Sunlight powers "ridge of Shandong" transformation

In Cuijiazhuang village in Yiyuan county, known as the "ridge of Shandong", in Zibo, Shandong province, for its average altitude of 401 meters, rows of photovoltaic panels on rooftops are turning sunlight into clean electricity.

The panels generate around 3.4 million kWh annually, saving 1,376 metric tons of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 2,732 tons.

Yiyuan county has become a key clean energy base in Central Shandong. During the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period, its total installed capacity for wind and solar power surpassed one million kilowatts.

Across Zibo, the transformation of the energy structure has made solid progress. Installed capacity for new energy power generation now exceeds that of coal-fired power, accounting for 52 percent of the city's total.

Including imported power, one-fifth of all electricity consumed in Zibo comes from green sources. This shift reflects the city's push for energy supply reform and green transition, aligning with national ecological goals.

To manage the widespread grid connection demand of distributed photovoltaics, State Grid Zibo Power Supply Company has refined grid capacity analysis down to individual lines and distribution zones.

It has designated red, yellow and green zones based on accommodation capacity and created a heat map for grid connection.

A specialist from State Grid Zibo said that the map clearly shows regional access conditions and renovation needs, improving service efficiency and planning.

To address power fluctuations caused by sunlight and weather, the company has built Shandong's first cloud platform for the coordinated regulation of distributed photovoltaic clusters.

Low-voltage distributed systems have been connected to a remote control center, enabling unified cloud scheduling and improved accommodation capacity, along with strengthened grid stability.

With the company's support, Zibo has launched a three-year action plan to develop a new-type power system, focusing on 13 tasks across source, grid, load and storage.

During the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period, the company will continue accelerating this development, refining services and guidance for new energy, and promoting a multi-level regulation system to advance its energy transition and green development.