The recent JLM Pacific Epoch coverage on a 1GW Qinghai Solar Base may offer some hope that China’s nascent domestic solar market may be turning around.

It follows several other deals in the domestic solar space, and unlike many deals in the US that I have seen lately, it is the Chinese government who appear to be backing much of the investment. Which, as I covered in my previous post Should Cleantech be Socialized, may actually be the best way to ensure that these investments are made.

The project overview is best summarized by the Greentech Media coverage:

The project in Qinghai’s Qaidam Basin will start out in 2009 with a more modest initial goal of 30 megawatts at a cost of 1 billion Yuan ($146 million), and will combine crystalline silicon and thin-film solar panels, the firm reported. The timeline and projected cost of the entire 1-gigawatt project were not disclosed.