Recent operations have begun at the distributed photovoltaic project owned by Ningbo Chidong Magnetic Materials Co., Ltd., located within the Ningbo Qianwan New Area. This installation boasts a total capacity of 1,150 kilowatts, generating roughly 1.265 million kilowatt-hours annually, which translates to cutting carbon dioxide emissions by about 1,261 tons, sulfur dioxide by around 38 tons, and conserving more than 506 tons of standard coal each year.

With the transformation of Chidong Magnetic's idle rooftops into a green power station, Qianwan's distributed solar installations now represent 21% of Ningbo's total scale, cementing its position at the top citywide and among the leading districts province-wide. Qianwan was also among the first batch of national demonstration zones for distributed photovoltaic energy.

Reviewing its solar expansion map makes it clear that rooftop solar solutions have become a shared choice among advanced manufacturing firms in Qianwan. The appeal lies in a dual benefit: solar generation hours align closely with industrial energy usage patterns, ensuring that the power produced is consumed on-site to its fullest potential and reducing electricity costs for companies. Additionally, rooftop panels provide shade and insulation, lessening the cooling load for workshops during the summer months.

At Fotile Group's second industrial park in Qianwan, the installed solar stations deliver a combined capacity of 26 megawatts, blanketing all factory rooftops and producing approximately 28 million kilowatt-hours annually. "Electricity for the new production lines added last year is fully supplied by the solar stations, saving around 1.6 million yuan in energy expenses yearly," said Chen Kang, senior manager of the dishwasher assembly workshop at the company's electrical appliance plant, as he tallied the environmental gains.

Recognized as a pillar industry in Qianwan, automotive sector firms have aggressively installed photovoltaic panels across their factory roofs. This year, Geely Aisin Automatic Transmission Co., Ltd. activated its 11.34 megawatt-peak smart solar power project, currently the largest single-rooftop installation in Ningbo. By making full use of factory rooftops and vehicle parking canopies with a variety of high-efficiency modules, the system is projected to generate over 12 million kilowatt-hours per year and cut carbon dioxide emissions by more than 10,000 tons annually.

Now, rooftop photovoltaic panels have evolved beyond serving single enterprises or buildings as exclusive energy sources. Through microgrids, described as the 'smart energy brain,' they function as a shared energy reservoir for an entire industrial park. Taking the Qianwan Digital Economy Industrial Park as a case in point, previously any surplus solar power from one building had to be transmitted to the external grid because local consumption was capped, preventing other buildings from tapping into that green energy advantage.

"By leveraging intelligent analysis, the microgrid proposes enhancements to the solar power distribution chain, and once completed, it enables full on-site utilization of all solar energy generated within the park," explained Han Wei, director of the customer service center at the Qianwan power supply branch of State Grid Ningbo Electric Power Supply Company. Since the upgrade, the park's local solar consumption rate has jumped from 50% to 90%, bringing down average electricity costs for all tenant businesses by 5%.

In the pursuit of energy from the sun, Qianwan's industrial rooftops now host more than 2,200 solar projects, reaching an 88.3% penetration rate among available industrial rooftop spaces.