China's clean energy push leads to concrete results

A solar power farm is seen along a highway in China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region on Friday, Oct. 9, 2015. Wind and solar power generation are a common sight in the dry but sunny region. [Photo: AP/Ng Han Guan]

Every morning, thousands of Beijingers hop onboard shared bikes to get to their nearest subway station or bus stop to commute to work. 

"The first advantage is the bikes' convenience. I can use my phone to activate them. There are many bikes available, and their prices are very good - only one yuan or half a yuan per ride. I can use part of my commute to exercise, all the while avoiding traffic congestion," said one Beijing resident. 

As of May, an estimated 100 million people in China had signed on to use shared bikes. Ten million bikes are now active throughout China's major cities. 

Many of these bikes are equipped with solar power components, which continuously provide energy to chips and GPS parts embedded in them. Hanergy Thin Film Power is a major producer of these new energy components. 

"Besides bikes, Hanergy's mobile energy solutions have broken boundaries and reached new markets, including automobiles, backpacks, tents, drones and other areas of transportation. We are working closely with all these industries, "said Si Haijian, the company’s CEO.  

Policy support, as well as technological breakthroughs, have also pushed forward growth in New Energy Vehicle (NEV) use in China. More than half a million of such vehicles were sold in China last year, putting the country second in the world. On average, for every 10,000 kilometers, each NEV can help prevent 2.3 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. 

Renewable energy has not only reached Chinese cities but also the countryside. Yongren County in the province of Yunnan is utilizing the abundant sunlight it receives to generate power and heat for cooking for the local residents. 

"We now have nearly 10,000 units of solar powered generators, while more than 6,000 households have installed clean-energy stoves. These installations have provided power solutions to our people, in addition to saving forestry resources," said Liao Mingrong, an official with the county's Forestry Bureau. 

Meanwhile, Chinese authorities say programs to expand the use of low-carbon and clean energy alternatives are going to remain in-place in the future. 

"Renewable energy is the backbone of China's non-fossil energy drive and will be the main source of support for China's energy transformation. According to some preliminary data, during the current Five Year Plan, the total amount of investment in renewable energy will reach 2.5 trillion yuan. By 2020, solar powered electricity generation will reach above 110 million kilowatts," said Li Yangzhe, Deputy Director of China's National Energy Administration. 　　

According to estimates from the International Renewable Energy Agency, out of the 8.1 million new jobs created globally in the new energy industry, close to half are in China. 

On top of promoting new energy, the Chinese government and businesses have also been upgrading the country's traditional energy industries to make them cleaner. 

According to official data, from 2005 to 2016, the country's energy consumption per unit of GDP has dropped by more than 37 percent.