China leads solar home revolution (really)

[ensho]

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China_Business/KJ29Cb02.html


Gazing across the Chinese urban cityscape, one quickly notices many strange tubular devices dotting the rooftops of many residential buildings. These are solar water heaters.

Solar water heaters rank among the world's fastest-growing applications of solar thermal technology. According to the WorldWatch institute, the solar thermal heating sector expanded worldwide in 2007 at its highest rate since 1995, up 19 gigawatts of thermal equivalent (GWth) to 147 GWth total capacity. Solar thermal energy harnessed for domestic water heating is the primary application of this technology, accounting for 86% of all installations in 2009.

China is the world's largest market for solar water heating (SWH). Since the 1990s, China has blossomed with an increase in annual production to 114.1 million square meters in 2007 from 0.5 million square meters in 1991, accounting for two thirds of global output. According to "The China Greentech Report 2009", the country has the world's largest installed base of solar water heaters, at over 125 million square meters, with one in 10 families such devices.

In 2007, SWH firms in China generated sales of 32 billion yuan (US$470 million). The country's annual production of solar water heater systems is twice that of Europe and four times that of the United States.

Moreover, China has become a global leader in the manufacturing of components for solar water heater systems. According to "The China Greentech Report 2009", over 95% of core solar water heating technology patents are held by Chinese firms. In 2005, China produced over 90% of the world's evacuated tubes, 70% of the world's borosilicate glass, and more than 90% of the world's "getter" - reactive materials used for removing traces of gas from vacuum systems.

-snip-

According to "The China Greentech Report 2009", the market size for green technology in China could reach up to 15% of gross domestic product by 2013. Clearly, this is not only an opportunity for foreign firms to jump on the bandwagon of a Chinese market with astronomical growth potential, it is also a golden opportunity for Chinese firms to gain a foothold in the rapidly developing renewable energy markets in Europe and North America. China's solar revolution is well underway, and will not be limited by national borders.
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we should hang our heads in shame

so goes it in america

[ensho]

1. kicking back to pg. 1 because this is important

nt

[HillbillyBob]

2. We have a solar water heater to install.

Unfortunately its a tank type that weighs about 500lb full of water and Im not sure our roof can handle it..besides we will need to re roof in a few years, we plan to build a carport and put it on there. it should generate enough hot water for domestic use and be able to drive radiant underfloor heat in all three bathrooms. once we get the balance of system(circulation pumps / solar elect panels to drive them, battery back up, plumbing and insulation for pipes) we will have 'free hot water and partial heat. I have part of the stuff to make a solar furnace that will also provide for a solar oven/food dehydrator and heat the crawl space which will warm the floors(its a good size house). We also plan to pull down factory sheed rock walls and maybe ceilings, what a mess that will be, and use spray foam from soy in the walls and roof/ceiling space only has 3" of loses rockwool but there is a foot of space. We want to insulate the crawlspace walls too with styro fur strips from packing that would other wise go ot land fill and foil back styro panels.

We want to make our house fossil fuel free or nearly so in about 10 years...2 down 8 to go and cost? well we look at it as buyin all the fuel up front.

[Brickbat]

3. Well, if they're built by slave labor and produced without regard to pollution, I'm not really

impressed, y'know?

[HillbillyBob]

4. That is very true.

When we saw this one on sale for half price I have to admit that I did not think of the cost to the environment to produce it. We have had it sitting for a couple of years now..we had planned on getting a lot of stuff done DIY i mean, but the sinking economy has put everything on hold. I do normally look into what the impacts of producing an item have.