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Z. Lu and G. Zhu
4.2.3 The Current Development of Distributed Renewable
Power
The thermal, hydro, nuclear, wind and PV power generation discussed above are all
large-capacity or centralized. Their output is connected to the high-voltage transmission grid via transformers, and then delivered over long distances to load centers.
Distributed generation (DG) or decentralized generation, on the contrary, is directly
either connected to the distribution network or designed to meet an end user’s on-site
electricity needs. DG capacity usually less than 10–30 MW. Currently, distributed
renewable power sources in China mainly include small hydropower, distributed
wind power and distributed photovoltaic power generation.
Small hydropower is a necessary supplement to large power grids. It helps to
realign the mismatch between the supply and demand of electricity in the rural areas,
stimulate growth in the rural economy, and accelerate the pace of rural electrification.
The development of small hydropower projects is not only pertinent to the issues of
energy and livelihood, but also key part of the country’s poverty alleviation project.
It is of enormous significance to the eradication of poverty in China’s remote and
underdeveloped rural areas. The current construction of small hydropower projects
in rural China, besides having green development and poverty alleviation as its two
overarching priorities, is ultimately aimed at aiding in the revitalization of rural
communities and improvement of river ecology.
According to the Annual Report on Rural Water Conservancy and Hydropower
Work in 2018 released by the Ministry of Water Resources, 194 new hydropower
stations were built in the rural areas in 2018, adding a total of 1.643 million kW in
installed capacity, or 18.3% of the total newly installed hydropower capacity in the
country. The vast majority of the installations were in southwest China. There were
46,515 hydropower stations across rural China at the end of 2018, with installed
capacity of 80.435 million kW, which amounted to 22.8% of the total installed
capacity of hydropower or 4.2% of total installed power capacity nationwide. Small
rural hydropower plants are predominately concentrated in Yunan, Guizhou, Sichuan,
Hubei, Hunan and Zhejiang. Their distribution is shown in Fig. 4.17.
According to the Annual Report on Rural Hydropower in 2018 published by the
Ministry of Water Resources, rural hydropower stations provided 214.95 billion kWh
of electricity into the grid, with around 3.81 billion kWh supplied to nearby communities. 1519 counties across rural China were equipped with hydropower facilities
at the end of 2018, the vast majority of which were found in southwest, central and
southern parts of the country. Sichuan topped the list with 162, followed by Yunnan
with 116 and Hunan with 96 small rural hydropower plants. The installed capacity
of rural hydropower and the amount of electricity generated made up 62.8% and
43.8% respectively of China’s total hydropower potential in rural areas. Provinces
with higher utilization rates are chiefly concentrated in central and east China and
southeastern regions along the coast, while rural hydropower still holds enormous
untapped potential in southwest China where hydropower resources are more abundant and economic development has been relatively stunted. With the continuous
Z. Lu and G. Zhu
4.2.3 The Current Development of Distributed Renewable
Power
The thermal, hydro, nuclear, wind and PV power generation discussed above are all
large-capacity or centralized. Their output is connected to the high-voltage transmission grid via transformers, and then delivered over long distances to load centers.
Distributed generation (DG) or decentralized generation, on the contrary, is directly
either connected to the distribution network or designed to meet an end user’s on-site
electricity needs. DG capacity usually less than 10–30 MW. Currently, distributed
renewable power sources in China mainly include small hydropower, distributed
wind power and distributed photovoltaic power generation.
Small hydropower is a necessary supplement to large power grids. It helps to
realign the mismatch between the supply and demand of electricity in the rural areas,
stimulate growth in the rural economy, and accelerate the pace of rural electrification.
The development of small hydropower projects is not only pertinent to the issues of
energy and livelihood, but also key part of the country’s poverty alleviation project.
It is of enormous significance to the eradication of poverty in China’s remote and
underdeveloped rural areas. The current construction of small hydropower projects
in rural China, besides having green development and poverty alleviation as its two
overarching priorities, is ultimately aimed at aiding in the revitalization of rural
communities and improvement of river ecology.
According to the Annual Report on Rural Water Conservancy and Hydropower
Work in 2018 released by the Ministry of Water Resources, 194 new hydropower
stations were built in the rural areas in 2018, adding a total of 1.643 million kW in
installed capacity, or 18.3% of the total newly installed hydropower capacity in the
country. The vast majority of the installations were in southwest China. There were
46,515 hydropower stations across rural China at the end of 2018, with installed
capacity of 80.435 million kW, which amounted to 22.8% of the total installed
capacity of hydropower or 4.2% of total installed power capacity nationwide. Small
rural hydropower plants are predominately concentrated in Yunan, Guizhou, Sichuan,
Hubei, Hunan and Zhejiang. Their distribution is shown in Fig. 4.17.
According to the Annual Report on Rural Hydropower in 2018 published by the
Ministry of Water Resources, rural hydropower stations provided 214.95 billion kWh
of electricity into the grid, with around 3.81 billion kWh supplied to nearby communities. 1519 counties across rural China were equipped with hydropower facilities
at the end of 2018, the vast majority of which were found in southwest, central and
southern parts of the country. Sichuan topped the list with 162, followed by Yunnan
with 116 and Hunan with 96 small rural hydropower plants. The installed capacity
of rural hydropower and the amount of electricity generated made up 62.8% and
43.8% respectively of China’s total hydropower potential in rural areas. Provinces
with higher utilization rates are chiefly concentrated in central and east China and
southeastern regions along the coast, while rural hydropower still holds enormous
untapped potential in southwest China where hydropower resources are more abundant and economic development has been relatively stunted. With the continuous