Chinese researchers have recently generated a high-resolution photovoltaic (PV) resources map of China, shedding new light on the country's solar energy potential.

According to the map, the annual mean effective irradiance exceeds 1,700 kWh/m2 in western China, with the highest value found in Xizang Autonomous Region, while eastern China has an annual effective irradiance of 1,300 to 1,500 kWh/m2.

Using data from the Advanced Geostationary Radiation Imager onboard the FY-4A satellite, and machine learning technique, the researcher made progress in solar resources assessment.

FY-4A, put into operation in 2017, is a new-generation Chinese geostationary meteorological satellite. It measures solar reflection and thermal emission with high temporal, spatial and spectral resolutions.

The study was jointly conducted by researchers from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics (IAP) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the National Satellite Meteorological Center (NSMC) and the Harbin Institute of Technology. It was recently published in the journal Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews.

According to Gao Ling, a researcher from the NSMC, the satellite's wider field-of-view has improved the reliability of the current solar radiation product over China.

Xia Xiang'ao, the corresponding author from the IAP, said that their work goes beyond the conventional approaches used in most studies and extends to effective irradiance, a crucial factor for precise solar resources assessment.

The study is expected to be highly beneficial for solar resources assessment and forecasting in China, according to the researchers.