China continues to accelerate solar energy expansion

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The latest edition of Intersolar China took place in Beijing from April 1–3, 2015.

For the second time, the exhibition and conference for the solar industry were held together with Clean Energy Expo China and CIPV Expo China, which is organized under the Clean Energy Expo umbrella. Upwards of 12,000 visitors to the China International Exhibition Center (CIEC) received information on technology, solar industry products and services, energy storage, grid technology, biomass, and wind energy from around 300 exhibitors.

The Intersolar China Conference convened alongside the exhibition from March 31 to April 1 at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Beijing.

This year’s Intersolar China in Beijing drew to a close on April 3 celebrating high visitor numbers and satisfied exhibitors. Thanks also to CIPV Expo China and Clean Energy Expo China, exhibition visitors were able to discover the latest technologies, products, and services in the fields of solar, wind, biomass, energy storage, and grid technology over the three days of the event. Offerings from a total of 300 exhibitors this year attracted some 12,000 visitors to the China International Exhibition Center (CIEC).

Specialist knowledge of large-scale PV plants and business models

The Intersolar China Conference got underway one day before the exhibition. The conference saw experts from industry, research, associations, and politics discuss new technologies and market developments until April 1, focusing particularly on present and future expansion in the Chinese solar market.

According to the latest information from the National Energy Administration (NEA), the country is set to increase photovoltaic capacity by 17.8 GW in 2015, a growth of some 70% on last year. Consequently, the presentations on this topic were especially popular. Looking toward preparations for the Chinese government’s 13th five-year plan (2016–2020), many attendees also took the opportunity to find out about current conditions and new business models in the Chinese solar industry at a session entitled “National Policies and the Quest for New Financial and Business Models.”

Presentations on the topic of “Tapping into Innovation with C-Si Cell and Thin-Film Technologies” were also well attended at Beijing’s Radisson Blu Hotel. “Participating at the 2015 Intersolar China Conference in Beijing was extremely worthwhile. The two-day conference was excellently organized, incorporated valuable content, and delivered everything you needed to understand solar energy developments in China, both with respect to political frameworks and new technologies. It is a must for all developers, engineers, and consultants working in China,” concluded Michael Aublant, European Executive Director, ICARE – China-EU Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy.

Solar energy on Chinese roofs

While no large obstacles stand in the path of China’s expansion targets for large-scale PV plants, even in view of the situation in previous years, it is chiefly decentralized PV installations that are set to gain most rapidly in importance in the future. Around 2 GW of PV capacity was added in 2014 in the form of small-scale plants and roof-mounted systems. Although this year’s annual quota for such project types has been abolished, distributed systems still have priority when it comes to project approval. In order to reach the National Energy Administration’s (NEA) ambitious goal of 17.8 GW, the key task will therefore be to improve project financing conditions. Within the Intersolar China and CIPV Expo China exhibition halls, those showcasing roof-mounted PV installations were able to revel in the high levels of interest aroused by the bold targets, while the exhibition segments for inverters and energy storage systems also attracted much attention from visitors .

Numerous renowned companies, including Hanergy, Canadian Solar, General Electric, JA Solar, Yingli, Siemens, Sungrow, and Trina Solar, presented their latest products and technologies here.

The next Intersolar China takes place in Beijing in March 2016.

For more information on Intersolar China, please visit www.intersolarchina.com.