[International Energy Network Live Report] On the morning of December 9th, a side event titled “Off-grid Photovoltaic Empowering Land and People in Desert Areas Side Event” was held in the China Pavilion of the 16th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) (COP16) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
This side event was hosted by the Center for Energy Transition and Social Development Research, School of Social Sciences, Tsinghua University, and co-hosted by the Hangzhou Solar Photovoltaic Industry Association. This side event aims to showcase China’s off-grid solar solutions, and provide the most convenient living and production energy for people in desert areas, help achieve the SDG goals, and contribute Chinese wisdom to countries and people in remote areas around the world.
During the meeting, Zhang Ju, director of business, Shenzhen Solartech Renewable Energy Co., Ltd , gave a speech on the topic of “Solar Pumping Empowers Land and People”, focusing on photovoltaic pumping systems, solar water conservancy, solar water ecological technology, etc., advocating photovoltaic water ecological construction.
Zhang Ju, Director of Business, Shenzhen Solartech Renewable Energy Co., Ltd
Desertification is a global environmental problem involving land degradation processes in arid, semi-arid and some semi-humid areas. At present, the global desertification area has reached 36 million square kilometers, accounting for a quarter of the entire earth’s land area, mainly distributed in Central and West Asia and the African continent. The analytical report “Global Threat of Drylands: Regional and Global Drought Trends and Future Forecasts” released by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification warns that although serious water-related disasters such as floods and storms in some parts of the world are intensifying, more than three-quarters of the earth’s land has faced permanent drought in recent decades. In the 30 years before 2020, about 77.6% of the earth’s land experienced more drought conditions. It can be said that drought and water shortage are the natural basis of land desertification. Desertification and comprehensive land management must first solve the problem of irrigation.
Zhang Ju introduced that the patented photovoltaic pumping technology can realize the direct conversion of photovoltaic power to drive the water pump, without the need to set up a power grid or energy storage batteries. It can be used immediately during the day and stored water instead of electricity at night. This series of products has been used in more than 130 countries and regions in the world. Domestic water, water-saving irrigation, seawater (brackish water) desalination, grassland animal husbandry, desert control and other fields.
Zhang Ju further introduced that the photovoltaic pumping system has the characteristics of clean energy, fast installation, and fully automatic operation. In 2011, it was included in the key promotion and guidance catalog of advanced and practical water conservancy technologies of the Ministry of Water Resources. It was selected for photovoltaic poverty alleviation projects in many places to solve the problem of saving electricity bills for farmers’ domestic water use. In 2014, based on its outstanding contribution to the promotion and application of photovoltaic pumping system technology in global ecological restoration, the United Nations Global Forum on Human Settlements awarded it the Global Human Settlements Green Technology Model Award. In 2019, Shenzhen Solartech won the Global LEAP Awards Award issued by the World Bank.
Zhang Ju said that the photovoltaic water conservancy industry initiated and advocated by Solartech New Energy uses photovoltaic pumping technology to combine photovoltaic power generation with water conservancy construction, and has developed cost-effective solutions for ecological restoration, farmland reclamation, and food production increase; in order to develop rural areas and revitalize agriculture, it has opened up a large photovoltaic water conservancy industry market that emphasizes agriculture and strengthens the foundation and empowers farmers for win-win results. After 24 years of continuous practice and innovation, Shenzhen Solartech not only has industry-leading photovoltaic pumping products, but also has mastered a mature and professional photovoltaic desertification control model adapted to local conditions.
Next, Zhang Ju demonstrated the advanced and efficient energy-saving technologies of photovoltaic pumping system solutions in water supply, water saving, and sand control to the audience through a video. Zhang Ju said that Solartech New Energy firmly believes that “photovoltaic pumping empowers land and people” and advocates “developing photovoltaic water conservancy industry and building photovoltaic water ecology”. In the future, Solartech New Energy will continue to take “Let the World of Water Full of Sunshine” as its vision and mission to promote the development of the global photovoltaic water conservancy industry and technological innovation.
