China remains photovoltaics powerhouse

The world will continue to rely on China in photovoltaics manufacturing for at least five years despite certain restrictions on the “vibrant” sector from countries like the United States, said Martin Green, a professor of photovoltaics at the University of New South Wales, during the Zhongguancun Forum.

“Although the United States and Europe are looking to develop their own industries, it’s going to take a while before they can make any substantial contribution to the world supply of photovoltaics,” Green, who is widely acknowledged as the “godfather of photovoltaics”, told China Daily in an interview. “In other words, the world is going to be dependent on China for the next five years, at least, to supply the panels that the world needs.”

China remains a global leader in photovoltaics development. Last year, the country brought into operation 87.41 gigawatts of new solar power, up 60.3 percent year-on-year, driving total installed capacity to 392.61 GW.

In China, best practices get incorporated very quickly across the whole industry ...”

Martin Green, professor of photovoltaics at the University of New South Wales

According to Green, the overall Chinese industry is adventurous and is willing to adopt new technologies, and so, the pace of photovoltaics has never been quicker than it is right now.

“The technology is evolving here year by year. Every year, a better product is launched by a different manufacturer,” Green said, adding that it is a vibrant industrial system.

“In China, best practices get incorporated very quickly across the whole industry because of the particular attributes of China and the flexibility of local talents moving around,” he said.

Green said local governments were very supportive of the new industry, making land and other resources available at low rates and enabling companies to build up manufacturing scale quickly.

“Thus, it would be very hard for other countries to manufacture photovoltaics components as cheaply as they can be made in China,” he said.

As China pushes forward its green transformation, demand for photovoltaics is expected to grow even stronger here, he said.

According to the latest forecast by the China Photovoltaics Industry Association, the country is expected to add 95 to 120 GW of solar power, or as much as 30 percent, this year.

Green, who has taught and guided over 50 Chinese talents in the field, including Shi Zhengrong, the former CEO of Suntech Power, one of the biggest photovoltaics companies in the country, said talent is also another key factor driving the country’s continuous growth in photovoltaics.

“A lot of our students, particularly those with a background of working in China, got quickly recruited into the industry, as they had access to good technology. And they tend to spread the technology in a broader and quicker way,” he said.