Solar Energy in China - Literature review Example

Solar Energy in China. Stimulus Plan of ‘Golden Sun’ policy. Introduction According to JUUCE (2014) the possibility of a massive environmental disaster is the largest issue facing the world at present. This includes China where there has been a huge shift of population into cities and where industry creates massive demand for energy. This is combined with a boom in consumerism and together these things are a threat to natural resources. JUUCE (2014 ) in the article quote Björn Stigson, the president of the World Business Council on Sustainable Development as having said "Without a sustainable China, there can be no sustainable world." Solar energy is seen as a way of dealing with this enormous call for energy. Sunlight travelling to solar cells makes electrons travel rapidly and this produces usable energy Dahr, 2013) Each solar cell has two layers stuck closely together. Sunlight reaches an electron within one layer. This causes the electron to jump and it travels into the second layer. The rapid movement of these electrons creates electrical power. Once these cells are put in place, whether on a roof top or as part of a road surface, there is almost no further cost involved except perhaps maintenance. So solar power is both useful in many ways and at the same time is a cost effective option. Even the relatively low initial costs are falling, according to Cole ( 2013). He states that building costs for a solar powered plant can now be compared favourably with that of plants using gas or coal, but one day those resources will be used up, whereas the sun will be there for much longer Background China is of course a massive country, and one with an immense population. It has many rural communities which are off the electrical grid, yet, like the rest of the Chinese population, these people want what is available in the 21st century – electrical power in all its forms. China’s use of traditional power sources causes pollution, and is the largest producer of carbon dioxide, a major cause of global warming. The pollution caused affects China, but also travels to pollute other countries including the United States of America (Gillespie, 2014). It also has huge energy needs which are increasing rather than diminishing. Aims and Objectives The aim of a solar energy policy in China would be to enable more citizens to access solar power, and at the same time cut down on the build-up of carbon dioxide emissions. Having solar power would allow money now used on other forms of energy to be used for other purposes such as education, medical research and so on. The Chinese government issued its ‘Medium and Long Term Plan for Renewable Energy in China’ in 2007(National Development and Reform Commission, 2007). The aims and objectives are clearly set out as the speeding up of the process of bringing in renewable energy sources which would include solar power. They wanted to raise the proportion of energy coming from renewable sources and this would involve innovative ideas and the bringing forward of home-grown talent. At the same time fuel poverty in remote areas would cease. The aim was to increase power from solar energy from its 2010 level of 300 MW to 1.8 GW by 2020. Implications Renewable energy, and especially solar energy, must realistically be the obvious way forward, with a rising population and demand for energy at a time when it is known that resources such as oil, gas, and coal are ultimately limited. This means that China must develop its own supplies of solar energy cells, and also produce these at a price which makes them accessible to as wide a section of the population as possible. With this in mind China created a ‘Golden Sun’ policy with the aim of providing 10GW of energy by early 2013. It replaced the earlier BIPV (Building-integrated photovoltaics) subsidy system which started in 2009. However, according to Energy Trend, (2014) the actual demand will actually be rather lower than this, although it still makes up17% of the world’s market for solar energy. The Golden Sun policy aimed to subsidize half of any investment in solar power projects. They also included power transmission and the distribution systems that connected already present to grid networks. In remote regions the subsidy was even higher at 70%. The grids companies would be buying any surplus output of solar energy at the same rates they had been paying for power generated from coal. These subsidies would only be given to long term and larger projects (China Policy in Focus, 2014). Such policies obviously have positive implications for China, especially for those in remoter areas who will have new energy supplies. They have implications for other nations too. Economically, according to Mu and Hong (2011) China will be less dependent on foreign energy supplies, and so other countries will lose some trade. On a positive level the United States of America will no longer suffer from the pollution drifting over from China. Also subsidies and low cost will increase demand internally, so stimulating the Chinese economy. Responsibility and Accountability China is one of the world’s largest countries. It has a central government which directs national policies, but also has a number of other tiers of government. Central government might decide to promote the use of solar energy, but it was the responsibility of local government to choose areas where the power would be most useful, and then to go on and to organise needed workers labour and provision at a local level. They would also need to evaluate the results of their efforts. Power in China comes down from on high. In the same way that is where accountability lies, but at the same time, local workers and officials hold the responsibility for their particular area. Communications Wang and Lim describe communications within China and how important it is (2011). They state that when communications fail between any government and its citizens, then society becomes unstable. In such a vast country communications can be problematic, even with modern technological advances. The writers of Comm Gap describe three levels of communication , these being information, consultation and active participation ( Comm Gap 2009). In practise this means the engineers communicating with the government , who then give the people necessary data about energy sources, including such things as the costs benefits. Good communication goes back and forth and so it consults with them, asking perhaps what is wanted locally and how this could be achieved in their community. According to Coleman however (2005) all governments are more inclined to give information than to listen to any local responses. This could be described as a pragmatic method, as even when a policy pleases the majority, it will never please everyone, however good it is. In order to inform governments use a number of official channels such as laws and reports, but these will also be promoted using the mass media , making use of television, the press and web sites. Citizens in their turn can then respond in order to ask questions and to state their opinions. Thirdly the government gets people actively involved. If they can see how they will benefit individually, or as a group, they are more inclined to be satisfied and to co-operate. In this case the government offered solar panels at a reduced cost. There would also be employment opportunities as people would be needed to deliver or make panels. There would be places on training courses, or on a university engineering course. The provision of solar energy thus becomes more important to people and so positive responses are more likely, and this also benefits the government to help them meet their stated aims. Have these policies worked? In 2000 China formed CREIA, the China Renewable Energy Industry Association ( CREIA 2014). This is a non-profit organisation which aims to make an important, positive impact , not just in China, but also in the wider world. This it’s aim to do by making their homeland a cleaner place. The group serves as a way of communicating between various authorities, as well as research institutes, and also professionals in the energy industry, in order to provide a forum to discuss renewable energy development at the national level. This enables the group to be able advise the Chinese government as it formulates policies. On the other hand China remains is the world’s largest user of energy. This is made worse by the fact that Chinese society is developing rapidly, with its people wanting to catch up with western nations as consumers , and so, as well as being greater in number, individuals each tend to consume more than earlier generations. Because of its sheer size China is also the biggest producer of negative carbon dioxide emissions which drift and cause problems for other countries ( Estes, 2014). The group claim that are ‘reimagining prosperity, retelling the story of sustainably to transform desire.’ In the article ‘Why China’ JUUCE quote Qiu Bao Xing, Vice Minister of China's Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Construction, as saying said “The world is at war with energy, and China is our battlefront." It can be seen that the Chinese government acknowledges the huge problem it is faced with , and also its responsibilities, both to its own people and to the wider world. The JUUCE group, despite the size, and increasing size, of the problem close their ‘Why China?’( 2014) article with a positive statement :- Although China is faced with enormous environmental challenges, it can experiment quickly to prove and deploy innovative sustainable solutions. What can help China become sustainable can help the world become sustainable. And that's good for all of us. According to Quartz 2014) China is now able to manufacture 80% of the solar panels used throughout the world. The nation is also able create technologies which are both sustainable and affordable. Its immensely large manufacturing capabilities mean that, because of its huge scale, the price of individual components is falling, and are likely to continue to do so. This is an ongoing war, but at least the forces are prepared for action and know their enemy, as well as having definite aims and goals and a great capacity for innovation. The battle is not won, but at least the troops have rallied. They know their aims and targets and have the abilities to meet them, backed by an informed and capable population. In 2012 a Gallup poll showed that a majority of Chinese citizens care about their environment, so at least the will is there (Climate Progress, 2012). That this is a successful policy and technology can be seen from the fact that the subsidies mentioned earlier are now to be withdrawn, as being unnecessary (Chanda 2014). This he says because the technology is now mature and able to attract the needed financial investment. The conjugation of renewable energy policies and emission reduction market mechanisms may very well make it possible for the Chinese government to slowly pull back the support it is currently offering the project developers (Chanda, 2014). So a long term positive result is in sight. References Chanda, M. , 2014, China To Phase Out Financial Support For Solar Power Sector By 2020, CleanTechnica, Available at http://cleantechnica.com/2014/10/17/china-phase-financial-support-solar-power-sector-2020/ [Accessed 17th October 2014] China Policy in Focus, 2014, China's National Solar Subsidy Programs, Available at https://sites.google.com/site/chinapolicyinfocus/china-s-solar-subsidy-programs/china-s-solar-industry/china-s-national-solar-subsidy-programs [Accessed 17th October 2014] Cole, J., 2013, The Incredible Shrinking Cost of Solar Energy Drives Mega-Projects around the World, Informed Comment, Available at [Accessed 17th October 2014] Climate Progress, 2012, 57% of Chinese Citizens Want More Investment in Environment over Economy, Oilprice ,Available at [Accessed 17th October 2014] Coleman, S.,2005, E-democracy and the UK government, in Garson .G.( editor) Handbook of government information systems, (2nd Edition) , pps 631- 642,Florida, Taylor and Francis Group Comm Gap, 2009, The Contribution of Government Communication Capacity to Achieving Good Governance Outcomes Available at [Accessed 19th October 2014] CREIA, 2014, Introduction of the Chinese Renewable Energy Industry Association, Available at http://www.creia.net/aboutus/enintro/index.html [Accessed 18th October 2014] Dahr, M., 2013, How do solar panels work? Live Science, Available at [Accessed 17th October 2014] Energy Trend, 2014, China’s policy shift in 2013 to stimulate on-grid installations and address abandoned power issues, Available at http://pv.energytrend.com/research/20130423-5140.html [Accessed 17th October 2014] Estes, A., 2014, Of Course, China's Bad Air Is Polluting the West Coast, Gizmodo, Available at < http://gizmodo.com/of-course-chinas-bad-air-is-polluting-the-west-coast-1505777177> [Accessed 17th October 2014] Gillespie, P., 2014, China's Pollution Is Creating Dangerous Smog in the U.S., Available at [Accessed 19th October 2014] JUUCE, 2014, Available at [Accessed 19th October 2014] JUUCE, 2014, Why China, Available at http://juccce.org/china [Accessed 19th October 2014] National Development and Reform Commission, 2007, Medium and Long Term Plan for Renewable Energy in China, Available at [Accessed 19th October 2014] Mu Yang and Hong Yu, 2011, China's Industrial Development in the 21st Century, Singapore, World Scientific Publishing Co Pte, Available at [Accessed 19th October 2014] Quartz, 2014, Anyone can change anything, Green leap forward, Available at http://qz.com/281998/hong-kongs-pro-democracy-lawmakers-are-about-to-occupy-the-government/ [Accessed 19th October 2014] Wang, Z. and Lim,N., 2011, The use of official and unofficial channels in government – citizen communications in China, Electronic Journal of e-government, Volume 9 Issue 1 Available at www.ejeg.com/issue/download.html?idArticle=226 [Accessed 19th October 2014] Read More

The Chinese government issued its ‘Medium and Long Term Plan for Renewable Energy in China’ in 2007(National Development and Reform Commission, 2007). The aims and objectives are clearly set out as the speeding up of the process of bringing in renewable energy sources which would include solar power. They wanted to raise the proportion of energy coming from renewable sources and this would involve innovative ideas and the bringing forward of home-grown talent. At the same time fuel poverty in remote areas would cease.

The aim was to increase power from solar energy from its 2010 level of 300 MW to 1.8 GW by 2020. Implications Renewable energy, and especially solar energy, must realistically be the obvious way forward, with a rising population and demand for energy at a time when it is known that resources such as oil, gas, and coal are ultimately limited. This means that China must develop its own supplies of solar energy cells, and also produce these at a price which makes them accessible to as wide a section of the population as possible.

With this in mind China created a ‘Golden Sun’ policy with the aim of providing 10GW of energy by early 2013. It replaced the earlier BIPV (Building-integrated photovoltaics) subsidy system which started in 2009. However, according to Energy Trend, (2014) the actual demand will actually be rather lower than this, although it still makes up17% of the world’s market for solar energy. The Golden Sun policy aimed to subsidize half of any investment in solar power projects. They also included power transmission and the distribution systems that connected already present to grid networks.

In remote regions the subsidy was even higher at 70%. The grids companies would be buying any surplus output of solar energy at the same rates they had been paying for power generated from coal. These subsidies would only be given to long term and larger projects (China Policy in Focus, 2014). Such policies obviously have positive implications for China, especially for those in remoter areas who will have new energy supplies. They have implications for other nations too. Economically, according to Mu and Hong (2011) China will be less dependent on foreign energy supplies, and so other countries will lose some trade.

On a positive level the United States of America will no longer suffer from the pollution drifting over from China. Also subsidies and low cost will increase demand internally, so stimulating the Chinese economy. Responsibility and Accountability China is one of the world’s largest countries. It has a central government which directs national policies, but also has a number of other tiers of government. Central government might decide to promote the use of solar energy, but it was the responsibility of local government to choose areas where the power would be most useful, and then to go on and to organise needed workers labour and provision at a local level.

They would also need to evaluate the results of their efforts. Power in China comes down from on high. In the same way that is where accountability lies, but at the same time, local workers and officials hold the responsibility for their particular area. Communications Wang and Lim describe communications within China and how important it is (2011). They state that when communications fail between any government and its citizens, then society becomes unstable. In such a vast country communications can be problematic, even with modern technological advances.

The writers of Comm Gap describe three levels of communication , these being information, consultation and active participation ( Comm Gap 2009). In practise this means the engineers communicating with the government , who then give the people necessary data about energy sources, including such things as the costs benefits. Good communication goes back and forth and so it consults with them, asking perhaps what is wanted locally and how this could be achieved in their community.

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