SHENZHEN will require the compulsory installation of solar water heating systems in new residential buildings from Dec. 1, according to a government plan.
Solar water heating will be installed in all government-subsidized apartments, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported Thursday.
The city government would pay 225 yuan (US$34) toward each square meter of solar panels installed in new residential buildings with more than 12 floors, the Daily said.
However, the funding would not apply to government-invested projects that had already included the installation of solar systems in their budget.
One of the first cities to begin developing energy-conserving architecture, Shenzhen had been required by the Central Government to apply energy-saving technology to 7.12 million square meters of buildings before the end of next year, according to the report.
According to the government plan, Shenzhen would install solar water heating systems in more than 7 million square meters of residential buildings before the end of next year. Additional energy-saving systems would be installed in no less than 100,000 square meters of buildings, including solar air conditioners, seawater-source heat pumps and ground-source heat pumps.
The government would penalize developers that do not equip buildings with the solar systems.
The government would consider supervising the whole construction process of energy-saving buildings, the paper said.
The city would start researching a building emissions trading scheme and encourage solar equipment manufacturers to trade in emissions trading markets at home and abroad.
(Martin Li)
