Based on daily meteorological data from 496 stations across China spanning 1961 to 2020
this study investigates the abundance
stability
and spatio-temporal distribution of seasonal solar energy resources. By integrating multi-source data—including high-resolution digital elevation models (DEM)
land use
geomorphology
population density
and photovoltaic (PV) potential—we estimate provincial PV power generation potential and analyze the actual spatial distribution and deployment modes of PV stations. The results reveal that Northwest China and Inner Mongolia
with annual surface solar radiation exceeding 5040 kWh·m
possess rich and stable solar resources highly suitable for PV development. Over the past 60 years
solar energy resources have exhibited a downward trend
with the most pronounced decline observed in summer (-6.10 kW·h/(m²·10a)). China's total PV generation potential is estimated at 32.29 trillion kW·h
with Xinjiang accounting for the highest provincial potential (6.62 trillion kW·h). Conversely
Hebei province recorded the highest actual PV generation in 2023 (23.21 billion kW·h). Regions such as Xinjiang
Inner Mongolia
and Northeast China demonstrate low solar resource utilization (ratio of actual to potential generation<1%)
indicating they should be prioritized for future PV expansion. The spatial distribution of existing PV stations aligns well with the spatial distribution of PV generation potential. While centralized PV systems currently dominate the deployment
substantial potential remains for distributed PV development.
CHEN W J, YANG M S, ZHANG S F, et al.What accounts for the China-US difference in solar PV electricity output? An LMDI analysis[J]. Journal of cleaner production, 2019, 231: 161-170.