Chairman's Message

Energy consumption and environmental protection go hand-in-hand, and nowhere in the world can we escape from the pollution issues posed by the use of fossil fuels. During the last two decades, a global consensus has developed on the need for a radical reorganisation of both the generation and the use of energy in order to protect the environment even as we maintain economic growth. Using renewable and clean energy - including of course the solar thermal variety - is the only way to achieve this laudable and vital goal.

The generation of heat is one of the primary consumers of energy in the world, being widely used for:

• space heating
• domestic hot water in buildings
• both heating and cooling processes in industry and
• pre-heating in agriculture. 
  
  

Currently, most heat in these areas is generated from fossil fuels, yet all of it could in theory be provided by solar. This is exactly what we are trying to do: use solar thermal energy to satisfy all demands for both low-temperature heating and for cooling and refrigeration.

However - just as with other renewables - solar thermal energy has a long way to go if it is to replace conventional energy, the main obstacles being energy efficiency, cost-competitiveness and the need to develop viable business models. With the worldwide acceleration of urbanization, energy consumption will surely continue to rise, but the growing demand will bring huge business opportunities not only to China, but also to the rest of the world.

China is a fully committed member of the family of nations participating in this global project, and in 2012 joined the IEA SHC Programme, whose 2014 Conference will be held in Beijing, China currently has a 60% share of the global solar thermal energy market. This conference aims to disseminate information more effectively by covering not only all the key technical aspects of solar thermal energy - all the way from raw materials to finished components - but also those relating to the business side of the equation.

The conference will be jointly organized by IEA SHC and The China Academy of Building Research, and supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People´s Republic of China. We hope and expect that it will strengthen the links and cooperation between China and the rest of the world so that we can contribute together in the creation of a planet-friendly and sustainable environment.

Our very best wishes for a successful conference in Beijing!

He Tao, China Academy of Building Research, Scientific Chair of SHC 2014