Solar Panels on Rural Roofs: Opportunity or Trap?
Solar PV Installation Business Models: Case Studies
Solar PV Leasing Program:
Standard Lease Fee: 25-year term, 60 yuan per panel for years 1-5, 50 yuan per panel for years 6-15, and 100-135 yuan per panel for years 16-25. Ownership of the equipment transfers to the user at the end of the lease term. The user earns approximately 3,000-5,000 yuan annually in revenue. (Theoretical annual revenue is 3-5k USD.)
Lease Conditions: ① The rooftop must have clear, undisputed sole ownership ② Age: 18-65 years old
(Two) Trina Solar
1. Lease Fee: 25-year term, 60 yuan per panel for the first 5 years, 50 yuan per panel for the remaining 20 years. Ownership transfers to the user at the end of the lease term. The user earns 3,000-5,000 yuan annually.
2. Lease Conditions: ① The rooftop must have clear, undisputed sole ownership ② Age: 18-65 years old
(Three) Jingxiangbao
1. Lease Fee: 30-year term, 60 yuan per panel for the first 5 years, 50 yuan per panel for the remaining 25 years. The user earns 3,000-5,000 yuan annually.
2. Lease Conditions: ① The rooftop must have clear, undisputed sole ownership ② Age: 18-69 years old
Here's what I've found.
1. Can I apply for grid connection under my personal name without relying on one of these companies?
Whether you can connect to the grid depends on consulting with your local power supply office to determine if they still have capacity. Solar panels generate low-voltage DC current, which an inverter converts to 220V AC, and then the grid steps the voltage back up again for high-voltage transmission. This means the grid also has infrastructure costs involved, so whether you can connect depends on whether the接入点 (connection point) is already at full capacity.
I consulted a few days ago, and the power supply office in my hometown is already at full capacity. Even if I install my own system, I won't be able to connect to the grid. If solar power operates off-grid (using battery storage), it's very uneconomical because grid electricity is already quite cheap.
2. What are the related costs and returns?
If the solar PV system is 24KW, it generates approximately 2,600 kilowatt-hours of electricity per month. The total revenue from selling all of it to the grid (at 0.4 yuan per kWh) is about 1,040 yuan, of which we receive about 225 yuan.
I'm not sure if one can take out a personal loan to install a system independently. The approximate costs would be: solar panels 48,000 yuan + mounting brackets (including welding labor, totaling 10,000 yuan) + inverter (8,000 yuan) + various wiring (1,000 yuan), totaling around 70,000 yuan. The annual return is approximately 12,000 yuan, so the system would pay for itself in six or seven years. With company installation, there's no hassle and no upfront cost. (Without a loan, if there's a loan, it might turn into fraudulent loan activity.)