Big outlays seen in renewable energy

By Wu Chong (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-06-22 06:47

The nation saw a remarkable investment flow of $9 billion into the renewable energy sector last year, mostly in wind and solar segments, according to a report released yesterday by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)

The 46-page analysis says globally, investment in sustainable energy investment climbed from $80 billion in 2005 to $100 billion last year, with unprecedented growth in developing countries, particularly China, India and Brazil.

China, the world's largest producer of renewable energy, took a healthy 9 percent of global investment last year, which was helped by significant asset financing activity in the wind, biomass and waste sectors, the report says.

Eric Usher, head of Renewable Energy Finance at UNEP, told China Daily that growth was led by both the Renewable Energy Law the country promulgated last year and the Clean Development Mechanism, a carbon credit trading system under the Kyoto Protocol.

"We also see (in China) a more mature type of investment across the finance spectrum including public market and venture capitals," Usher said in a phone interview.

Chris Greenwood, director of operations in New Energy Finance who co-authored the report, added that State incentives also played a key role. He particularly referred to the government's goal of reducing energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product by 20 percent by 2010 from 2005.

The country is expected to continue embracing growth of 30 to 40 percent in sustainable energy investment this year, with more companies going public and the government's target of enhancing solar and wind power capacity, Greenwood estimated.

China aims to supply 15 percent of primary energy through renewable sources by 2020. Installed wind capacity, for example, almost doubled last year to about 2.3 gigawatts from 2005, according to the National Development and Reform Commission.

The UNEP report says that while renewable sources today produce about 2 percent of the world's energy, they now account for about 18 percent of global investment in power generation, with wind generation at the forefront.

Solar and biofuel energy technologies grew even more quickly than wind, but from a smaller base, it adds.

It attributes the growth to a combined effect of global concerns over climate change, increasing energy demands and energy security, in addition to persistently high oil prices, growing consumer awareness of energy efficiency and government incentives.

China National Gymnasium is Solar Powered

1124 pieces of solar panels have been installed at China National Gymnasium on June 19, 2007.

The output of the solar power system is 100KW, and connected with the power grid to light the 20,000 square meters underground area.

JA Solar will reach solar cell production capacity 225MW in late 2007

JA Solar finishes the second phase production facilities in June, and has begun to test the new production facilities. And JA Solar will have solar cell production capacity of 175 WM in late July, and 225 MW in late 2007.

JA Solar will build 8 more solar cell production lines in 2008, and the production capacity will reach 425 MW in late 2008.

The first solar tower thermal power generation system (70KW) has been approved and accepted in Nanjing, Zhejiang

Original article in Chinese is available on http://www.cenews.com.cn

The first solar tower thermal power generation system (70KW) has been approved and accepted in Nanjing, Zhejiang. This system has reached the advanced international level. And this system has been smoothly working for one year, its performance is quite reliable.

And this system has 4 China's patents and 2 US patents.

It is said China will build one 1 Megat Watts thermal power generation system in 2007.　

China's energy-efficiency drive to create lucrative building market, official

China's construction material industries have a potential market of 1.5 trillion yuan (197.3 billion U.S. dollars) in the next ten years as the government implements its policy to build an energy-efficient society, a government official has said.

"Energy-saving and environment-friendly green buildings will develop into a big industry as the government has pledged that half of China's urban buildings will be energy-efficient by 2010," said Vice Minister of Construction Qiu Baoxing at a forum on green buildings that concluded on Wednesday.

Currently, energy-efficient buildings account for less than one percent of the total in China.
Experts say the industry will drive rapid development of sectors such as heat insulation, gardening, and solar heating materials, and energy-saving doors, windows, lamps, home appliances and the transformation of existing buildings.

Qiu said recyclable materials would also be much more used.

"The Ministry of Construction will soon formulate a series of preferential policies in taxation and bank loans with the finance and taxation ministries to promote the construction of green buildings."

Meanwhile, the ministry would encourage private and foreign investment in the installation of energy-saving technologies and materials in existing buildings, he said.

Source: Xinhua