China's Solar Power Revolution

In a move to cut domestic reliance on coal and oil, the Chinese parliament passed a historic law pledging to use renewable energy resources for 10 percent of China’s energy consumption by 2020. This new law is of great interest to companies in the environmental technology industry. Carbon Jungle (CBJG) and Shangde Solar Energy Power Company are two such companies that are poised to benefit from the new law, which includes details on the purchase and use of high-tech solar lenses, solar water heating, and renewable energy fuels. In particular, the government will promote the use of solar technology in buildings as a way to push China’s solar energy industry.

China’s government has already announced plans for implementing this advanced solar energy.  Beijing, China’s second-largest energy consumer, has announced plans to build a “solar street” where buildings, streetlights, and other features will run entirely on energy from the sun.  The city will also introduce solar power for lighting, heating, and refrigeration in Xuanwu Park. Both projects reflect a larger government commitment to dramatically increase China’s use of renewable energy in the coming decades.

The Shanghai city government, meanwhile, has drafted a plan to boost municipal use of solar energy, including setting up several power generators with a combined capacity of 5,000 kilowatts, undertaking 30 projects that combine urban construction with solar energy, and installing solar panels at the factories of 20-30 heavy industries. A proposal has also been approved to install thousands of rooftop solar panels on commercial and residential buildings and educational institutions.

China has several advantages in solar energy development. For one, two-thirds of China’s land area receives more than 2,000 hours of sunlight annually, more than many other regions of similar latitude, including Europe and Japan. This gives China a potential solar energy reserve equivalent to 1,700 billion tons of coal. China is also a world leader in solar thermal production and use, accounting for 55 percent of global solar heating capacity.

Carbon Jungle will be a major player China’s solar energy development with its non-photovoltaic solar lens technology.  Capable of transmitting solar energy with an efficiency of 92%, the solar lens is also cheaper than photovoltaic panels, as it does not require expensive power inverters and batteries for power storage.  Its unique chemical regenerative process also allows Carbon Jungle’s solar collector to create steam from stored heat, thereby allowing the device to create power around the clock.

China’s commitment to solar power should not come as a surprise, as the nation has experimented with new solar technology during global events such as the 2008 Olympic Games.  Solar power and terrestrial heat were used at various Olympic venues, including solar generators that powered the sports facilities.

With these and other initiatives, China is playing an important role in providing global solar energy markets with the policy support and legal protection they need.  As China’s solar market emerges, the advanced technology developed by Carbon Jungle and other Chinese companies will be instrumental to moving the world to greater energy efficiency and environmental sustainability.