Can you imagine sheep sheds constructed with solar panels? Herders in Gaole Gacha Village, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, have made them.
In 2021, Gacha Joint Stock Economic Cooperative and 22 herders established a professional agricultural cooperative. They installed photovoltaic panels in their sheep sheds, saving space, creating shade for sheep and collecting sunlight at the same time.
During the first phase, 22 herders invested in this project. Another 196 herders invested in the project during the second phase in early 2023. The total installed capacity is now 3,000 kilowatts.
"Pastoral-Solar and Tourism" integrated industrial development park in Gaole Gacha Village, Chuanjing Sumu, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. /He Jijiang
Solar panels are installed in sheep sheds in Gaole Gacha Village, Chuanjing Sumu, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. /He Jijiang
About 1.75 million kilowatts per hour of power is generated annually in the cooperative, and the income is about 480,000 yuan (over $67,000) per year. Villagers who invest in the project get their share every year.
Inner Mongolia is rich in solar energy resources. The exploitable amount is about 9.4 billion kilowatts, accounting for about 21 percent of the whole country. In recent years, the region has made green energy and low-carbon development a priority, promoting energy transformation that involves stock farming.
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(All photos provided by He Jijiang, executive deputy director of the Research Center for Energy Transition and Social Development at Tsinghua University)