Event to help commercialize solar tech

SHANGHAI will use an international solar power exhibition to help companies commercialize their solar technologies, event organizers said yesterday.

The 12th International Photovoltaic Power Generation and Smart Energy Exhibition, which the city will host from May 27 to 30, will have over 1,800 companies from home and abroad participating, the Asian Photovoltaic Industry Association told a media conference.

The exhibition, to be held at the Shanghai New International Expo Center, is larger than last year’s event in the “record high” number of exhibitors, Mi Yue, executive vice-chairman of Shanghai New Energy Industry Association, said.

Exhibitors will present their latest solar power technologies for storage, “smart” distribution (power distribution under digital control) and mobile solar power.

Around 30 projects, “which should represent the latest solar power technologies and are of great commercial value,” will be selected from the exhibitors and Mi said his association will help raise funds and source customers for these companies to commercialize the technologies.

China has installed 10.87 gigawatts of solar power in the first two months, up 220 percent from a year ago. In 2017, 53 gigawatts of solar power have been installed, or over half of the 102 gigawatts installed globally.