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The first photoelectric charge station in Shaoxing, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

The first photoelectric charge station in Shaoxing, East China's Zhejiang province, opened to the public on Aug 9 following a month of trial operations.

The move is in line with the nation's call to accelerate the construction of charge networks for electric vehicles.

Located in the Shijiu Peak scenic area in the city's Xinchang county, the charge station has eight 60-kilowatt charging piles. The station, which represents an investment of 1.7 million yuan ($262,310), boasts photoelectric systems and electricity storage units.

The photoelectric system consists of panels on the roof and has a lifespan of up to 30 years.

An aerial view of the solar panels that make up of the roof. [Photo/zj.zjol.com.cn]

The charge station is expected to reduce annual consumption of fuel and emissions by 89 tons and 2 million cubic meters respectively.

Local authorities said that Xinchang will partner with electric vehicle makers such as BYD to recycle waste power batteries and build more charge stations in the county.

According to the Zhejiang development plan for constructing charge facilities for electric vehicles, the province will build more than 80,000 charging piles by 2025.