According to the 2009 Annual Work Conference of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the solar action plan was approved for implementation. The plan targets to make solar energy one of China's major energy sources around 2050. The action plan is divided into three phases. Phase I includes distributed utilization of solar energy by 2015, phase II includes substitution utilization by 2025 and extensive utilization by 2035 in phase III.

The implementation of the solar action plan will encourage a scientific and innovative system to support the development of the solar energy industry in China, according to a official at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The official also said that launch of the plan will encourage the set up of a number of public platforms for solar energy technologies as well as research centers and the eventual formation of a scientific and innovative value chain for the utilization of solar energy from basic research and application to marketing.