Current Status and Future Trends in China’s Photovoltaic Agriculture Development

Bingzhen Liao, Yanbing Qi (), Wenhui Fu and Mukesh Kumar Soothar
Additional contact information
Bingzhen Liao: College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, China
Yanbing Qi: College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, China
Wenhui Fu: College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, China
Mukesh Kumar Soothar: College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 19, 1-25

Abstract: China possesses abundant solar energy resources and remains heavily dependent on agriculture. The integration of photovoltaic (PV) power generation with agricultural production has emerged as a strategic pathway to advance China’s ecological transition and dual carbon goals. By 2023, PV power generation represented 21% of the nation’s total installed capacity. The cumulative capacity was projected to reach approximately 887 GW by 2024. The novelty of this study lies in offering a systematic and integrative review of PV agriculture in China. This paper used a combination of field research, case studies, policy analysis, and a comparative evaluation of diverse “PV+” development models. The findings reveal a pronounced spatial imbalance. Western China possesses 42% of the country’s solar energy resources, whereas the eastern provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui collectively comprise 37.8% of all PV agricultural projects. Three dominant “PV+” models are identified and categorized as follows: “PV + ecological restoration”, “PV + agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, and fisheries,” and “PV + facility agriculture.” These models provide multiple benefits. They enhance land use efficiency, stimulate local economic development, and contribute to food security by expanding the supply of essential agricultural products. Based on these insights, the study highlights future priorities in technological innovation, ecological evaluation, intelligent equipment, digitalization, and region-specific policy support. Overall, this research fills a key gap in systematically and comprehensively describing the current development status of photovoltaic agriculture in China. It also offers transferable lessons for sustainable agriculture and global energy transitions.

Keywords: photovoltaic agriculture; development models; PV+; development strategies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/19/8625/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/19/8625/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:19:p:8625-:d:1758248

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().