Chinese firm developing solar products

HAVANA: Fancy a solar-powered beach umbrella that doubles as a charging station for your mobile devices or a backpack with a built-in solar panel so you can charge your laptop on the go?

China’s hi-tech firm Beijing North Star recently showcased these and other innovative solar-powered products at the Havana International Trade Fair (FIHAV 2018).

Experts say each square meter of surface area in Cuba receives some 1 800 kilowatts of solar radiation a year on average. That makes the island a potential powerhouse of renewable energy and a perfect market for North Star and its range of products, from solar water heaters to solar LED street lights.

“Solar-powered electronic products are more used in Cuba because there is a lot of sun here for many hours, and that’s why the goods we make are in keeping with what this country needs,” North Star chief executive Yang Longchuan told Xinhua.

North Star has long-standing trade and co-operation ties with Cuba, its government agencies and electronics industry, which it supplies with parts for assembling solar heaters at a factory in Moron, Ciego de Avila province.

The company also supplies parts for LED tubes assembled locally for lighting streets and tunnels.

The tubes were developed in China based on designs by Cuban engineers.

Cuba is in the midst of economic reforms and restructuring.

The country is planning to have the sun, wind and biofuels generate up to 24% of the country’s electricity output by 2030. |