Views: 0 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2026-04-08 Origin: Site
Under the guidance of the "dual carbon" goal, distributed photovoltaic (PV) power generation, with its core advantage of "generating and consuming electricity locally", has been widely penetrating into various fields such as residential buildings, industrial and commercial plants, public buildings, and agricultural scenarios, becoming an important supporting force for promoting energy transition. As the primary link in the development and construction of distributed PV projects, site selection directly determines the power generation efficiency, investment return, safety and stability, and compliance of the project, with its core logic being "adapting to scenarios, ensuring efficiency, and complying with norms". Combined with the "Measures for the Administration of the Development and Construction of Distributed Photovoltaic Power Generation" (Guo Neng Fa Xin Neng Gui [2025] No. 7) issued by the National Energy Administration in 2025 and industry practices, this article systematically analyzes the key elements of site selection for distributed PV power generation from four core dimensions: natural conditions, site conditions, power grid conditions, and compliance conditions, providing professional reference for industry practitioners and investors to help the scientific layout and efficient implementation of projects.
Distributed PV relies on solar energy conversion for power generation, and natural conditions directly affect the power generation capacity and long-term stability of PV modules. The core focus is on two indicators: solar resource conditions and meteorological conditions. It is necessary to conduct accurate research and judgment in combination with project scenarios to avoid efficiency loss caused by natural factors.
Solar resources are the core premise for the site selection of distributed PV, and their abundance directly determines the power generation efficiency and investment return cycle of the project. Site selection needs to focus on three key parameters: annual sunshine hours, solar irradiance intensity, and sunshine uniformity. Areas with annual sunshine hours of no less than 1200 hours are more suitable for layout, such as parts of East China, North China, and Northwest China. Among them, areas with abundant solar resources such as Kaiping City have an average annual sunshine of more than 1700 hours, which have excellent development conditions. The solar irradiance intensity must meet the power generation needs of the modules, avoiding areas with perennial cloudy weather, heavy fog, and severe shading (such as dense forest areas and high-altitude areas with frequent rain and cloudy weather). Sunshine uniformity needs to be focused on to avoid excessive seasonal fluctuations in sunshine, ensure stable power generation, and reduce operation and maintenance costs.
In practice, the potential power generation of the project can be calculated through long-term meteorological data released by local meteorological departments, on-site detection by professional irradiance monitoring equipment, and combined with the installation inclination angle of PV modules (usually consistent with or slightly higher than the local latitude), so as to avoid inefficient problems caused by insufficient solar resources. At the same time, attention should be paid to the differences in illumination in different scenarios. For example, rooftop PV needs to avoid shading from surrounding tall buildings and trees, and water surface PV needs to consider the impact of water surface reflection on the modules.
Extreme meteorological conditions can directly damage PV modules, supports, and supporting equipment, shortening the service life of the project. Site selection needs to focus on avoiding various meteorological risks: first, avoid areas prone to extreme weather such as typhoons, blizzards, and strong sandstorms. For example, areas prone to typhoons along the coast need to select sites that meet the requirements of wind resistance level, and areas with heavy snow in the north need to consider the load-bearing capacity of the supports. Second, avoid areas with high temperature, high humidity, and high salt spray. High temperature will reduce the conversion efficiency of PV modules, and high humidity and high salt spray (such as coastal areas) will accelerate the corrosion of modules and the aging of lines. It is necessary to do a good job in anti-corrosion treatment or give priority to sites with strong weather resistance. Third, avoid areas with high incidence of lightning. If it is unavoidable, a complete lightning protection and grounding system should be equipped to reduce the risk of equipment damage caused by lightning.
The core feature of distributed PV is "being close to users and utilizing idle space". Site conditions need to take into account space adaptability, structural safety, and operation and maintenance convenience, and conduct differentiated consideration in combination with the characteristics of different project types (residential PV for natural persons, residential PV for non-natural persons, general industrial and commercial PV, and large-scale industrial and commercial PV) to ensure that the project can be implemented and operated and maintained.
The site space needs to meet the basic requirements for PV module installation, and at the same time conform to the core principle of "local consumption" of distributed PV: first, the site area must match the project scale. Residential PV for natural persons needs to have sufficient residential roof and courtyard space (usually 2-20 kilowatts of modules can be installed), and large-scale industrial and commercial PV needs to rely on buildings and their auxiliary places, which should be within the same land red line. Second, the flatness of the site must meet the requirements. Roofs, open spaces and other sites should avoid severe slopes (the roof slope is recommended to be controlled between 15° and 30°) to facilitate the installation and fixation of modules and reduce construction difficulty. Third, the site should be free of shading. It is necessary to avoid shading from surrounding tall buildings, trees, billboards and other obstacles to ensure that PV modules can receive sufficient sunlight throughout the day and avoid power generation loss caused by shading. Among them, for rooftop PV, it is necessary to focus on checking the height and distance of shading around the roof and reserve a reasonable lighting space.
Most distributed PV projects are built relying on buildings (roofs, walls) or the ground. The structural safety of the site is the core bottom line of site selection, and two key aspects need to be focused on: first, the structural bearing capacity of the building. For rooftop PV, a professional organization should be entrusted to test the roof load-bearing to ensure that the roof can bear the weight of PV modules, supports, inverters and other equipment, so as to avoid roof leakage and collapse caused by insufficient load-bearing. At the same time, it must meet the relevant requirements of building fire protection, waterproofing, wind resistance, snow resistance, lightning protection, etc., and reserve operation and maintenance space. Second, the stability of the ground site. Ground PV (such as idle open space, agricultural greenhouse roofs) needs to avoid areas with potential geological hazards (such as landslides, debris flows, and earthquake-prone areas) to avoid equipment damage caused by site settlement and collapse. At the same time, the drainage capacity of the site should be considered to prevent equipment from being soaked by rainwater accumulation.
Site selection needs to take into account the convenience of operation and maintenance, reduce later operation costs, and improve the full-life cycle benefits of the project: first, the site should be conveniently accessible to facilitate equipment transportation, installation and later maintenance. For example, rooftop PV of industrial and commercial plants must ensure that there is a convenient channel to reach the roof, and ground PV must reserve space for maintenance vehicles to pass. Second, there should be no obstacles around the site affecting operation and maintenance, avoiding closed sites where maintenance equipment cannot enter. Third, it should be close to water and electricity facilities to facilitate module cleaning, equipment cooling and operation and maintenance electricity, reducing operation and maintenance costs. In addition, for projects built using existing buildings and their auxiliary places, in accordance with the principle of simplicity and efficiency, land pre-examination, planning and site selection, planning permission, energy conservation assessment and other procedures can be exempted if they meet the construction requirements, so as to improve the project implementation efficiency.
The core advantage of distributed PV is "local consumption and surplus electricity grid connection". Power grid conditions directly determine whether the project can be smoothly connected to the grid and whether electricity can be efficiently consumed, which is a key restrictive factor for site selection. It is necessary to focus on two core indicators: power grid access capacity and consumption capacity, which are in line with the requirements of "distribution network access and local balance regulation" in the "Measures for the Administration of the Development and Construction of Distributed Photovoltaic Power Generation".
Site selection should give priority to areas with mature power grid access conditions, focusing on checking three aspects: first, the capacity of the surrounding distribution network. It is necessary to ensure that the capacity of the distribution network can carry the power generation of the PV project, avoiding failure to connect to the grid or the need for large-scale transformation due to insufficient distribution network capacity. Among them, there are clear requirements for the access voltage level of different types of projects: no more than 380 volts for residential PV for natural persons, no more than 10 kV (20 kV) for general industrial and commercial PV, and extending to 35 kV and 110 kV for large-scale industrial and commercial PV. Second, the distance from the access point. The closer the PV project is to the distribution network access point, the smaller the line loss and the lower the transformation cost. Site selection should give priority to sites close to the distribution network access point to reduce line laying costs. Third, power grid access policies. It is necessary to understand the grid connection policies, access procedures and charging standards of local power grid enterprises to avoid failure to connect to the grid due to policy restrictions. At the same time, it is necessary to submit a grid connection application to the power grid enterprise in advance and obtain the grid connection opinion of the power grid enterprise before starting construction.
The site selection of distributed PV should follow the principle of "local consumption", giving priority to areas with concentrated power load and strong consumption capacity to improve energy utilization rate: first, close to power consumption terminals, such as industrial and commercial plants, office buildings and other scenarios with large power consumption, which can directly supply the generated electricity for their own use, reduce the pressure of surplus electricity grid connection, and reduce transmission loss. Among them, for projects involving self-generation and self-use, the user and the distributed PV project should be within the same land red line. Second, avoid areas with saturated consumption. It is necessary to understand the installed capacity and consumption of distributed PV in the local area, avoid areas with saturated consumption capacity and difficult surplus electricity grid connection, and prevent waste of power generation. Third, site selection combined with grid connection mode. Residential PV for natural persons and non-natural persons can choose the modes of full grid connection, full self-generation and self-use, or self-generation and self-use with surplus electricity grid connection. General industrial and commercial PV can choose the modes of full self-generation and self-use, or self-generation and self-use with surplus electricity grid connection. Large-scale industrial and commercial PV should in principle choose the mode of full self-generation and self-use. Site selection should conform to the consumption needs of the corresponding grid connection mode.
The site selection of distributed PV projects must strictly follow the requirements of national and local policies and plans to ensure the legality and compliance of the project and avoid policy risks, which is the premise for the smooth progress of the project and one of the core requirements of the "Measures for the Administration of the Development and Construction of Distributed Photovoltaic Power Generation".
Site selection must conform to the local territorial spatial planning and energy development planning, avoiding planning-restricted areas: first, avoid prohibited development areas such as cultivated land, basic farmland, ecological protection red lines, and nature reserves, and strictly prohibit the construction of PV projects on cultivated land in violation of regulations. Second, conform to the urban and rural construction planning. For example, prohibited construction areas and demolition areas clearly defined in the urban planning shall not be used for the layout of distributed PV projects to avoid the project being demolished due to planning adjustments after completion. Third, for projects built using new buildings and their auxiliary places, it is encouraged to consider installation needs in the stages of building planning, design, and construction, and go through planning permission and other procedures together.
Clear site property rights are the foundation for the implementation of distributed PV projects. The ownership of site property rights must be clarified before site selection: first, for projects built on self-owned sites, property right certificates (such as house property certificates and land use certificates) must be provided. Second, for projects built on non-owned sites, a use or lease agreement must be signed with the site owner, and an energy management contract service agreement can be signed with the power users located in the construction site according to the operation mode. Among them, for residential PV projects for non-natural persons, the contracts and agreements signed between the investment subject and natural persons shall have equal rights, obligations and interests, and shall not infringe on the legitimate rights and interests of natural persons. Third, it is strictly prohibited to construct projects on sites with unclear property rights or existing property right disputes to avoid project stagnation due to property right issues in the later period.
Site selection must follow the relevant national and local policies on distributed PV, and strive for policy support at the same time: first, comply with the relevant requirements of the "Measures for the Administration of the Development and Construction of Distributed Photovoltaic Power Generation", such as projects developed and constructed by non-natural person investors shall not be filed in the name of natural persons, and industrial and commercial projects within the same land red line shall not add new connection points with the public power grid. Second, understand the local subsidy policies and tax preferential policies, and give priority to areas with strong policy support and a good business environment. For example, key promotion areas of the "Thousands of Households Sunshine Action" in rural areas can enjoy relevant support policies. Third, avoid local policy restrictions. For example, some areas have clear layout requirements for rooftop PV and ground PV, which must be strictly followed. At the same time, all localities shall not control the development resources of distributed PV such as rooftops in the form of concessionary operations, and shall not set unreasonable access barriers.
Combined with the four categories of distributed PV, the site selection of different scenarios needs to focus on key points and be differentially adapted to ensure optimal element matching and efficiency:
Residential PV for Natural Persons: Priority should be given to farmer residences with flat, unshaded, and load-bearing qualified residential roofs, which are close to the distribution network access point. The consent of farmers must be obtained to effectively protect their legitimate rights and interests. It is not allowed to go against the will of farmers or force the lease and use of their residences. At the same time, the access voltage level shall not exceed 380 volts, and the installed capacity shall be controlled within the range of 2-20 kilowatts.
Residential PV for Non-Natural Persons: Select areas with concentrated residential buildings and courtyards and good lighting conditions. The access voltage level shall not exceed 10 kV (20 kV), and the total installed capacity shall not exceed 6 megawatts. The cooperation mode of "enterprises invest and farmers provide rooftops" should be standardized, and the filing subject should be clearly defined as a non-natural person, and shall not be filed in the name of a natural person.
General Industrial and Commercial PV: Priority should be given to the roofs of industrial and commercial plants and public buildings (schools, hospitals, transportation stations, etc.), which require large roof area, qualified load-bearing, high power load, and are close to the distribution network access point. The access voltage level shall not exceed 10 kV (20 kV), and the total installed capacity shall in principle not exceed 6 megawatts. Focus on considering the local consumption capacity and improving the proportion of self-generation and self-use.
Large-Scale Industrial and Commercial PV: Rely on buildings and their auxiliary places such as large industrial parks and enterprise plants, requiring sufficient site area and large power load. The access voltage level is 35 kV or 110 kV (66 kV), and the total installed capacity is not more than 20 megawatts and 50 megawatts respectively. In principle, the mode of full self-generation and self-use should be adopted, and priority should be given to layout in areas with strong distribution network carrying capacity and sufficient consumption capacity. In addition, the user and the investor of the power generation project must be the same legal entity (special line power supply mode).
The site selection of distributed PV power generation is a systematic project, which needs to comprehensively consider the four core elements of natural conditions, site conditions, power grid conditions, and compliance conditions, and combine the characteristics of different project types to achieve the goal of "illumination adaptation, feasible site, smooth grid connection, and legal implementation". With distributed PV entering the new stage of parity and subsidy-free market-oriented development, the scientificity and rationality of site selection directly determine the investment return and long-term benefits of the project. It is necessary to strictly follow national policy norms, combine on-site investigation and data calculation, and avoid various potential risks. In the future, with the promotion of new models such as building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV), site selection needs to further balance scenario integration and efficiency improvement, helping the high-quality development of distributed PV and injecting sustained momentum into energy transition.
