39 Cases! A Collection of High-Quality Typical Examples of Distributed Photovoltaic Projects in Zhejiang Province

The “Collection of High-Quality Typical Cases of Distributed Photovoltaics in Zhejiang Province” comprises 39 projects, categorized into two major types and six sub‑categories. The publication of this case collection will further amplify its demonstration effect and foster a favorable ecosystem for the development of distributed photovoltaics.
 

Case Study 1: Longguan Township’s “Residential Photovoltaic” Initiative Paves the Way for “Zero-Carbon Prosperity”
Location: Haishu District, Ningbo City
Declaring Unit: Ningbo Guangnian Solar Energy Technology Development Co., Ltd.
Coordinating Development Unit: Longguan Township Government, Haishu District, Ningbo City
(1) Basic Information of the Case
Longguan Township, located in the eastern Zhejiang revolutionary old base area at the eastern foot of the Siming Mountains, has kept firmly in mind General Secretary Xi Jinping’s vision that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets.” Since the 13th Five-Year Plan period, it has leveraged underutilized rooftop resources in rural areas—without encroaching on additional land or requiring villagers to contribute capital—while enabling them to share in the benefits of solar energy. On a village‑level basis, it has planned and developed photovoltaic villages. Two typical investment models have been adopted: one involves collective village funding for construction; the other employs a BOT partnership, attracting third‑party investors. Integrated with new‑rural development, this approach ensures shared benefits for both village collectives and residents. The results have yielded three distinct “accounts”: an economic account of stronger villages and greater prosperity; a happiness account of beautiful landscapes and harmonious communities; and an environmental account of benefits for both the nation and its people. In summary, the implementation follows a path of “sharing, integration, and unity”: prioritizing sharing by empowering the village collective economy and improving villagers’ well‑being; grounding efforts in integration through building‑integrated photovoltaics; and achieving unity through high‑standard construction of photovoltaic villages. These experiences offer valuable lessons: new rural development, new energy, and new industries can coexist and thrive together. The Longguan model of “village‑wide coverage and shared benefits” provides a compelling case study and a “Chinese experience” for advancing clean energy transformation, fostering green economic growth, promoting rural cultural progress, and consolidating poverty‑alleviation gains while preventing relapse into poverty.
In supporting the development of the nation’s first “hometown of photovoltaic villages,” Guangnian Technology has placed green, shared‑value approaches and collaborative innovation at the forefront, guided by the principles of zero‑carbon prosperity and value creation. It has pioneered a distinctive model of investment, construction, and operation, giving rise to the “Longguan Zero‑Carbon Model 1.0” for strengthening villages and enriching communities—replicable and scalable—and subsequently refined it into the more down-to-earth, people‑centric “Guangnian Common Prosperity Model 2.0.” These efforts have provided new ideas, concrete case studies, and innovative business models to help Zhejiang become the country’s first demonstration zone for common prosperity.
(II) Main Practices
Building “Photovoltaic Villages” fundamentally centers on a collective economy, aiming to strengthen villages and improve villagers’ livelihoods. Through technological and financial support, the goal is to achieve genuine poverty alleviation and prevent relapse into poverty. Longguan Photovoltaic Village adopts an implementation approach characterized by “sharing, integration, and unity.”
1. With sharing at its core, the primary goal is to empower the village’s collective economy and benefit the villagers. Under this corporate investment model, the cost of replacing the conventional glazed tiles is directly returned as a rebate to the village collective, enabling it to realize an immediate profit of RMB 800,000 to 1 million. Meanwhile, the village and its residents earn additional income through labor‑intensive tasks such as preliminary project surveys, construction, and maintenance management, along with a fixed subsidy for free electricity—50 kWh per household per month—yielding an annual return of RMB 60,000 to 80,000. Over the 25‑year cooperation period, once the investment payback period (10–12 years) is completed, the village and the investor will share profits on a 40:60 basis, with the village and villagers receiving annual dividends of approximately RMB 150,000. Upon expiration of the cooperation term, the power station will revert to the ownership of the village collective.
2. Integration as the foundation: building‑integrated photovoltaics (BIPV). Taking administrative villages as the unit, BIPV power‑generation systems are uniformly installed on the rooftops of all residential and public buildings. Take Longgu Photovoltaic Village as an example: it employs cadmium telluride thin‑film photovoltaic modules, with the PV system designed and constructed in tandem with the new village’s development, achieving seamless integration between the PV modules and the building envelope. The result is a high‑quality photovoltaic village that rivals urban upscale communities.
3. Adopt an integrated approach to build photovoltaic villages to high standards. Project approval and filing are conducted at the administrative village level, with a single investment entity—either the village collective or an investing enterprise—ensuring “holistic design, collective application, unified installation, and centralized grid connection,” thereby preventing construction disarray and the emergence of isolated, stand-alone power stations after completion. The integrated design also ensures that rooftop structures adhere to standardized, tidy, and aesthetically pleasing architectural forms.

(III) Case Outcomes
Taking the five-year experience of Li’ang Photovoltaic Village as an example, three new types of financial statements vividly demonstrate the tangible outcomes of achieving carbon negativity, strengthening the village, and improving villagers’ livelihoods.
1. The economic benefits of a strong village and prosperous residents: The photovoltaic power station contributes RMB 600,000 annually to the village collective’s income. Since 2018, the village has allocated RMB 450,000 each year to public‑works projects and improvements in villagers’ welfare, establishing a “Sunshine Fund” to provide incentives for students and recruits, subsidies for weddings and funerals, and assistance to those in need.
2. A Tale of Prosperity and Harmony in Jingmei. Once a poor village, it has transformed into the most beautiful photovoltaic‑powered village, earning designation as a provincial 3A‑rated scenic village and spurring the development of rural tourism. The village collective’s cohesion, centripetal force, and capacity to rally support have been greatly strengthened, while villagers have reaped tangible benefits from the “sunshine dividend,” fostering a new ethos of harmony and progress throughout the community.
3. An environmental accounting that benefits both the nation and the people. The photovoltaic village has achieved net exports of clean energy, providing a viable pathway toward achieving carbon peak and carbon neutrality ahead of schedule. Based on an annual photovoltaic generation capacity of 600,000 kWh, this translates into annual savings of 216 tons of standard coal, as well as reductions of 598 tons of carbon dioxide, 18 tons of sulfur dioxide, and 163 tons of particulate matter containing carbon. Since 2017, when Li’ang Village’s rooftop photovoltaic power station was fully commissioned and connected to the grid, by the end of 2020 it had generated a cumulative total of 2.4 million kWh. The village collective has earned cumulative revenues from electricity sales and subsidies totaling RMB 3.4 million, while villagers have enjoyed free electricity amounting to 1.08 million kWh.

Case Study 2: Rooftop Distributed Photovoltaic and New-Energy Vehicle Solar–Storage–Charging Demonstration Project at the Yuhuan Commercial Exhibition Center
City: Yuhuan City, Taizhou Municipality Applying Organization: Yuhuan Furniture Industrial Park Co., Ltd.
Developer: Qingdao Teld New Energy Technology Co., Ltd.
(1) Basic Information of the Case
The project is located on the rooftop of the fourth floor of the Yuhuan Commercial Exhibition Center. The original roof, a color‑steel‑tile grid structure, had been in service for more than 20 years; the color‑steel tiles had deteriorated due to rainwater exposure, resulting in persistent leaks. In summer, the rooftop was subjected to intense solar radiation, causing the fourth‑floor mall to endure sustained high temperatures, which adversely affected tenant recruitment and the shopping experience while also increasing the center’s air‑conditioning electricity costs. In 2022, Yuhuan Furniture Industrial Park Co., Ltd. installed 800 kWp of photovoltaic panels across the 5,000 m² rooftop of the Yuhuan Commercial Exhibition Center, adopting an integrated building‑integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) approach. Simultaneously, it developed a super‑fast charging system and a solar‑storage‑charging‑discharging infrastructure on the ground‑level parking spaces. This solution not only addressed the issues of rooftop overheating, roof leakage, internal power demand, and electric‑vehicle charging needs but also met the building’s aesthetic and functional requirements. By integrating EV charging stations with on‑site solar generation for self‑consumption, the project enhanced its financial returns and shortened the investment payback period. This project is one of a series of collaborative initiatives between local financial institutions and the World Bank, and it also marks Zhejiang Province’s first World Bank‑refinanced battery‑energy‑storage‑facilitating project.
(II) Main Practices
The Yuhuan Convention and Exhibition Center Rooftop Distributed Photovoltaic and New‑Energy Vehicle Solar‑Storage‑Charging Demonstration Project utilizes the center’s rooftop and ground‑level parking spaces to install a rooftop photovoltaic power generation system, an ultra‑fast charging system, and a solar‑storage‑charging‑discharging system. Specifically: the rooftop photovoltaic system deploys 800 kWp of solar panels across the center’s 5,000 m² roof, with an estimated first‑year output of 918,300 kWh, supplying power to the convention center and the ultra‑fast charging infrastructure; the ultra‑fast charging system comprises one 10 kV transformer‑type charging substation, a steel‑frame canopy covering 28 parking spaces, a split‑type DC charger array with a total installed capacity of 1,200 kWp, and 28 DC charging terminals, enabling 28 vehicles to charge simultaneously; the solar‑storage‑charging‑discharging system features a photovoltaic canopy at the charging station, equipped with 80 kWp of solar panels and a 200 kWh energy storage battery pack, capable of providing 120 kW of DC charging and discharging for two charging bays.
Innovation Point 1: Meeting Architectural Aesthetics. The Yuhuan Convention and Exhibition Center employs Building‑Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) by installing photovoltaic panels directly on the roof, while concealing junction boxes, bypass diodes, and interconnecting cables within the curtain‑wall structure. This approach not only protects the system from direct sunlight and rain, preventing electrical leakage, but also preserves the building’s aesthetic appearance, achieving a seamless integration with the architecture.
Innovation Point 2: Ensuring Safety Performance. By employing BIPV modules, the system not only meets the performance requirements of photovoltaic components but also complies with the three‑performance testing standards for curtain walls and the safety requirements for buildings, boasting superior mechanical properties and a distinct structural design compared to conventional modules.
Innovation Point 3: Easy Installation. By replacing conventional tempered glass with BIPV photovoltaic modules, the system’s structural configuration remains largely compatible with traditional glass curtain walls. This ensures that BIPV module installation benefits from a robust technical foundation and inherent advantages, fully meeting the requirement for ease of installation. When used on rooftops, these photovoltaic modules also provide additional sun‑shade and thermal‑insulation functions. Innovation Point 4: High Power Generation Efficiency. The rooftop photovoltaic modules are double‑glass, bifacial, delivering up to 20% higher efficiency compared to conventional PV modules.
(III) Case Outcomes
The Yuhuan Convention and Exhibition Center’s rooftop distributed photovoltaic system and new‑energy vehicle solar‑storage‑charging demonstration project is Yuhuan’s first publicly operated “zero‑carbon” solar‑storage‑charging station, Taizhou’s first BIPV (Building‑Integrated Photovoltaics) demonstration site, and Zhejiang Province’s first initiative to promote renewable energy and battery storage. It has also been commended by CCTV’s “News Live Room.” On October 28, 2022, the photovoltaic system at the Yuhuan Convention and Exhibition Center was commissioned; as of May 9, 2023, it had generated a cumulative 376,500 kWh of electricity. Among these, the center’s 28 charging stations averaged daily consumption of 2,000–3,000 kWh, with utilization rates soaring to 90% during peak hours between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Inside the exhibition center, lighting and power needs are almost entirely met through on‑site generation, with nearly all produced electricity being self‑consumed and virtually no surplus—fully leveraging solar energy and delivering significant social and economic benefits. The project ingeniously integrates photovoltaic modules with the building structure, maximizing space utilization while serving both power‑generation and aesthetic purposes. It makes full use of available rooftop and carport areas for PV installation, employs double‑glass, bifacial solar panels to boost efficiency, and sets a benchmark for green energy integration in commercial complexes. Representing a major upgrade over conventional charging solutions, this approach achieves multi‑energy complementarity among photovoltaics, energy storage, and charging/discharging, enabling vehicle‑to‑grid interaction—a clear trend in the evolution of charging technology and an effective pathway toward regional dual‑carbon goals.
Case Study 3: The Integrated “Transportation + Photovoltaic” Project at Hangzhou West Railway Station
City: Yuhang District, Hangzhou
Declaring Entity: Zhejiang Railway Development Group Co., Ltd.
Developer: Zhejiang Railway Development Group Co., Ltd.
(1) Basic Information on the Case
The photovoltaic power generation project at Hangzhou West Railway Station is one of the key initiatives for delivering the Hangzhou Asian Games as a “zero‑carbon” event. The project utilizes approximately 15,000 square meters of the station’s main roof to install 7,540 400‑W photovoltaic modules and associated equipment, creating a distributed solar power plant with a capacity of about 3 MW. The electricity generated is fed into the station’s power grid and used on‑site, with an average annual output of 2.89 million kWh. Coupled with an intelligent PV management system, and leveraging the station’s power infrastructure—including charging stations—the project achieves a self‑consumption rate of 96.9%, integrating supply, grid, and demand in a holistic approach. This promotes the use of renewable energy, enhances the station’s energy‑saving and emission‑reduction performance, and helps build a “green, zero‑carbon” railway station.
(II) Main Practices
1. Superior development model
This project is the first in the entire railway network to be developed across its full lifecycle by a railway‑affiliated enterprise, with new‑energy development designed, constructed, and connected to the grid in parallel with the high‑speed rail station. It is independently invested in and built by Zhejiang Railway Group Co., Ltd., which also assumes independent operation and management and self‑consumes the photovoltaic power generated. All proceeds from photovoltaic generation, government subsidies, and carbon‑asset revenues are owned by Zhejiang Railway Group Co., Ltd.
2. Relatively advanced technology
This project employs advanced PERC monocrystalline silicon photovoltaic modules with a photoelectric conversion efficiency of 19%–21%, effectively reducing the system’s BOS (Balance of System) costs. It also utilizes low-voltage SVG reactive power compensation technology, which simultaneously addresses harmonic currents and three-phase unbalance on the low-voltage side, as well as the power factor on the high-voltage 10 kV side, resulting in a substantial increase in energy generation compared to conventional polycrystalline silicon PV modules. The inverters are equipped with G2‑WL‑ST monitoring units, providing real-time, precise, and comprehensive data analysis along with timely, effective fault alarms, ensuring more stable and reliable operation and enabling robust, intelligent O&M management services.
3. Significant green effect
Adopting a “self‑consumption with surplus power fed to the grid” model, and ensuring equipment safety, the station has, for the first time, integrated photovoltaic-generated electricity into its comprehensive power‑use system. The PV output is prioritized to meet the energy needs of station facilities such as air conditioning, lighting, elevators, advertising systems, and commercial operations. Since the station’s opening, the self‑consumption rate of PV generation has reached 96.9%, providing green energy, significantly reducing operational electricity costs, and delivering substantial savings and efficiency gains.
4. Deep Integration of Energy and Digital Technologies
This project aims to achieve refined management of photovoltaic power generation. By integrating the unique characteristics of railway communications and stringent cybersecurity requirements, it has independently developed an intelligent photovoltaic management system that boasts complete intellectual property rights. The system comprises modules such as a panoramic control room, operational monitoring, an alarm center, O&M management, diagnostic analysis, operational management, asset analysis, and system administration. It enables real-time monitoring of photovoltaic power generation, unified operation, maintenance, dispatching, and management across all PV plants, as well as intelligent carbon‑emission tracking and control. In addition, by integrating with the station’s smart energy management system, it facilitates autonomous, centralized management of all station‑level energy resources on a single platform, thereby enhancing energy efficiency and operational effectiveness and helping to build a smart, green station that is energy‑saving, low‑carbon, comfortable, and convenient.
(III) Case Outcomes
Since its commissioning one year ago, the Hangzhou West Railway Station photovoltaic power plant has generated a cumulative 2.85 million kWh of electricity, far exceeding its projected annual output and offsetting approximately 2,850 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. By deploying monocrystalline silicon PV modules with optimal photoelectric conversion efficiency and advanced transformer equipment, the project enhances the quality of solar-generated power and operates under a “self‑consumption with surplus fed to the grid” model, providing the station with green, clean energy and significantly reducing its operating costs.