County-level PV installation area dataset of China (2010–2022)

This dataset provides county-level photovoltaic (PV) installation area estimates for 1,593 counties in China, covering the period 2010–2022. It was derived from the vectorized PV polygon dataset of Chen et al. (2024) (Remote Sensing of Environment, 305, 114100) through a two-step area correction procedure: a coverage factor correction (λ = 0.85) to remove non-module surfaces, and a geometric correction based on optimal tilt angle to convert ground projection area into actual PV module surface area (Aact). The dataset is associated with the paper "Anticipating the Wave: County-Level Evidence for Recycling Strategies of Photovoltaic Waste in China", published in Resources, Conservation & Recycling.