China needs grid upgrade to stem renewable energy losses
China wasted 17% of the electricity it generated by wind power in 2016, an amount that would have powered Beijing for a year, according to a report by Greenpeace. Solar curtailment rates rose 50% over 2015 and 2016, while more than 30% of the solar power generated in Gansu and Xinjiang was unused. Waste cost the industry CNY34.1bn ($4.95bn) between 2015 and 2016, according to the report. "Upgrades to the system are urgently needed, including a more flexible physical structure of the grid, efficient cross-region transmission channels and smart peak load operation,” said Greenpeace campaigner Yuan Ying.
A green energy base which provides both wind and solar power in Yiyang County, central China's Henan Province. Photo: Xinhua