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City-level analysis of subsidy-free solar photovoltaic electricity price, profits and grid parity in China

Author

Listed:
  • Jinyue Yan

    (KTH Royal Institute of Technology
    Mälardalen University)

  • Ying Yang

    (Mälardalen University)

  • Pietro Elia Campana

    (KTH Royal Institute of Technology
    Mälardalen University)

  • Jijiang He

    (Tsinghua University
    Tsinghua University)

Abstract

In recent years, China has become not just a large producer but a major market for solar photovoltaics (PV), increasing interest in solar electricity prices in China. The cost of solar PV electricity generation is affected by many local factors, making it a challenge to understand whether China has reached the threshold at which a grid-connected solar PV system supplies electricity to the end user at the same price as grid-supplied power or the price of desulfurized coal electricity, or even lower. Here, we analyse the net costs and net profits associated with building and operating a distributed solar PV project over its lifetime, taking into consideration total project investments, electricity outputs and trading prices in 344 prefecture-level Chinese cities. We reveal that all of these cities can achieve—without subsidies—solar PV electricity prices lower than grid-supplied prices, and around 22% of the cities’ solar generation electricity prices can compete with desulfurized coal benchmark electricity prices.

Suggested Citation

  • Jinyue Yan & Ying Yang & Pietro Elia Campana & Jijiang He, 2019. "City-level analysis of subsidy-free solar photovoltaic electricity price, profits and grid parity in China," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 4(8), pages 709-717, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natene:v:4:y:2019:i:8:d:10.1038_s41560-019-0441-z
    DOI: 10.1038/s41560-019-0441-z
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