Solar thermal application in china

Over China's vast land, the average gross amount of annual solar radiation is about 5.9×KJ/m² and the solar thermal application is being widely launched.

Since 1979, the annual sale of solar water heaters in China has steeply risen. According to the statistics of 1993, the amount of its installation area (aperture area) reached 2,300,000 m².about 100-150 kg Standard coal is saved each year per m².

 Most of solar water heaters popularized in China are of thermosyphon type. At present the work on developing all-grass evacuated tubular collector and heat-pipe evacuated tubular collector has achieved rather satisfactory results and passed the technical assessment.

 The passive solar house has seen a rapid growth in China. According to the incomplete statistics of 1993, 5 million m2 has been built, mainly distributed over the rural area in Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Qinghai and and Tibet. About 20-40 kg standard coal can be saved per  m² of building area.

 Now there are about 140,000 solar cookers in use in rural areas throughout the country, each being likely to save 500-700 kg firewood annually. The fuel cost saved by the farmers from using solar cookers in 1 or 2 years is enough to recover their investment therein.

 According to the incomplete statistics of 1993, 225,000 ha of solar greenhouses and 1314 m² of solar dryers have been built in China.

Both in the type and in the quantity of solar water heater, solar house, solar house, solar cooker and solar dryer, China ranks first in the world.