Ningbo has become the first city in Zhejiang Province to surpass 10 gigawatts of installed solar power capacity, according to State Grid Ningbo Electric Power Company.
Source: Yongpai News App
Ningbo has become the first city in Zhejiang Province to surpass 10 gigawatts of installed solar power capacity, according to State Grid Ningbo Electric Power Company. As of the end of May, the city’s total PV capacity reached 10.24 GW (10,244.5 MW), marking a significant milestone in its clean energy transition.
Solar power’s share in Ningbo’s total electricity consumption has been steadily rising—from 5.75% in 2023 to 6.52% in 2024. In the first five months of this year alone, that figure jumped to 9.85%, underscoring the rapid momentum behind the city’s renewable energy push. “Assuming 1,000 annual full-load hours, Ningbo’s solar generation could reach around 10 billion kilowatt-hours a year. Since the beginning of 2024, we’ve helped cut approximately 5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions,” said Zhang Jianyun, Deputy Director of the Marketing Department at State Grid Ningbo.
A key driver of this growth is the widespread deployment of distributed solar systems. Rooftops across industrial zones, public buildings, and residential areas have been transformed into generation sites, reflecting strong public and private participation. From January to May, newly installed distributed PV capacity reached 1.79 GW, up 205.45% year-on-year.
“Ningbo has a strong manufacturing base, with thousands of industrial facilities. Their rooftops are ideal for solar panel installations,” Zhang explained. “In the first five months of the year, we added 15,709 new distributed PV projects to the grid—a 379.22% increase from the same period last year. Cixi, Yuyao, and the Qianwan New Area, all with dense industrial activity, have emerged as key drivers of this surge.”
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