Shanghai to Use Solar Power as Alternative

Shanghai needs supplementary power supply from the remote Three Gorges Hydraulic Power Station 1,000 kilometers away to meet its ever-growing consumption of electricity. Local experts are seeking to tap the sun for energy.

A 6,000 square-meter solar cell factory at the Xinzhuang Industrial Park in the city’s suburban Minhang District will go into production this year, according to Shanghai Solar Energy Science and Technology Co.

“The production line will employ the most advanced solar energy technology in the world,” said Yuan Xiao, the firm’s general manager.

According to Yuan, the factory will be able to produce solar cells with power generating capacity totaling 10,000 kilowatts each year.

The “environment-friendly” electricity from solar cells can either be stored in a special battery or put into immediate use. A three-kilowatt solar electricity system can meet a three-member family’s basic demand.

“We are now trying to cooperate with local electricity departments to push use of solar power,” said a company official surnamed Lu.

At present, the cost of producing electricity from solar energy is 2 yuan (24 US cents) per kw-hour, just half of the cost of thermal power, industry insiders said.