Researchers in China, the world's leading provider of wind turbines and solar panels, are working toward making renewable energy cheaper, more efficient and a bigger part of the country's power grid.
But despite China's rapid leap to being a global leader in the renewable energy field, more government investment is needed for research and development if China is to truly blaze a path toward a clean energy future, researchers say.
Zhao Xingzhong, professor at Wuhan University's School of Physics and Technology, is researching dye-sensitised solar cells, a low-cost, high-efficiency alternative to more prevalent solid-state semiconductor solar cell technology.
The practical implications are apparent, Zhao says.
"The production process of dye-sensitised solar cells doesn't produce carbon dioxide, which means it won't induce environmental pollution," said Zhao. "And dye-sensitised solar cells only cost one-fifth of traditional semiconductor solar cells made from crystalline silicon."
Although Zhao's team's research is unique at home and abroad, he says support from the Chinese government is far from enough. He notes that Japan and South Korea have jointly invested about US$1.6 billion (around $2.07 billion) on research on third-generation solar technology since 2000. In China, however, Zhao says there have been just five native projects in the solar field in the last decade, with spending of around US$4.5 million per project.
"It is difficult to break through the technological bottleneck because of the inadequacy of (financial) input," Zhao says.
In recent years, China has become the global leader in renewable energy technology manufacturing, surpassing the United States in terms of both the number of wind turbines and solar panels it makes. The accounting firm Ernst & Young in September named China the best place to invest in renewable energy.
Chinese companies, led by the Jiangsu-based Suntech, have one-quarter of the world's solar panel production capacity and are rapidly gaining market share by driving down prices using low-cost, large-scale factories. China's 2009 stimulus package included subsidies for large solar instillation projects.
In terms of wind power, home-grown companies have rapidly gained market share in recent years after the government raised local partnership requirements for foreign companies to 70 per cent from 40 per cent (the government has since removed local partnership requirements) and introduced major new subsidies and other incentives for Chinese wind power companies. By 2009, there were 67 Chinese turbine providers and foreign companies' market share fell to 37 per cent from 70 per cent just over five years ago.
But despite China's rapid leap to being a global leader in the renewable energy field, more government investment is needed for research and development if China is to truly blaze a path toward a clean energy future, researchers say.
Zhao Xingzhong, professor at Wuhan University's School of Physics and Technology, is researching dye-sensitised solar cells, a low-cost, high-efficiency alternative to more prevalent solid-state semiconductor solar cell technology.
The practical implications are apparent, Zhao says.
"The production process of dye-sensitised solar cells doesn't produce carbon dioxide, which means it won't induce environmental pollution," said Zhao. "And dye-sensitised solar cells only cost one-fifth of traditional semiconductor solar cells made from crystalline silicon."
Although Zhao's team's research is unique at home and abroad, he says support from the Chinese government is far from enough. He notes that Japan and South Korea have jointly invested about US$1.6 billion (around $2.07 billion) on research on third-generation solar technology since 2000. In China, however, Zhao says there have been just five native projects in the solar field in the last decade, with spending of around US$4.5 million per project.
"It is difficult to break through the technological bottleneck because of the inadequacy of (financial) input," Zhao says.
In recent years, China has become the global leader in renewable energy technology manufacturing, surpassing the United States in terms of both the number of wind turbines and solar panels it makes. The accounting firm Ernst & Young in September named China the best place to invest in renewable energy.
Chinese companies, led by the Jiangsu-based Suntech, have one-quarter of the world's solar panel production capacity and are rapidly gaining market share by driving down prices using low-cost, large-scale factories. China's 2009 stimulus package included subsidies for large solar instillation projects.
In terms of wind power, home-grown companies have rapidly gained market share in recent years after the government raised local partnership requirements for foreign companies to 70 per cent from 40 per cent (the government has since removed local partnership requirements) and introduced major new subsidies and other incentives for Chinese wind power companies. By 2009, there were 67 Chinese turbine providers and foreign companies' market share fell to 37 per cent from 70 per cent just over five years ago.
