On the occasion of the International Green Energy Development Conference (China • Yangzhong), Dr. Shi Zhengrong, founder of China's photovoltaic industry and chairman of the organizing committee of the conference, became the focus of the media. The following is a face-to-face interview with Dr. Shi, along with other media.
Energy is a consumer good, and people still care about the cost
Reporter: In terms of market, technology and business model, what are the trends and prospects of green energy development in the future?
Shi: This is a big problem. In my opinion, after nearly 20 years of industrial development, the photovoltaic industry has made great progress in terms of technology, product performance and cost. I remember in 1989, when I was a PhD student under Martin Green, I did my PhD thesis on how to reduce the cost of polysilicon thin-film batteries. Later, based on our patents, Martin Green, our mentor, raised 50 million Australian dollars, and we set up our own company. At that time, our target cost of industrialization was $1 per watt, but now the market price is $0.4 per watt, which is far below that target. All this is due to the development of China's photovoltaic industry. Energy is a consumer good, people still care about the cost, how much per KWH of electricity, everyone like green, clean, but ultimately I can afford it, this is very important. In less than 20 years, the photovoltaic industry has changed from a laboratory technology that could change people's lives in imagination to a renewable energy that can be used by ordinary people and can reach less than one yuan per kilowatt-hour in China. I believe that in the near future, photovoltaic as a new renewable energy technology, can fully compete with the existing natural gas, even coal power, thermal power. It is now competitive with natural gas, but it may take a few years to compete with coal power. So this is something that all of us who work in this industry as scientists and engineers and entrepreneurs can be proud of.
I feel it is a very meaningful and valuable thing to be able to contribute to my hometown
Reporter: Dr. Shi, we know that you are from Yangzhong. How do you evaluate the new energy construction in your hometown?
Shi: As a Yangzhong, I feel very proud. I am proud to be able to contribute to the photovoltaic industry. The theme of the international green energy development conference, is 'global green energy application and Yang practice', Yang is an island, in Yang also can not see a chimney, she has no power plant, all the electricity, from Jianbi or other thermal power to buy back. Yangzhong is fully equipped with this condition. It is totally possible to use wind energy, photovoltaic energy and even other renewable energy to provide energy storage and complete energy for the production and life of this island. What makes me even more happy is that the Yangzhong Municipal Committee and the municipal government have the vision to vigorously develop new energy, which is very important. Last year, the Energy Bureau of the National Development and Reform Commission also named Yangzhong as one of the four high-percentage renewable energy demonstration cities. I am really proud of my hometown. I think it is a very meaningful and valuable thing to contribute to my hometown and gradually promote the renewable energy generation technology to the surrounding cities, counties, provinces, even the whole country and the whole world through the demonstration and practice.
Promoting the development of new energy is a game. How determined is the government?
Reporter: What are your suggestions for the project of building a 'green energy island' proposed by Yang Zhong?
Shi: I am very confident. I don't think there will be any technical problem in replacing coal and natural gas power generation with wind, photovoltaic, energy storage and other new renewable energy technologies. The question is when the government will make up its mind and when the people will accept it. I think this is a game.
Reporter: Yangzhong is a relatively rich and advantaged island. It is feasible for her to develop green energy. But some regions, such as Shanxi, are still based on traditional energy sources. What should these regions do if they want to transform and develop?
Shi: I still say that the development of renewable energy has reached a stage: how determined is the government? For example, the Internet, you all know, it needs infrastructure, to the original telephone line to become optical cable, wireless Internet now, it needs tower, 2G, 3G, 4G, horse to become 5G, is the development of new technology to promote the development of infrastructure. The same goes for energy. If there are a series of photovoltaic power stations, the electricity generated at 6 o 'clock in the evening in Xinjiang can be transmitted to our east China through high-voltage lines. So it's not a technical problem, it's a determination of the government. We take out the enthusiasm for the Internet, the Internet of things, artificial intelligence AR, VR, to treat new energy, transformation, development is really a small problem.
Reporter: You mentioned above that if we put our commitment to new energy on the same level as the Internet, the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence, then the promotion and application of new and renewable energy will be greatly increased. We also know that the major difference between the energy sector and the three major sectors is that there are barriers of vested interests. Do you think this is a major obstacle to promoting the development of new energy?
Shi: This is a game.
Reporter: So will the government's determination not be enough?
Shi Zhengrong: This game actually refers to economic development, not only for China, but also for the whole world. But I believe that once society understands what it is that human beings are looking for, there will be a balance.
Pv would not have developed today without China
Reporter: There are differences in the sunshine conditions in different places. Will there be a bias in the domestic and foreign energy distribution? Considering the sunshine conditions and the capacity of absorption, will the distribution be to the central and eastern regions first?
Shi: I really want to share with you the question you raised. I had two graduate students in Australia who worked on the topic: How does wind energy and photovoltaic change with geographical distribution? He came to the conclusion, let me give you an example. If you look at wind power in just one province, New South Wales, Australia, the fluctuation rate with climate is 14%. Once you include more than one province, the fluctuation rate of wind power generation drops to 4% on average. The same is true for photovoltaics, where we use photovoltaics and renewable energy on a large scale, with very little variability in climate change, which is very important data. This is why the promotion of renewable energy development is not a regional matter, but a country, or even a global network.
Reporter: Compared with foreign countries, especially Germany and the United States, what other aspects of China's photovoltaic industry need to be improved and developed?
Shi Zhengrong: China's three major renewable energy industries, such as wind power, photovoltaic and lithium iron phosphate energy storage, tell the world with facts: renewable energy development can only be achieved in China. Because China has a strong manufacturing capacity, has a strong engineering team, Chinese entrepreneurs have a strong sense of innovation and creativity. The determination and speed with which the Chinese government has invested in infrastructure is unmatched by any other country. Pv would not have developed today without China. Renewable energy is an energy business, and energy is about cost. China has the technology, capital, team and market of industrialization, which can make the cost acceptable to consumers. I tell my friends outside China that if the industrialization of technology comes to China, it should first be applied in China, then exported, and then benefit the villagers of the earth all over the world. My teachers and I feel very honored to contribute to clean energy.
If we can cultivate this industry, we will be lucky and happy
Reporter: You have made a success of China's photovoltaic industry. Can you talk about your major efforts in the field of green energy in recent years?
Shi: As you all know, after I came back to China, I experienced a roller coaster of peaks and valleys in my life, but I am calm and happy. Why? Because I have this opportunity to show my technical level and business wisdom, I feel very happy to cultivate this industry through your ideal and technology. This should be the collective wisdom and effort of the entire photovoltaic industry in China, our entire team of entrepreneurs and millions of people. At the same time, I wonder: What else can we do if we replace traditional coal or coal power with mostly renewable sources? In fact, there are too many opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship. These opportunities should belong to the post-80s, post-90s and post-00s. As a scholar and an entrepreneur, I am more of an ideal and a feeling. I can use my feelings and professional knowledge to help young people innovate and start businesses, and realize the future of 100% renewable energy development. I feel very lucky and happy that I can make some contribution.