Xichuan PV project raises villagers out of poverty

"When the sun comes out, we make money. The photovoltaic (PV) project has created a brighter future for our village", said Liu Peisheng, a resident of Houhe village, Xichuan county, Nanyang.

A total of 14,433 impoverished Xichuan residents like Liu recently received a combined subsidy of 10.82 million yuan ($1.58 million) from the local government, paid for by PV projects established in their home villages.

Early in May 2017, the first phase of construction on the Xichuan county PV project began, with PV panels being installed in more than 500 villages in 17 towns across the county. A total of 104 village-level power stations and 331 rooftop power stations were built, with a total capacity of 46.619 megawatts.

Since the completion of the project one year ago, a total of 51.6 million yuan has been paid to villagers, raising over 10,000 people out of poverty.

PV panels are installed in a village in Xichuan, Nanyang. [Photo/news.01ny.cn]