Zigui leads the way in photovoltaic industry

By Yan Wanqin.

Zigui County's photovoltaic industry achieved an output value of 300 million yuan (US$41.6 million) by the end of 2024. By April 2025, the installed capacity of the county's photovoltaic power system has reached 75,700 kilowatts, equivalent to one and a half small thermal power plants. The county aims to make this industry one of its future pillars.

At Yichang Guoledi Food Co., Ltd. in Jiuli Industrial Park, the first phase of a photovoltaic project is nearly complete. The 2,200-square-meter solar panel will connect to the power grid by the end of this month. It is expected to generate 50,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, enough to power about 48 homes for a year, and contribute over 400,000 yuan to the company's output value.

“This project will meet our power needs for fruit washing, grading, packaging and juice processing, which will considerably cut our financial cost,” said Wang Chao, the company's product director.

The project reflects Zigui’s broader efforts to promote rooftop solar power installations among enterprises, institutions, and rural households.

Since September 2021, the county has been included in a national program to install photovoltaic panels at the town level. Zigui has introduced financial subsidies, tax reductions, and other incentives to encourage participation.

The initiative also integrates green energy with sustainable farming.

Numerous solar panels have been installed in tea gardens across Jiuwanxi, Maoping, Meijiahe, Shazhenxi, and other towns. These photovoltaic panels not only generate solar power but also provide shade, creating ideal growing conditions for the tea plants below.

The photovoltaic power stations in these tea gardens, with a combined capacity of 100,000 kilowatts, are expected to be fully connected to the grid by the end of May.

In 2024, Zigui County's photovoltaic stations generated 272 million kilowatt-hours of electricity.

“After years of dedicated efforts, Zigui’s photovoltaic industry has achieved leapfrog development,” said Zheng Aihua, deputy director of Zigui's development and reform bureau. “The county’s power generation structure is evolving from dominantly hydropower to including a meaningful share from solar energy, too. This year, our installed PV capacity will surpass that of hydropower.” Although the Three Gorges Dam is located in Zigui County, its electricity generation capacity is not included in the county’s statistics.

Zheng added that Zigui will continue to encourage more enterprises and rural households to participate in the photovoltaic industry, aiming to make solar energy one of the county’s pillar industries.

Xiang Xiaofei contributed to this story.