Photovoltaic technology, also known as solar cell technology. It directly converts solar energy into electricity, with advantages such as renewable, clean, noise free, and pollution-free, and is widely used in agriculture, industry, civil use, transportation, and other fields. 2021 is the closing year of the 13th Five Year Plan, and China's photovoltaic industry has achieved astonishing results. Photovoltaics have become the leader of China's new energy industry and have made important contributions to the global energy transformation.

Discovery and Development of Photovoltaic Technology

The history of photovoltaic technology can be traced back to the early 19th century. At that time, French scientist Becquerel accidentally discovered the "Photoelectric effect" while studying silver salt. At the end of the 19th century, Einstein published academic papers related to the Photoelectric effect, which laid a theoretical foundation for the research of photovoltaic technology.

In the 1950s, countries around the world began to focus on researching solar cell technology. In 1958, NASA successfully launched a solar panel into space, which is considered a historic breakthrough in solar cell technology. Around 1960, Japan, Germany, the United States, and the Soviet Union successively successfully produced polycrystalline silicon solar cells.

The Rise of China's Photovoltaic Industry

China's photovoltaic industry started relatively late and has gone through a long process of catching up with international advanced levels. In 2004, the National Energy Administration issued a document titled "Suggestions for the Development of Solar Photovoltaic Power", marking the rapid development of China's photovoltaic industry. With the support of national enterprises' technological innovation, energy conservation and emission reduction, new Energy development and other policies, China's photovoltaic industry has made great progress and become one of the most competitive photovoltaic markets in the world.

The Chinese photovoltaic industry has shown characteristics of scale, intensification, and industrial chain in the global market. As of the end of 2021, the total installed capacity of photovoltaics in China has reached 53GW, accounting for over 40% of the global total installed capacity. At the same time, China's photovoltaic industry has formed a complete industrial chain from silicon materials to components, inverters, installation systems, operation and maintenance services, and industrial agglomeration has driven corresponding economic growth.

Application of Photovoltaics in China

1. Application form

The main application forms of photovoltaic in China include: rooftop photovoltaic, distributed photovoltaic, complementary agricultural photovoltaic, poverty alleviation photovoltaic, photovoltaic power plants, solar thermal power generation, solar cars, etc. Among them, photovoltaic power plants are currently the most widely used form, accounting for more than 90% of the total installed capacity of photovoltaics. Photovoltaic power stations cover various parts of the country, mostly distributed in Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Qinghai, and other regions, where the climate conditions are conducive to photovoltaic power generation.

2. Development status and prospects

The photovoltaic industry in China has developed rapidly in recent years, but at the same time, it is also facing difficulties in terms of technology, quality, and efficiency. In 2018, under the influence of policy adjustments, technological upgrades, and intensified market competition, China's photovoltaic market entered a period of adjustment. In 2019, the National Energy Administration issued a document proposing a series of supporting policies, such as promoting market-oriented development, strengthening technology research and quality supervision, and optimizing supporting policies. These policies have effectively promoted the photovoltaic industry towards high-quality development.

At present, China's photovoltaic industry is developing towards higher quality, lower costs, and more efficient power generation. In the future, with the continuous progress of technology and strong policy support, photovoltaic power generation will gradually replace traditional energy and become one of the important clean energy sources in China.

Overview:

This article comprehensively introduces the development history of photovoltaic technology, the rise of China's photovoltaic industry, and the current application status of photovoltaic technology in China. PV technology has become an important direction of global energy transformation due to its renewable, clean and environmentally friendly characteristics. As the leader of the photovoltaic industry, the development of China's photovoltaic industry is receiving increasing attention from the global market and has made important contributions to the global energy transformation.