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Power of the sun harnessed in households
Print Edition
SOME 516 households in Songjiang welcomed the hot summer without worrying about air conditioning driving up their electricity bills. They have installed solar panels.
“This summer my family didn’t spend a coin on electricity, and, in fact, we earned some money from our unused power,” said Songjiang local Chen Bingwen.
Installation of rooftop solar panels is being promoted in Songjiang. In the year to August, district households running on solar power have increased 20 percent, according to the State Grid Songjiang Branch.
It costs between 30,000 yuan and 100,000 yuan (US$4,493 and US$14,977) to install a family rooftop power station. One person, on average, consumes about 450 kilowatt-hours of electricity a month, so a 4-5kw solar power system costing about 50,000 yuan is sufficient for a family.
“The weather was good with lots of sunshine, so our system produced more than 500 kilowatt-hours within a half a month in July,” Chen said.
In his neighborhood, Chen is one of the first three families to install solar power. In addition to cutting their own electricity bills, users can get a 0.82-yuan subsidy for every kilowatt hour their household produces. If the family sells unused electricity to the State Grid, it can earn 0.45 yuan per kilowatt-hour.
“My family consumed almost 800 kilowatt-hours a month last year,” Chen said. “The current electricity fee is one yuan per kilowatt-hour. But with out solar system, I can earn 1.8 yuan per kilowatt-hour, which means I’m making money.”
A household can usually recover the cost of installing a solar system within five to six years. Since each system is expected to last 25 years, the rooftop will be a money-maker for a long time.
The district’s State Grid branch has opened a green channel for those who want to apply to install a solar system. Staff workers are available to do the regular checks on installed system and offer practical tips for users on how to generate more electricity.
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