Photovoltaic Internet benchmark price reduction

Recently, some government agencies and some photovoltaic companies received a draft of the "Notice on Perfecting the Price of Photovoltaic Power Generation Policy" issued by the National Development and Reform Commission (hereinafter referred to as the "opinion"), which proposed a new implementation plan for the next-generation photovoltaic power generation on-grid price.

The new "opinion" distinguishes between distributed generation and large-scale ground power generation. Among them, large-scale ground power stations are divided into four types of resource areas according to the different lighting conditions in each place, and they apply the on-grid tariff of 0.75-1 yuan/degree for four intervals; the distributed power subsidies are 0.35 yuan/degree.

On March 11, an executive of China National Electric Power Co., Ltd. said that the previous 1 yuan/kWh electricity plan was mostly implemented in the western region. A year and a half later, the electricity price is now also competitive for eastern resource regions. The 0.75 yuan/kWh plan is also mostly placed in the western regions where lighting conditions were relatively good."

In contrast to the previous national policy of unified on-grid tariffs outside Tibet, the new “opinion draft” classifies the country into four types of solar energy resource regions based on the status of solar energy resources and project construction conditions in various regions, and has established corresponding benchmark on-grid tariffs. Photovoltaic power plant benchmark on-grid electricity prices higher than the local coal-fired unit benchmark on-grid tariff (including desulfurization, denitrification price), still subsidized through the renewable energy development fund.

Among them, the on-grid tariffs for the first category of resource areas were 0.75 yuan/kWh, including four areas of Haixi, Haibei, Guoluo, and Yushu in Qinghai, and the second category was 0.85 yuan/kWh in Xinjiang, Ningxia, and Inner Mongolia. There are 17 regions such as Xining in Qinghai, and the third category is 0.95 yuan/degree, distributed in northeast, north, and northwest regions such as Beijing, Tianjin, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, and Hebei Chengde. The four regions are 1 yuan/degree. Focus on the coastal, East China, Central China, and South China regions.

In early 2013, a working group for photovoltaic power price measurement consisting of a number of experts submitted a report to the National Development and Reform Commission on the “Standardization of Photovoltaic Subzone Benchmark Pricing and Distributed Photovoltaic Subsidy Standards.” This report recommends that the on-grid tariffs for the four types of resources be 0.8, 0.9, 1, 1.1 yuan/degree.

“Although the price of the module has been reduced by more than 40% in the past two years, the electricity price issued by the NDRC still allows companies to extend their return cycle.” The above-mentioned CLP sources believe that the final version will not be excluded from further introduction. modify.

At the same time, the "opinion" also further clarified the implementation time of the on-grid tariff, that is, the power plant will be implemented for 20 years since it was put into operation. After the expiry of the implementation period, the photovoltaic power station will go online according to the on-grid electricity price of the local coal-fired unit. Relevant state departments will also gradually reduce the PV power grid benchmark on-grid tariffs and distributed PV power generation subsidies according to factors such as changes in the cost of photovoltaic power generation.

According to Lu Jianzhou, general manager of Shanghai Taoke Network Technology Co., Ltd., the 20-year subsidy time is good for companies. "Since it is currently in the early stages of the industry, the system quality and operation and maintenance effects are not clear. Investors, insurance companies and banks have only recognized for at most 15 years. This five-year gap has resulted in lower subsidy prices than industry investors expect."

One non-negligible problem is that due to the existence of a gap in the renewable energy development fund, the latest subsidy in December 2012 can only cover the electricity generation from October 2010 to April 2011.

Wang Xuejun, chairman of Germany’s Bayer Energy Group, reminded that although the “opinion” specifies the 20-year subsidy period of PV, according to the current subsidy price, grid-connected market, and bank financing costs, “advise people who want to invest to do some market research. Looking at how many power stations were connected to the grid last year, how many power stations got bank loans and how many power stations have not been restricted?”