【New Energy Applications】China’s photovoltaic industry discovers a new source of revenue: raising hairy crabs under solar panels

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According to a report on Reference News Network on November 1, British media say that this year China will overtake Germany to become the country with the highest number of solar panels installed globally. However, as it becomes increasingly difficult for companies to obtain the large amounts of land required to build solar power plants, they are turning to innovative solutions: developing various forms of agriculture and aquaculture under the solar panels, including the breeding of hairy crabs. This move helped them bypass **the restrictions on changing the use of agricultural land, won the support of local farmers, and generated additional income streams. According to a report on the Financial Times website dated October 30, **Yang Lizhi, an energy analyst at brokerage firm CLSA, said: “This approach is very reasonable, as it allows solar power generation to be integrated effectively into agricultural land without taking up space that could be used for farming.” ” Reports say that at the Xicun Power Station in Yunnan Province, **the listed company China Power Group has partnered with local farmers to grow the traditional herbal medicine honeysuckle under solar panels. In this mountainous area, solar panels cover the peaks one after another. Ms. Yang Xinfeng, a farmer who is weeding the honeysuckle seedlings, said, “In the past, I didn’t know much about this crop; taking care of it isn’t easy.” However, I earn much more money now. ”Since Ms. Yang started working for the honeysuckle contractors brought in by China Power Group, her income has tripled, reaching 3,000 RMB per month (equivalent to $473). China Power Group doubled the installed capacity of Xicun Power Station to 100 megawatts, enough to supply electricity to thousands of households in the nearby city of Dali. Currently, the group is also building a similar project in another location in China, where specialty aquatic creatures such as hairy crabs are raised in ponds beneath solar panels. Yang Mingcai, Senior Vice President of New Energy at China National Electric Power Group in China, said, “Solar power plants require a large amount of land, and one of the major challenges we face is how to obtain land located near major population centers.” Integrating food production can help us persuade those farmers to rent their land to us at reasonable prices, and it can also earn us **support. ” Reports say that as the prices of solar panels plummet due to an oversupply, more and more Chinese companies see an opportunity to not only make profits but also gain political points by helping to achieve **its ambitious renewable energy goals. Meanwhile, more enterprises across China are launching photovoltaic projects integrated with agriculture, aiming to develop various farming and breeding activities under solar panels, including mushroom cultivation. Reports say that, as is the case with most ** situations, solar power plants in China can only be profitable when they receive ** subsidies. However, it currently takes a new power plant one year or even longer to obtain the necessary approvals and receive its first payment. Yang Lizhi from CLSA said that although there is a possibility of funding issues in the short term, China’s substantial investment in the solar industry will reduce costs, thereby transforming the global solar industry. Currently, the cost of solar power generation is about 60% higher than that of coal power.