Technology makes PV power generation competitive as that by natural gas, Shi Zhengrong

(Shi Zhengrong, founder of Suntech and a forerunner of China’s PV industry)

NANJING, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- PV power generation, a typical form of green energy, has grown to be sufficiently competitive as that by natural gas alongside the rapid development of green energy industry and technology in China, said Shi Zhengrong, founder of Suntech and a forerunner of China’s PV industry on Saturday.

Shi made the remarks on the sidelines of the International Green Energy Development Conference held in Yangzhong, Jiangsu Province on Saturday, saying that after 20 years of development, green energy development has forged ahead globally, in particular for solar PV technology and products, which have gradually achieved industrialization.

Currently, cost of PV application has declined to 4 cents per watt and in Japan, Australia, the U.S., and Europe, expenses on solar PV application are already lower than the current electricity fees of users, noted Shi.

In recent years, China’s PV industry has emerged as an important driving force for global PV industry thanks to its eminent manufacturing capacity and strong technology innovation, noted Shi.

Generally, price is a key factor affecting commercial application of solar PV technology and products. In China, prices of electricity generated by solar PV have dropped below one yuan per kwh at present and the cost decrease helps press ahead with solar PV application R&D, making PV technology widely applied in Chinese households rather than in the lab.

In Shi’s opinion, solar PV power generation is already capable to compete with power generation using natural gas but it may take several years for it to compete with thermal power.

Whether green energy will replace fossil energy in the future depends on national policies and macro-environment but also changes in government development concept as well as governmental supports, held Shi.

Shi is optimistic about the prospect of global green energy development. As Shi thinks, such efforts as speeding energy infrastructure construction and building cross-region, national and even globally interconnected energy grids will be good for improving green energy utilization efficiency and realizing co-sharing of green energy around the world. (Contributed by Li You, edited by Duan Jing, duanjing@xinhua.org)