IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i11p4947-d1666157.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Research on the Impact of Large-Scale Photovoltaic Development on Regional Economic Growth—A Case Study of Qinghai Province

Author

Listed:
  • Zhun Qu

    (School of Economics, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China)

  • Suchang Yang

    (School of Economics, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China)

Abstract

Large-scale photovoltaic (PV) development has been widely promoted in northwest China and has yielded notable economic and industrial outcomes. However, the existing literature has not adequately examined the relationship between large-scale PV development and regional economic growth, particularly in high-altitude and ecologically fragile areas. This study selects eight prefecture-level cities in Qinghai Province from 2014 to 2023 and employs a static fixed-effects panel regression model to empirically investigate the association between solar PV generation and regional economic performance. The findings indicate a significant positive correlation between PV power generation and regional GDP, with clear regional heterogeneity. In developed regions, the association is stronger, while in less developed regions, the effect is positive but comparatively weaker. Furthermore, the analysis reveals a nonlinear (inverted U-shaped) relationship between PV generation and economic growth in less developed areas, with a critical threshold beyond which the marginal economic benefit declines. These results provide empirical insights into optimizing PV development strategies based on local economic conditions. Notably, the study focuses on identifying statistical associations rather than establishing causality.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhun Qu & Suchang Yang, 2025. "Research on the Impact of Large-Scale Photovoltaic Development on Regional Economic Growth—A Case Study of Qinghai Province," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-22, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:11:p:4947-:d:1666157
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/11/4947/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/11/4947/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Menegaki, Angeliki N., 2011. "Growth and renewable energy in Europe: A random effect model with evidence for neutrality hypothesis," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(2), pages 257-263, March.
    2. Payne, James E., 2009. "On the dynamics of energy consumption and output in the US," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 86(4), pages 575-577, April.
    3. Hansen, Bruce E., 1999. "Threshold effects in non-dynamic panels: Estimation, testing, and inference," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 93(2), pages 345-368, December.
    4. Chang, Tsangyao & Gupta, Rangan & Inglesi-Lotz, Roula & Simo-Kengne, Beatrice & Smithers, Devon & Trembling, Amy, 2015. "Renewable energy and growth: Evidence from heterogeneous panel of G7 countries using Granger causality," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 1405-1412.
    5. Shahbaz, Muhammad & Raghutla, Chandrashekar & Chittedi, Krishna Reddy & Jiao, Zhilun & Vo, Xuan Vinh, 2020. "The effect of renewable energy consumption on economic growth: Evidence from the renewable energy country attractive index," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 207(C).
    6. Magnani, Natalia & Vaona, Andrea, 2013. "Regional spillover effects of renewable energy generation in Italy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 663-671.
    7. Ajmi, Ahdi Noomen & Inglesi-Lotz, Roula, 2020. "Biomass energy consumption and economic growth nexus in OECD countries: A panel analysis," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 1649-1654.
    8. Marques, António Cardoso & Fuinhas, José Alberto, 2012. "Is renewable energy effective in promoting growth?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 434-442.
    9. Apergis, Nicholas & Payne, James E., 2012. "Renewable and non-renewable energy consumption-growth nexus: Evidence from a panel error correction model," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 733-738.
    10. Chen, Han & Chen, Wenying, 2021. "Status, trend, economic and environmental impacts of household solar photovoltaic development in China: Modelling from subnational perspective," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 303(C).
    11. Hsiao,Cheng, 2022. "Analysis of Panel Data," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781009060752, September.
    12. Abbasi, Kashif Raza & Shahbaz, Muhammad & Jiao, Zhilun & Tufail, Muhammad, 2021. "How energy consumption, industrial growth, urbanization, and CO2 emissions affect economic growth in Pakistan? A novel dynamic ARDL simulations approach," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 221(C).
    13. Hsiao,Cheng, 2022. "Analysis of Panel Data," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781316512104, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Minglin Wang & Shaolong Zeng & Yunzhe Wang & Zhengxia He, 2022. "Does Clean Energy Use Have Threshold Effects on Economic Development? A Case of Theoretical and Empirical Analyses from China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-18, August.
    2. Chen, Chaoyi & Pinar, Mehmet & Stengos, Thanasis, 2020. "Renewable energy consumption and economic growth nexus: Evidence from a threshold model," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    3. Najia Saqib & Haider Mahmood & Aamir Hussain Siddiqui & Muhammad Asif Shamim, 2022. "The Link between Economic Growth and Sustainable Energy in G7-Countries and E7-Countries: Evidence from a Dynamic Panel Threshold Model," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 12(5), pages 294-302, September.
    4. Yuting Feng & Tong Zhao, 2022. "Exploring the Nonlinear Relationship between Renewable Energy Consumption and Economic Growth in the Context of Global Climate Change," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-17, November.
    5. Chica-Olmo, Jorge & Sari-Hassoun, Salaheddine & Moya-Fernández, Pablo, 2020. "Spatial relationship between economic growth and renewable energy consumption in 26 European countries," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    6. Shahbaz, Muhammad & Hussain Shahzad, Syed Jawad & Jammazi, Rania, 2016. "Nexus between U.S Energy Sources and Economic Activity: Time-Frequency and Bootstrap Rolling Window Causality Analysis," MPRA Paper 68724, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 08 Jan 2016.
    7. Dabboussi, Moez & Abid, Mehdi, 2022. "A comparative study of sectoral renewable energy consumption and GDP in the U.S.: Evidence from a threshold approach," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 192(C), pages 705-715.
    8. Destek, Mehmet Akif, 2016. "Renewable energy consumption and economic growth in newly industrialized countries: Evidence from asymmetric causality test," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 478-484.
    9. Hadi Darvishi & Shayesteh Varedi, 2018. "Assessment of the contemporaneous impacts of GDP and renewable energy consumption, applying the Dynamic Panel Data: Evidence from developed countries," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 8(1), pages 159-166.
    10. Alvarez-Herranz, Agustin & Balsalobre-Lorente, Daniel & Shahbaz, Muhammad & Cantos, José María, 2017. "Energy innovation and renewable energy consumption in the correction of air pollution levels," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 386-397.
    11. Marques, António Cardoso & Fuinhas, José Alberto & Neves, Sónia Almeida, 2018. "Ordinary and Special Regimes of electricity generation in Spain: How they interact with economic activity," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 81(P1), pages 1226-1240.
    12. Boulanouar, Zakaria & Essid, Lobna & Farid, Saqib & Ben Mahjoub, Lassaad, 2025. "Asymmetric threshold effects of economic growth on renewable energy in response to energy price fluctuations," The Journal of Economic Asymmetries, Elsevier, vol. 31(C).
    13. Shahbaz, Muhammad & Raghutla, Chandrashekar & Chittedi, Krishna Reddy & Jiao, Zhilun & Vo, Xuan Vinh, 2020. "The effect of renewable energy consumption on economic growth: Evidence from the renewable energy country attractive index," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 207(C).
    14. Dogan, Eyup & Altinoz, Buket & Madaleno, Mara & Taskin, Dilvin, 2020. "The impact of renewable energy consumption to economic growth: A replication and extension of Inglesi-Lotz (2016)," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    15. Chen, Chaoyi & Pinar, Mehmet & Stengos, Thanasis, 2021. "Determinants of renewable energy consumption: Importance of democratic institutions," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 179(C), pages 75-83.
    16. Omri, Anis & Ben Mabrouk, Nejah & Sassi-Tmar, Amel, 2015. "Modeling the causal linkages between nuclear energy, renewable energy and economic growth in developed and developing countries," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 1012-1022.
    17. Seong-Hoon Lee & Yonghun Jung, 2018. "Causal dynamics between renewable energy consumption and economic growth in South Korea: Empirical analysis and policy implications," Energy & Environment, , vol. 29(7), pages 1298-1315, November.
    18. Shahbaz, Muhammad & Loganathan, Nanthakumar & Zeshan, Mohammad & Zaman, Khalid, 2015. "Does renewable energy consumption add in economic growth? An application of auto-regressive distributed lag model in Pakistan," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 576-585.
    19. Lin, Boqiang & Moubarak, Mohamed, 2014. "Renewable energy consumption – Economic growth nexus for China," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 111-117.
    20. Tuna, Gülfen & Tuna, Vedat Ender, 2019. "The asymmetric causal relationship between renewable and NON-RENEWABLE energy consumption and economic growth in the ASEAN-5 countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 114-124.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:11:p:4947-:d:1666157. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.