On the sunny side of the street

China is often branded a climate killer. Well, with 70 percent of its energy needs coming from coal this vast country is indeed one of the key culprits. But what's little reported is the nation is making some giant strides in green innovation. Don't believe us? Take a trip with our handsome climate and energy campaigner Zheng Mingqing to a city in east China where the sun always shines.

Meet Zheng Mingqing.

Mingqing is 30 years old and is still single. He works for Greenpeace China’s Climate and Energy campaign.

Later on we’ll see him in the shower (a special treat for our female readers!) but for now he’s going to tell us about a special assignment to the east, where the sun is worshipped, but this time not for divine intervention.

 “Some people say renewable energy is just a dream. It’s too expensive or we just don’t have the technology yet," says Mingqing. "Well maybe they should head to Dezhou in China’s northeastern province of Shandong.”




Dezhou doesn’t look like very special, just your average run of the mill third tier Chinese city, but there’s something special about this place.

…to tourist carts.

The best thing about the solar panels – at least for Dezhou residents – isn’t that they are helping to cut greenhouse gases, but because they save money.

Mingqing, who is rather clever and has a PhD in ecology, did a quick calculation on the back of an envelope to show us how this works.



Compared with buying an electric heater, a solar heater pays for itself in five and a half years! And from then on it doesn't cost anything.

Another reason Dezhou residents love their solar panels is that it creates jobs.

In 2007, 800,000 people had jobs in the solar panel industry: that works out to be about just one in three people of working age in the city.

That figure is expected to grow to 150,000 by 2020.

Of course Greenpeace China thinks Dezhou solar city rocks because it is a living example of how we can all save the planet by cutting out greenhouse gases and reducing the crippling pollution from using coal.

Last year Dezhou was making three million square meters of solar heaters a year.

According to the local government, the amount of energy generated is equivalent to burning 540,000 tonnes of coal - which would have released 1.35 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.

Transforming Dezhou into a solar city is not a charity project.

Companies make money and lots of money from this business.

Himin Group, based in Dezhou, is the world's largest solar water heater manufacturer. In 2007, their annual profits came to RMB67.97 million (that's almost US$10 million).

Says Ming Qing: “And Dezhou’s not even a very sunny city. There are far better cities in China for this kind of solar energy to be used on a large scale. Much of China’s west, such as Xinjiang, Gansu and Tibet would be perfect for solar heating."

So if Dezhou can do it, why can't your town or city? 


Finally, take a little video tour of Dezhou.

Solar-tastic in China from Greenpeace China on Vimeo.