Thursday, September 13, 2007

ISES Solar World Congress 2007 (SWC2007) will be held in Beijing, China, from September 18 to 21, 2007.

The International Solar Energy Society and the Chinese Solar Energy Society warmly welcome you to the ISES Solar World Congress 2007 (SWC2007) in Beijing, China, from September 18 to 21, 2007.

China with its huge population and vast area, while in some parts still poverty-stricken and lacking basic supplies such as water and electricity, is one of world's biggest producers and consumers of energy. The economic miracle that has set the country on a trajectory of unheard-of growth puts its energy industry in the difficult position of having to face both insufficient energy supply and an ever more ardent need to engage in environmental protection. There is no way out of this predicament than to change the means of energy production, improve the efficiency with which energy is used, and adjust the overall energy structure, especially with a view to further incorporating solar energy and other renewable energies. Within the frameworks of such a new system of sustainable development, both economic growth and environmental protection will be compatible.

The Chinese government has made the development of renewable energy a high priority in its strategy for national sustainable development. Ambitious targets have been set in its mid- and long-term planning, projecting a 10% contribution of renewable energies to the total energy mix in 2020. With the Renewable Energy Law passed on January 1, 2006, the utilization and strategic development of renewable energy in China has drawn worldwide attention and acclaim.

China's 11th Five-Year-Plan lays out a comprehensive set of measures to gear the country towards sustainable development; its objectives are to

-implement preferential policies for renewable energies in finance, taxation, and mandatory market share,
-encourage production and consumption of renewable energies,
-enhance their proportion in the consumption of primary energies,
-speed up wind energy development,
-set up thirty large-scale wind power stations with over 100 MW of dynamoelectric power generation capacity,
-build wind power bases of GW proportions,
-quicken the exploration of biomass energy,
-support and develop straw and waste incineration, as well as landfill- gas generation,
-set up straw and wood power stations,
-extend the production performance of biomass solidified fuel, fuel ethanol, and bio diesel,
-raise the cumulative installed capacity of grid connected wind power and biomass generation to 5 GW and 5.5 GW respectively, and
-exploit and utilize energetically solar, geothermal and ocean energy.

We hope that the participants of the ISES Solar World Congress 2007 will provide more answers on how to effectively promote sustainable development and which resources to use for that purpose. We count on your knowledge and experience!

The SWC2007 will be held at Beijing International Convention Center (BICC). The BICC is located in the northern part of Beijing, within the Asian Games Village. The National Olympic Games Park is just across the street - a perfect opportunity for you to feel the Olympic spirit even before 2008!

The venue is 30 minutes from Beijing Capital International Airport by car.

Suntech Supplies BIPV Component of 750kW Green Building Project in Sicily

September 12, 2007: 08:00 AM EST

WUXI, China, Sept. 12 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. , one of the world's leading manufacturers of photovoltaic (PV) cells and modules, today announced that it has supplied 230 MSK Photovol Glass panels to Socovoltaic Systems, a Socotherm and TSNergy Inc. joint venture company that designs, manufactures and installs integrated PV systems. The 10kW building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) solution will form an integral component of a 750kW solar system for a 25,000 square meter green building project in the Sicilian city of Pozzallo, Italy.

Suntech's MSK Photovol Glass panels are semitransparent, thin film BIPV panels that transmit up to 10% of light while generating electricity. This level of light transmission allows for visibility while protecting against excessive solar heat gain, glare, and the damaging effects of UV rays. The aesthetic glass panels used in the green building project are insulated for even greater energy efficiency, and will provide a highly visible showcase for the total 750kW solar system that is slated to be installed at the site.

''Projects such as this green building in Sicily demonstrate the strong and long term global sales market for BIPV products and especially thin film PV modules. We are pleased to be involved with this important project that showcases Suntech's leading concepts in the world of PV and architecture,'' said Dr. Zhengrong Shi, Suntech's Chairman and CEO.

The BIPV system engineering for the building has been spearheaded by US- based thin film and BIPV expert TSNergy on behalf of Socovoltaic Systems. ''Having spent over half a decade in the manufacturing and applications of thin film photovoltaics, we believe that Suntech's MSK Photovol Glass solution is one of the best currently available on the market,'' said Tom Moran, Partner and CEO of TSNergy Inc. ''We see great potential for BIPV products over the next few decades as the market evolves.''

In May 2007, Suntech broke ground on a thin film R&D and manufacturing facility in Shanghai, China. The thin film modules produced will primarily be used in Suntech's MSK BIPV applications.

About TSNergy, Inc.

TSNergy Inc., an American Corporation, is active in the design, production, and commercialization of next generation photovoltaic materials and building integrated photovoltaic systems, for widespread residential and commercial use. For more information, please visit: http://www.tsnergy.com .

About Socotherm

Socotherm, a public company listed on the Italian Stock Exchange and founded in 1859 in Vicenza, Italy is a world-wide pipe coating contractor with plants in Italy, Spain, Australia, Malaysia, China, Nigeria, Angola, Qatar, Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela and USA. The Group offers all types of pipe coating services world-wide to the Oil and Gas industry from External/Internal Anticorrosion Coatings to Concrete Weight Coating and Thermal Insulation. For more information, please visit: http://www.socotherm.com .

About Suntech

Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. is a leading solar energy company in the world as measured by both production output and capacity of solar cells and modules. Suntech provides solar solutions for a green future. Suntech designs, develops, manufactures, and markets a variety of high quality, cost effective and environmentally friendly PV cells and modules for electric power applications in the residential, commercial, industrial, and public utility sectors. Suntech's majority-owned subsidiary, MSK Corporation is one of the top-ranked companies in the building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) space. Suntech's customers are located in various markets worldwide, including key markets throughout Europe, North America, Japan and China. For more information, please visit http://www.suntech-power.com .

Large poly-silicon and monocrystal silicon facility starts construction in Inner Mongolia

Xinhua Economic News Service, September 12, 2007 Wednesday 10:30 AM EST

HOHHOT, Sept. 12 (CEIS) – A large project for production of polycrystalline silicon and monocrystal silicon for solar energy use has started construction in the Baotou Rare Earth High-tech Zone in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

The project, launched by the Beijing Zhongjing Huaye Technology Co Ltd, has a total investment of 1.23 billion yuan, of which 1.03 billion yuan are funds for fixed assets.

Upon completion, the project is expected to generate sales revenue of 4.82 billion yuan, and total taxes and profits of 2.43 billion yuan.

It is designed to be constructed in three phases. The first phase construction has an investment of 197 million yuan, and an area of more than six hectares, which will be completed and start production in the first quarter of 2008, with designed production capacity of 32.40 million pieces of polycrystalline silicon wafer, and sales revenue of 2.75 billion yuan.

The second phase construction will start in April of 2008 with an investment of 140 million yuan. It is designed to become operational in the end of 2008, with designed capacity of 10.80 pieces of polycrystalline silicon wafer and sales revenue of 864 million yuan.

The third phase construction will start in the end of 2008 and operation in the end of 2010, with production capacity of 1,200 tons of polycrystalline silicon for solar energy use.

Baotou city has rich resources of silicon ore, with verified reserves of 220 million tons.

The Beijing Zhongjing Huaye Technology Co Ltd is a state-owned import and export company under the China National Arts & Crafts ( Group) Corporation.