Rizhao: City of Sunshine
From Renewable Energy Access:
Buildings in Rizhao, a coastal city of nearly three million on the Shandong Peninsula in northern China, have a common yet unique appearance: most rooftops and walls are covered with small panels. They are solar heat collectors.
A combination of regulations and public education spurred the broad adoption of solar heaters. The city mandates all new buildings to incorporate solar panels, and it oversees the construction process to ensure proper installation. To raise awareness, the city held open seminars and ran public advertising on television.
In Rizhao City, which means City of Sunshine in Chinese, 99 percent of households in the central districts use solar water heaters, and most traffic signals, street and park lights are powered by photovoltaic (PV) solar cells. In the suburbs and villages, more than 30 percent of households use solar water heaters, and over 6,000 households have solar cooking facilities. More than 60,000 greenhouses are heated by solar panels, reducing overhead costs for farmers in nearby areas.
In total, the city has over a half-million square meters of solar water heating panels, the equivalent of about 0.5 megawatts of electric water heaters.
China is clearly very serious about implementing renewable energy. The growth rate of the economy coupled with the sheer size of the population really provides few other choices. One of our principals used to have staff in Beijing and in the winter when the coal plants were going full bore, one couldn’t see across the street to the next building the smog was so thick. It conjures images of Manchester, England during the industrial revolution.
I’ve often wondered why solar water heaters are so rare in the US. On my recent visit to China I noticed almost every house having at least one. They look simple, cheap, and can be made in a way that is not unattractive (ok, there were some bright orange and green ones that were, but that’s more a matter of taste – I’d go with black).
Of course you’re right, when your only heating source is coal that you buy off the back of a donkey cart this solution starts looking pretty good. But imagine the greenhouse impact we could make if we all installed one of these.
Matt, I believe solar water heaters represent a big opportunity for change. It’s clear that there is much more we can do – and, heating water is one of the most expensive energy uses in a home.