Review of solar obligations in China

Solar energy utilization can not only decrease conventional energy consumption but also reduce environmental pollution. China has abundant solar energy resources and has the biggest solar water heater market in the world, so it is necessary for Chinese government to enact incentive policies and measures to enlarge the utilization scale of solar water heaters. According to international experience, solar obligation is probably the most powerful instrument for promoting the use of solar thermal in buildings and expanding the solar water heater market. Currently, there are many provinces and cities in China having adopted the solar obligation, leading to the discussion of solar obligation at national level. This paper firstly analyzed basic conditions to implement the solar obligations in China. Then, 34 provinces and cities’ local regulations were reviewed and main problems of them were analyzed. According to domestic and international practices, some recommendations for the design and implementation of solar obligations at national level were induced at the end.