Shandong's 'Solar Valley' basks in success

By Ju Chuanjiang and Zhao Ruixue

The largest solar energy R&D facility in the world. Wang Qishou / For China Daily

Single company makes twice as many water heaters as all of North America

More than 30 world-leading solar energy companies will attend the fourth International Solar Cities Initiative World Congress this September in Dezhou, a city in Shandong province.

The conference is expected to display Dezhou's latest achievements in harnessing the energy of the sun. It was among the first cities in the nation to grasp the potential of solar energy and now has more than 110 companies in the sector.

The city's new energy companies generated 15 billion yuan in revenues in the first half of this year, an increase of 33 percent over the same period in 2009.

22 billion yuan

The sector had 22 billion yuan in revenues all of last year.

Lei Jianguo, Party chief of Dezhou, said the city will use the congress as an opportunity to further boost development of the solar energy industry to become a national and international leader in the field.

Chief among Dezhou's sustainable energy companies are China Himin Solar Energy Group, Ecoo Solar Energy Group and Tenglong New Energy Co Ltd.

The number of solar water heaters made by Himin - the largest producer in the world - now equals the total production of the European Union and twice the output of North America.

Himin has also founded China Solar Valley in Dezhou - the largest R&D center for solar energy in the world - with more than 500 new innovations put into production every year.