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China-ASEAN solar energy forum kicks off in SW China

By Li Yingqing and Guo Anfei (China Daily Yunnan Bureau)
Updated: 2010-08-04 18:39

China-ASEAN Solar Energy Development and Utilization Forum kicked off on August 4, in Kunming, the capital of Southwest China's Yunnan province.

China and ASEAN are among the fastest growing economic region in the world. The growth of the economy as well as the growth in population would result in increased demand for energy.

Fossil fuels remain the primary source for energy requirement is projected to triple between 2005 and 2030 from 474 million tons of oil equivalent MTOE in 2005 to 1,252MTOE in 2030.

The official of ASEAN Secretariat, Alex said, it represents an average annual growth rate of 4%. This is also higher than the world's average growth rate of 1.8% in primary energy consumption through 2030. On the other hand, China's oil demand is projected to grow at an average annual rate of 3.8 percent during the period 1996 -2020.

Renewable energy sources accounted for 19% of the world's total primary energy demand in 2005 and are projected to have a share of 18% in 2015 and 2030.

In ASEAN, the share of renewable energy in primary energy consumption was 28.1% in 2005 equivalent to 133MTOE and is expected to grow annually at a rate of 9.1% to reach 185MTOE in 2030.

Solar energy is an inexhaustible new energy source which is clean and high efficiency. To combat climate change, to reduce green house gas emission and environment pollution, and to develop green and low carbon economy, it only can depend on technology progress to exploit renewable energy for large-scale utilization.