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In recent years, as the global climatic condition changes, it has been noted that the amount of precipitation in Qinghai province tends to reduce. In addition, excessive herding and grazing has resulted in pasture degradation and increase the ecological vulnerability of the region. As most of the pasture is located in the far remote areas of the province with low energy grid coverage, alternative energy source for irrigation such as the use of solar energy is currently an active research topic. Since the northwest region of China has rich and almost uninterrupted solar energy resources, irrigating pastures using solar energy is a potential solution to halt grassland degradation and protect the ecological environment. The objective of this paper is to explore the feasibility of solar energy irrigation schemes in arid areas in China. This paper analyse the economic viability, technical scalability, and sustainable use of groundwater resources, in order to determine suitable areas for solar energy irrigation. The results showed that that the implementation of solar energy in Qinghai province has great potential for water irrigation, and the ideal condition for irrigation is when the amount of precipitation is around 350mm - 400mm. At this amount, the solar energy utilization is at its maximum, while ensuring the sustainability of groundwater in the region.