Getting on the grid

In 2011, China's wind energy sector had 71.5 billion kWh of energy connected to the grid, representing 1.5 percent of the country's total national electricity output, according to the report China Wind Power Outlook 2012, published in September. However, statistics released by the Global Wind Energy Council show that in countries such as Spain, an average 16 percent of electricity demand was met by wind power.

The size of the gap indicates a lack of awareness of the importance and benefits of renewable energy in China, said Ma Jinru, vice-president and secretary of the board of Goldwind Group.

The minimum on-grid price for wind power is 0.51 yuan per kWh, slightly higher than the price for the energy produced by coal, which hit more than 0.4 yuan per kWh in eastern and central China and exceeded 0.5 yuan in some regions.