Quan Jianjun, 56, had never expected that the rooftop of his house could one day turn into a source of income. The resident of Quanjiahe Village, Chengcheng County, Weinan City, northwest China’s Shannxi Province, was overjoyed in March 2025, when rows of photovoltaic (PV) panels were installed on the house roofs of his village. By May, the panels had been connected to the grid and began generating electricity, giving a portion of income to local families.
“Staff members from the local power company came to our village to explain the panel initiative to us. Later, with the coordination of the local rural collective, panels were successfully installed. Every six months, each household can get a dividend. Last year I received more than RMB 2,000 in dividend income,” said Quan. Many rural residents like Quan are benefiting from this clean energy program.
Power grid staff inspect solar panels in Weinan City, Shaanxi Province.
Stress-Free Power Panel Maintenance
“We don’t need to invest using our own money, yet we have turnovers from them. Workers [provide regular] maintenance, freeing us from checking [the panels] ourselves. It’s literally a good deal,” Quan added.
His story mirrors the concrete outcome of the PV panel initiative “PV+” launched by the State Grid (Chengcheng County in Weinan City) Shaanxi Electric Power Co., Ltd. The program is designed to help revitalize rural areas. As Chengcheng County has an abundance of sunlight, the company initiated the solar program in the area, thereby gaining experience and exploring a model that can be used and promoted elsewhere.
At the beginning, workers at the power company visited a few target villages and introduced the program to villagers with a detailed guideline from panel installment to a follow-up service. Three villages achieved grid connection within just two months, and other villages in Weinan followed the lead.
In advancing the project, development, designing, and construction were carried out in an effective, coordinated manner. Local collective enterprises were set up, and joint working platforms were also built with equipment suppliers, overcoming cooperation barriers.
After completion, the company introduced a series of services: home service allowing staff members to complete tasks on client’s behalf, and a specialized “grid-connection” team providing one-on-one support. These efforts were rolled out to ensure that the panels were able to connect to the grid on installment, and generate profits upon connection.
Solar Panel Initiative Launched across Shaanxi
Dubbed the “granary” of Shaanxi Province, Weinan City’s position as a major agricultural region gives the “PV+” initiative special significance. It not only transforms sunshine into income for rural households and accelerates the conversion of solar resources into economic growth, but also injects sustained vitality into rural revitalization.
Since the beginning of summer, State Grid Weinan Power Supply Company has carried out special inspections of PV facilities and provided convenient services in rural areas to ensure smooth, efficient operation. As of early July, power supply companies in Weinan’s 11 counties were working flat out to advance the second phase of “PV+” initiative.
In 2025, Shaanxi Province launched the “PV+ Rural Revitalization Initiative,” benefiting rural households through a model of self-consumption with surplus electricity fed into the grid. The State Grid Shaanxi Electric Power Co., Ltd. has completed grid-connection services for photovoltaic installations in 143 demonstration villages, providing strong support for the program’s implementation.
Sunlight is one of nature’s most equitable gifts. Across the fields and villages of Shaanxi, rows of photovoltaic panels quietly convert sunlight into electricity – while simultaneously creating an income and providing hope for rural families. From a corner of Weinan to the wider land of Shaanxi, the “PV+” initiative is writing a new chapter in the integrated development of green energy and rural revitalization – a story illuminated not only by the warmth of sunshine, but also by the promise of sustainable development.
