of the State Council Leading Group Office for Poverty Alleviation and Development, stated that there is great economic and developmental potential for PV-powered poverty alleviation power station in Jinzhai, which is a new model for symbiotic PV power generation (a method in which agricultural/forestry activities are carried out under PV solar panels), and it is something that others should learn from and actively promote. The power station, whose construction and operation were contracted out to GCL Energy Engineering, is very different from similar power stations in Jinzhai in that it employs tall supports.

 

The purpose of the conference is to further the healthy and orderly development of PV-powered poverty alleviation and come up with standards for construction and operational management so as to ensure such projects are truly and effectively aiding in the war against poverty. Another objective is to resolve problems with PV-powered poverty alleviation such as inconsistencies in policy understanding, lack of standards in construction management, and insufficient operational maintenance.   

     

Hong required that all competent departments should fully understand the importance of PV-powered poverty alleviation in the fight against poverty, accept PV-powered poverty alleviation as a specific part of this fight, be problem-oriented, categorize and summarize all the difficulties involved in the process of PV-powered poverty alleviation, firmly adhere to the Village-level PV-powered Poverty Alleviation Power Station Construction Standards so as to ensure construction quality, proper operational maintenance management, and the reinforcement of policy guarantees. This will allow the benefits of PV-powered poverty alleviation policy to reach a greater number of people in need, thus being comprehensively successful in the fight against poverty and serving as an active contribution to making China a moderately prosperous society.

     

Before the conference, senior officials from the State Forestry and Grasslands Administration, State Grid Corporation of China, and China Southern Power Grid Corporation as well as leaders from poverty-alleviation offices of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities around China were given a look at Jinzhai County’s 5.7-MW PV-powered poverty alleviation power station in Xiangchong Village, Baitaban Town and the PV-powered poverty alleviation solar panels at the home of Wang Heshu in Xiaonanjing Village, Meishan Town.   

     

At the power station in Xiangchong Village, the visitors enjoyed the red beauty of lush Fraser’s photinia. The construction and operation of the power station were commissioned to GCL Energy Engineering. Pan Dongxu, deputy secretary of the Liu’an Municipal Party Committee and secretary of the Jinzhai County Party Committee, stated that the panels sit atop tall supports and are part of a symbiotic PV power generation project. That is, the ground underneath the panels is used for growing cash crops such as Fraser’s photinia and tea oil camellia. This allows locals to not only obtain income from solar power produced but also augment the income of the local economy by growing these crops. In addition, about a dozen locals have been given temporary work at the station, allowing each of them to have an additional income of RMB 3,000 or more on average per year.

 

Chai Jingyu, VP of GCL Energy Engineering, stated that the tall supports are more costly than those at most power stations, but they allow the land to be used to its full potential. He added, “GCL is committed to the concept of bringing green energy into people’s everyday lives, and by means of continual innovation in technology and management, we may lower costs related to construction and operational maintenance so as to lead the PV power industry in bringing inexpensive energy onto the grid as quickly as possible by means of our model power stations.”

 

Other notable attendees include Qi Chengyuan (Deputy Director of the National Energy Administration), Sun Yunfei (member of the standing committee of Anhui Provincial Party Committee and secretary of the Liu’an Municipal Party Committee), Zhang Shuguang (Vice Governor of Anhui), Jiang Hong (deputy secretary-general of Anhui Provincial People's Government and director of the Anhui Provincial Office for Poverty Alleviation and Development), and Wang Sichun and Wang Hongtao (Jinzhai County administrative leaders).