Standing atop the Guangzhou Baiyun International Conference Center, the sight of over 40,000 square meters of vibrant blue solar panels is truly spectacular. These panels continuously convert sunlight into electricity, generating an annual average of 4.37 million kilowatt-hours, which covers 72% of the center’s energy needs. This impressive installation serves as a prime example during the promotional event for the new energy and advanced energy storage industries in Guangzhou, specifically focusing on distributed photovoltaic (PV) construction.
The new energy and advanced energy storage sectors are part of Guangzhou’s “12218” modern industrial system, which includes 15 strategic industrial clusters. On March 27, during the promotional event, it was revealed that distributed PV development in Guangzhou has accelerated significantly. Currently, the total installed capacity has reached 3.01 million kilowatts, five times the capacity at the beginning of the 14th Five-Year Plan, making Guangzhou the leader among provincial capital cities in China. Last year alone, this sector drove approximately 4 billion yuan in fixed asset investment in the secondary industry.
In terms of PV generation, last year the city produced over 2 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. Chen Xu, the Executive Deputy Director of the Bay Area Office and Deputy Director of the Municipal Development and Reform Commission, emphasized the city’s abundant rooftop resources, well-developed power grid, and strong capacity for integrating new energy sources, all of which create excellent conditions for advancing distributed PV projects.
Distributed photovoltaic systems are facilities built close to users’ sites, allowing users to generate their own electricity while selling any excess back to the grid. As of the end of February 2025, the total installed capacity of distributed PV in Guangzhou reached 3.01 million kilowatts, representing a fivefold increase since the start of the current five-year plan.
The specialized seminar on distributed PV construction marks the first event in a series aimed at promoting new energy and advanced energy storage applications. Why focus on “application scenarios” for this seminar? Qu Yong, Director of the Energy Department at the Municipal Development and Reform Commission, explained that the most direct indicator of industrial development is the extent of product application in the economy and society. Large-scale applications can directly drive the industry to higher levels of development. Currently, about 2 million kilowatts of the city’s distributed PV installations are utilized by medium and large businesses, while there is still significant potential for schools, hospitals, and other energy-consuming entities. The seminar aims to collaborate with various stakeholders to promote industrial applications.
Last year, Guangzhou completed and connected to the grid over 1.2 million kilowatts of distributed PV projects, generating more than 2 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. This not only effectively reduced electricity costs across the board but also promoted a green and low-carbon transformation in the economy and society. Furthermore, the construction of distributed PV projects has provided substantial support for the research, development, application, and upgrade of products from local manufacturers of PV modules, inverters, brackets, cables, and other equipment, directly driving approximately 4 billion yuan in fixed asset investment in the secondary industry.
Looking ahead, it is expected that Guangzhou will maintain an annual installation scale of around 1 million kilowatts for distributed PV projects over the coming years, directly spurring investments of over 3 billion yuan and injecting strong momentum into the high-quality development of the city’s new energy and advanced energy storage sectors.
What benefits do distributed PV projects bring to energy-consuming units, and is the operational maintenance challenging? The person in charge of Baiyun International Conference Center shared that over the past three years, the center has saved over 740,000 yuan in electricity costs, averaging about 250,000 yuan per year. The solar power station, which was connected to the grid on May 15, 2020, has a total installed capacity of 4.19 megawatts, utilizing the rooftops of five buildings. From 2022 to 2024, the average annual electricity generation was 4.37 million kilowatt-hours, with an average self-consumption rate of 72.6%. “Most of the solar energy produced is consumed by the Baiyun International Conference Center, truly achieving sustainable green development,” the representative stated.
During a visit to the rooftop, a robotic cleaning device was observed working on the solar panels. “We have two automatic cleaning robots that handle the ‘big clean’ twice a year without the need for manual operation, completing the task in just one day,” the representative explained. The solar system is designed for intelligent operation and maintenance, achieving a mostly “unattended” status, with panel lifespans of up to 30 years.
Going forward, the Baiyun International Conference Center plans to expand its new energy storage devices and install more solar panels. These “large charging batteries” will allow storing unused daytime electricity for nighttime use, facilitating integrated solar energy storage and ultimately achieving the goal of “zero-carbon buildings.”
In fact, Guangzhou Toyota has already realized this goal. In 2008, they introduced a solar power generation system and achieved carbon neutrality for the electricity consumption of their fifth production line in 2023, creating a green and scientifically advanced zero-carbon factory.
Not only on rooftops, but Guangzhou Toyota is also progressively installing solar PV systems on cafeteria roofs, employee parking lots, finished vehicle parking areas, corridors, and even test tracks. “By the end of 2024, the company’s total solar PV installed capacity will reach 105 megawatts, with an energy consumption of approximately 81 million kilowatt-hours, accounting for 21% of the company’s total energy usage,” the representative stated. They also revealed plans to complete the installation of solar panels by 2025, with total installed capacity expected to increase to 129 megawatts and energy use reaching 100 million kilowatt-hours annually, representing 26% of the total consumption.
The event also featured a signing ceremony where Guangzhou Development New Energy Group Co., Ltd., Guangzhou Zhidu Investment Holding Group Co., Ltd., and the well-known solar component company Gaojing Solar Co., Ltd. signed cooperation agreements to promote synergistic development between state-owned and private enterprises.
Guangzhou Development New Energy Group is the leading enterprise in Guangzhou’s new energy industry chain, primarily engaged in the investment, construction, and operation of various new energy projects such as solar and wind power, electric vehicle charging, and energy storage, with total assets of 32 billion yuan and 163 wind and solar power stations. Gaojing Solar ranks among the top 500 new energy companies globally, with four major production bases and five business development centers worldwide, operating in 13 countries and regions, including the United States and Germany. In 2023, it established a presence in Huadu, Guangzhou, with an investment of 10.9 billion yuan in a solar module production project.
What led to this strong partnership? “This signing agreement between Guangzhou Development New Energy Group and Gaojing Solar involves a total capacity cooperation agreement of 3 gigawatts. Both parties will jointly establish Guangzhou Suifa Gaojing New Energy Co., Ltd., creating a platform for investment, construction, and operation of distributed PV projects in Guangzhou, focusing on distributed PV and related project investments to drive the development of the new energy and advanced energy storage industry in the city,” said Yu Huatang, Party Secretary, Chairman, and General Manager of Guangzhou Development New Energy Group. “In the future, we will collaborate with more enterprises to further promote Guangzhou’s distributed PV products nationwide and internationally.”
The second cooperation agreement signed on-site involved not only Guangzhou Development New Energy Group and Gaojing Solar but also Guangzhou Zhidu Investment Holding Group, a state-owned enterprise in Huadu District. The three parties aim to complete 500 megawatts of distributed PV investment cooperation within two years.
Sun Bin, Senior Vice President of Gaojing Solar Co., Ltd., noted that the company adopts a model of integrating “industry + locality” when developing distributed PV businesses, collaborating with local state-owned enterprises to develop regional projects. “For instance, we partnered with Huadu to establish a company and have registered nearly 1 gigawatt of distributed PV projects across 188 villages, promoting overall benefits to local residents and empowering rural development and revitalization through solar energy, contributing positively to the ‘Hundred Thousand Project’.”
