Boosting China's energy transition through solar energyMany hours of sunshine make the area around Lingwu in China's Ningxia region an ideal location for generating electricity from solar energy. Here, our carbon offset project generates around 54,000 MWh of electricity annually, which is fed into the local power grid. As China's electricity mix is still heavily dominated by fossil fuel generation despite the expansion of the renewable energy sector, our project makes a valuable contribution to climate action. Approximately 48,400 tonnes of CO2 are saved annually, as the electricity produced would otherwise have been generated with the help of fossil power plants. Thus, the solar project contributes to increasing the share of renewable energies in China's electricity mix, it improves the national energy supply and also creates local employment opportunities.
How does solar energy contribute to climate action?Although the development of renewable energy sources is increasing, energy from fossil fuels is still a significant part of energy production worldwide. This is associated with the release of large amounts of carbon emissions. The use of solar energy is a good way to provide people around the world with renewable energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Solar installations, implemented through solar projects, convert sunlight into electricity (photovoltaic) or heat (solar thermal). Even when the sky is cloudy, the solar thermal power plants generate heat and convert it into electricity. Photovoltaic projects use the photoelectric effect to convert sunlight into electricity.
The energy produced is typically fed into the national or regional power grid, reducing the share of fossil fuels in the electricity mix. In addition to reducing carbon emissions, solar projects also prevent the release of various pollutants associated with conventional power generation. Solar energy projects in the ClimatePartner portfolio are registered with international standards.
