| Abstract |
China is THE global runner-up in the PV field. This concerns PV market but even more PV industry development. Especially since 2004 the PV supply chain has developed explosively successful. A drawback is that the industry is orienting more and more towards export, and neglecting (partly due to shortage in modules and manpower) the home market to certain extends especially the market of rural applications. The NDRC/World Bank/GEF China Renewable Energy Development Project (REDP) is ‘running’ from 2001 to 2006. The PV component is aiming at developing the rural market for PV (and small wind) in six north-western provinces. The TI component encourages technology improvement that will lead to lower cost and better quality of components for PV and PV/wind systems. The in-official aim of the TI is also to give the Chinese industry a better chance at competing with western industries in the renewable energy market in general and the Chinese PV market. China had several quality problems in the PV market around 2000, such as the mal functioning due to lacking quality of the PV module, of essential other components (esp. the controller) or due to slow service. By the REDP much attention was paid to how to improve quality in the Chinese market in the supply and service chain. REDP substantially affected the quality of PV components produced in China and the professionalizing of Chinese PV industry. Around the year 2000 the NDRC/WB/GEF China REDP has also been crucial for the attention of the Chinese authorities and industry for PV. Now at the end of the China REDP new programs take over the guiding and trendsetting role, paving the way for China to be one of the top-3 countries in the global PV field before the year 2010. |
