6.2.3 The Role of New Energy
in China’s Energy
Technology Revolution
First, new energy technologies have become an
important means for China to ensure energy
security and sustainable supply and overcome the
challenge of climate change. New energy provides great support for the energy transition.
Given the complexity of geopolitics, transnational energy flow will see great change. Energy
security is at the heart of national energy strategies. Global climate change is a huge challenge.
Onshore wind and solar energy resources are
abundant, more than enough to meet global
energy demand. With technological progress and
the use of new materials, the efficiency of wind,
solar, marine and other new energy sources will
be improved. Their cost effectiveness and market
competitiveness will be enhanced, making them
the dominant energy types of the world.
Second, new energy technologies have
become a strategic, emerging and internationally
competitive industry in China. The energy technology revolution will shift energy development
from resource-dependence to technologydependence. Innovation in energy and power
technologies has become a priority for all countries to sharpen their competitiveness and strive
to become technology leader. New energy is an
emerging industry with great potential, but it is
also a strategic and internationally competitive
sector for China.
Third, replacing fossil energy with new
energy has become a strong driving force behind
the fourth industrial revolution. Innovation in
energy technologies, integration of information
technologies, the Energy Internet and smart
grids, energy storage, power system interconnections, plug-in and fuel cell electric vehicles,
will all be pillars of the fourth industrial
revolution.
6.2.4 Policies for Promoting New
Energy Technologies
First, more effort should be invested in scientific
research. This would enable breakthroughs in
R&D and the design and manufacture of software and equipment, and it would enhance
China’s proprietary technologies and manufacturing level. National R&D centres for wind
power technologies should be set up. Basic
research in key wind power technologies should
be carried out to help businesses tackle common
technical difficulties. These should include:
(i) R&D of advanced and large wind turbines,
low-velocity turbines and other key wind power
technologies, supported by renewable energy
development funds and national scientific and
technological research projects; (ii) national
R&D and testing platforms for blades, drive
systems and other wind power components
should be built to improve the performance of
wind turbines, wind farms and wind power
equipment.
Second, innovation in PV technologies should
be driven forward and R&D in key CSP technologies strengthened. China should: (i) increase
innovation in PV technologies and continue to
focus on improving the conversion efficiency and
production cost of cells and panels. Solar power
technologies should be digitalised to make plants
more intelligent and harness the benefits of big
data and cloud computing; (ii) strengthen R&D
in key CSP technologies. More investment
should be channelled into R&D of solar tracking
controllers, plant control, manufacturing and
system integration technologies. Research on
mirrors and heat collector technologies, heat
storage,
heat
transfer
materials
and
thermal-to-power conversion systems suitable for
west China should be carried out. Materials,
technologies and processes should all be
improved. Generating efficiency should be
enhanced and costs lowered to enable China to
become the largest producer and biggest user of
CSP technologies.
Third, demonstration projects for CSP, marine
and other new energy technologies with great
potential in the short and medium terms should
be built to accelerate technological progress and
accumulate planning, design, construction,
operation and management experience. This
would also lay a solid foundation for policy
studies, commercialisation, international competitiveness and cost reduction. These projects
could explore different technical routes to find
346
S. Zifeng and N. Dickens
in China’s Energy
Technology Revolution
First, new energy technologies have become an
important means for China to ensure energy
security and sustainable supply and overcome the
challenge of climate change. New energy provides great support for the energy transition.
Given the complexity of geopolitics, transnational energy flow will see great change. Energy
security is at the heart of national energy strategies. Global climate change is a huge challenge.
Onshore wind and solar energy resources are
abundant, more than enough to meet global
energy demand. With technological progress and
the use of new materials, the efficiency of wind,
solar, marine and other new energy sources will
be improved. Their cost effectiveness and market
competitiveness will be enhanced, making them
the dominant energy types of the world.
Second, new energy technologies have
become a strategic, emerging and internationally
competitive industry in China. The energy technology revolution will shift energy development
from resource-dependence to technologydependence. Innovation in energy and power
technologies has become a priority for all countries to sharpen their competitiveness and strive
to become technology leader. New energy is an
emerging industry with great potential, but it is
also a strategic and internationally competitive
sector for China.
Third, replacing fossil energy with new
energy has become a strong driving force behind
the fourth industrial revolution. Innovation in
energy technologies, integration of information
technologies, the Energy Internet and smart
grids, energy storage, power system interconnections, plug-in and fuel cell electric vehicles,
will all be pillars of the fourth industrial
revolution.
6.2.4 Policies for Promoting New
Energy Technologies
First, more effort should be invested in scientific
research. This would enable breakthroughs in
R&D and the design and manufacture of software and equipment, and it would enhance
China’s proprietary technologies and manufacturing level. National R&D centres for wind
power technologies should be set up. Basic
research in key wind power technologies should
be carried out to help businesses tackle common
technical difficulties. These should include:
(i) R&D of advanced and large wind turbines,
low-velocity turbines and other key wind power
technologies, supported by renewable energy
development funds and national scientific and
technological research projects; (ii) national
R&D and testing platforms for blades, drive
systems and other wind power components
should be built to improve the performance of
wind turbines, wind farms and wind power
equipment.
Second, innovation in PV technologies should
be driven forward and R&D in key CSP technologies strengthened. China should: (i) increase
innovation in PV technologies and continue to
focus on improving the conversion efficiency and
production cost of cells and panels. Solar power
technologies should be digitalised to make plants
more intelligent and harness the benefits of big
data and cloud computing; (ii) strengthen R&D
in key CSP technologies. More investment
should be channelled into R&D of solar tracking
controllers, plant control, manufacturing and
system integration technologies. Research on
mirrors and heat collector technologies, heat
storage,
heat
transfer
materials
and
thermal-to-power conversion systems suitable for
west China should be carried out. Materials,
technologies and processes should all be
improved. Generating efficiency should be
enhanced and costs lowered to enable China to
become the largest producer and biggest user of
CSP technologies.
Third, demonstration projects for CSP, marine
and other new energy technologies with great
potential in the short and medium terms should
be built to accelerate technological progress and
accumulate planning, design, construction,
operation and management experience. This
would also lay a solid foundation for policy
studies, commercialisation, international competitiveness and cost reduction. These projects
could explore different technical routes to find
346
S. Zifeng and N. Dickens