By 2010, the total heat collection area of solar water heaters in China will reach 150 million square meters, and with the addition of other solar thermal applications, the annual amount of alternative energy will reach 30 million tons of standard coal. By 2020, the total heat collection area of solar water heaters in China will reach about 300 million square meters, and with the addition of other solar thermal applications, the annual amount of alternative energy will reach 60 million tons of standard coal. This is the magnificent blueprint planned for the Chinese solar water heater industry in the "Medium - and Long Term Development Plan for Renewable Energy". As of the end of 2008, the inventory of solar water heaters in China was 123 million square meters, accounting for approximately 60% of the world's total inventory. In 2009, solar water heaters were included in the subsidy product range of "Home Appliances Going to the Countryside". "The name of solar water heaters has rightfully climbed to the top of the list and become a nationally recognized product. For the industry, this is undoubtedly an opportunity to strengthen itself. However, it is also a challenge," said Luo Zhentao, director of the Solar Thermal Utilization Professional Committee of the China Rural Energy Association.

Chaoyang industry continues to rise

    The solar water heater industry is in the process of development, and problems are inevitable, but we must also see the good momentum of the industry's rise. "Luo Zhentao joyfully introduced the overall operation of the solar water heater industry in 2008 to the reporter of" Electric Appliances ":" In 2008, the total output value of China's solar water heater industry was 43 billion yuan, and the output of solar collectors was 31 million square meters, accounting for 70% of the world's total output. "In 2005, the total output value of China's solar water heater industry was only 12 billion yuan." In recent years, the solar water heater industry has developed rapidly, with an average annual growth rate of about 30%. The development speed of some key enterprises is even much higher than the average level, "said Huo Zhichen, Secretary General of the China Solar Thermal Utilization Industry Alliance.

    At present, there are more than 1500 solar water heater complete machine enterprises with a certain scale, including supporting enterprises, with a total of more than 3000 enterprises in the industry. Huo Zhichen introduced that among these enterprises, there are more than 30 enterprises with an output value of over 100 million yuan, and only 4 enterprises with an output value of over 1 billion yuan, namely Huangming, Taiyangyu, Sangle and Linuoruit. After years of development, China's solar water heater industry has formed a relatively complete industrial system, and several distinctive regional clusters have also been formed. Shandong enterprises are based on the market and have formed a complete industrial chain; Jiangsu enterprises have a relatively good industrial environment and obvious collective effects; Beijing enterprises have done a good job in technology research and development; Zhejiang enterprises were in a state of following in the past few years, and in recent years, with the enhancement of supporting capabilities, they have gradually developed. "Huo Zhichen carefully counted the different characteristics and development trajectories of each region. At the same time, enterprises in Guangdong, Anhui and other regions have gradually developed and become a force that cannot be ignored in the industry. Solar water heaters are being popularized nationwide in the order of coastal provinces and cities, underdeveloped areas, and western regions, "said Luo Zhentao.

    In 2008, facing the economic crisis, solar water heater companies were almost unaffected. Luo Zhentao believes that this is also a "potato effect", where consumers abandon high-end luxury goods and turn to low-cost, high cost-effective products. The development speed of this year is still uncertain, but judging from the situation in the first half of the year, the industry situation is still very good. "Although Luo Zhentao did not give a clear forecast for the industry's growth rate, it is not difficult to feel his full confidence in the sustainable development of the solar water heater industry from his words.

Three markets that cannot be neglected: going to the countryside, entering the city, and going abroad

    Statistics show that two-thirds of China's land area has an annual sunshine duration of over 2200 hours, and the total annual solar radiation is greater than 5000 megajoules per square meter, making it an area with good solar energy utilization conditions. It can be seen that the vast majority of regions in China have the conditions to use solar water heaters, which is undoubtedly a huge potential market for the solar water heater industry. From the industry situation in 2008, the domestic market contributed more than 80% to China's solar water heater industry, with the rural market accounting for over 50% and the engineering market accounting for about 30%, "said Huo Zhichen.

    Solar water heaters have long been in the countryside! "This is the common voice of solar water heater companies. Undoubtedly, for the vast majority of Chinese solar water heater companies, the domestic market is the absolute main market, and rural areas have always been a market that companies rely on. The main reason why China's solar water heater market can account for 80% of the world market is that China has found a simple, effective, and low-cost path for solar thermal utilization, "said Huang Zhelin. The high adaptability of all glass vacuum tube solar water heaters to the rural market has made them highly recognized by rural consumers, and solar water heater companies have also extended their channels to the county level early on. Many leaders of solar water heater companies have stated that with the deepening of the "household appliances going to the countryside" initiative, the most important thing for solar water heater companies that have already gone to the countryside is to ensure the quality of their products and services and defend the rural market.

    Compared to going to the countryside, the journey of solar water heaters to the city has always been full of thorns. First and second tier cities have consistently refused to allow solar water heaters to be installed on their rooftops, citing their impact on overall urban planning. However, with the increasing national requirements for building energy efficiency, there has been a turning point for solar water heaters entering the city. The "Medium - and Long Term Development Plan for Renewable Energy" clearly stipulates the promotion and popularization of solar integrated buildings, solar centralized heating and water supply projects, and the construction of solar heating and cooling demonstration projects in cities. Under the guidance of national energy policies, Shenzhen was the first to break the ice on the road to the city with solar water heaters. The "Regulations on Building Energy Efficiency in Shenzhen Special Economic Zone" implemented at the end of 2006 clearly stipulated for the first time that for newly built residential buildings with 12 floors or less that have solar heat collection conditions, the construction unit should equip all residents with solar hot water systems. Subsequently, similar local regulations were introduced in various provinces and cities across the country. Starting from January 1, 2008, newly built residential buildings with 12 floors or less, as well as newly constructed, renovated, or expanded public buildings such as hotels, commercial and residential buildings with hot water demand in urban areas of Jiangsu Province, must uniformly design and install solar hot water systems. Some cities in Zhejiang Province, Shandong Province, and Wuhan City in Hubei Province also have similar regulations.

    In addition to policy tilt, the characteristics and development of solar water heater products themselves have also laid a solid foundation for entering the city. Solar water heaters utilizing renewable resources have good energy-saving and environmental protection effects. In urban household life, air conditioning often consumes the most energy, but it has seasonal usage characteristics and generally does not operate throughout the year. From this perspective, water heaters used to provide hot water for daily life often become major energy consumers, while solar water heaters can provide hot water for urban households at low cost and environmentally friendly, "analyzed Huang Zhelin, Vice President of Beijing Tsinghua Sunshine Energy Development Co., Ltd. The obstacles that affect the entry of solar water heaters into urban households, such as inconvenient operation and poor bathing comfort, have gradually been cleared. The emergence of controllers, electric heating integrated into solar water heaters, and pressure systems has greatly improved the product level of solar water heaters.

    At the same time, solar water heater companies have also accelerated their research and development and productization efforts for the integration of solar water heaters with buildings. Previously, it was almost impossible to install solar water heaters in high-rise buildings in cities. "The area of the collector installed on the roof of high-rise buildings cannot meet the hot water demand of the entire building, and the excessively long pipelines can also affect the effectiveness of use," said Zhu Qifa, General Manager of Beijing Sunshine Shijia Solar Industry Co., Ltd. In addition, if there is no reserved location for the installation of pipelines for solar water heaters before construction, the exposed pipelines may also greatly affect the overall aesthetics of the building. After the emergence of split pressure solar water heaters, the problem of using solar water heaters in high-rise buildings can be solved by installing solar collectors on balconies or exterior walls.

    It is worth noting that the combination of flat panel solar water heaters with high-rise buildings has a better effect. We cannot only focus on the development of all glass vacuum tubes, but also on the research of flat plate collectors. We should see the advantages of flat plate collectors in combination with buildings. Xi Wenhua, Vice President of Gansu Academy of Sciences, emphasized. According to Gao Liankui, Director of the Production Center of Beijing Solar Energy Research Institute Co., Ltd., this is mainly due to the fact that there are almost no technical barriers to using flat plate collectors as pressure bearing products, while the technical difficulty of using all glass vacuum tubes as pressure bearing systems is relatively high. In recent years, the sales of flat panel and metal heat pipe solar water heaters have indeed increased, mainly driven by the demand of the high-end market. However, we still need to see that there is still room for improvement in all glass vacuum tube products, "said Lu Jian, Deputy General Manager of Beijing Siji Muge Solar Technology Co., Ltd. In the short term, non pressure products will still be mainstream, and the cost of pressure products is relatively high. From the current consumption psychology of Chinese consumers, they are more accepting of low-priced non pressure products, "said Zhu Qifa.

    In 2008, the export value of Chinese solar water heaters was about 120 million US dollars, exported to more than 80 countries around the world. Samp, Taiyangyu, Linuoruit, and Wuxing are several solar water heater companies that Luo Zhentao remembers doing well in exports. He said, "In the foreign market, companies must first establish and protect Chinese brands, and cannot blindly engage in price wars. Secondly, they must pay attention to product quality. For developed countries such as Europe, they must meet the certification requirements of the exporting countries. For developing regions such as Africa that lack certification regulations, companies must be self disciplined and maintain new markets

Strengthening policy support

    German and Spanish consumers have a particularly strong consumer awareness of solar products, one of the main reasons being the strong support from the government. In recent years, the market in Australia has been very good because the government provides high subsidies to consumers who purchase solar water heaters, "said Liu Jun from Guangdong Wuxing Solar Energy Co., Ltd., who is familiar with overseas markets, to a reporter from" Electric Appliances ". Several solar water heater companies have told reporters from "Electric Appliances" that the 13% subsidy for "home appliances going to rural areas" is still much smaller than the special subsidies given to solar water heaters by many countries. It is reported that in Germany, where solar energy is widely used, the government provides a 40% subsidy for users to install solar water heaters.

    However, our country's policy support for solar water heaters is also increasing. Recently, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Rural Development are carrying out two projects on the application of renewable energy in buildings, "Huo Zhichen said happily. It is understood that these two projects are mainly aimed at promoting the demonstration of renewable energy building applications, and solar hot water systems are the focus of promotion. Two projects will establish several demonstration cities and counties respectively. For the cities included in the demonstration, the central government will provide special subsidies, with a funding benchmark of 50 million yuan per demonstration city; At the same time, for cities with good promotion effects, the subsidy amount will be correspondingly increased, and the maximum subsidy for each demonstration city will not exceed 80 million yuan; Each demonstration county can receive a maximum subsidy of no more than 18 million yuan; A subsidy of 15 yuan per square meter will be given for integrated solar thermal utilization, and solar bathrooms, solar rooms, etc. on a household by household basis will be subsidized at 60% of the newly added investment.

    At present, the photovoltaic industry, which is heavily supported by national funds, has a situation where its core technology and main market are not located domestically, and the solar water heater industry has independent intellectual property rights and a very broad domestic market prospect, which can make substantial contributions to national energy conservation and emission reduction. Such an industry is more worthy of government investment, "said Xi Wenhua.

    Although the upstream of vacuum tubes - raw tube production - consumes a lot of energy, currently there is a concentration of suppliers for glass raw tubes in China, and most solar water heater manufacturers are not involved in the production of glass raw tubes. Huang Zhe believes that overall, the manufacturing process of solar water heaters is very environmentally friendly. According to calculations by Tsinghua Sunshine, if the various costs required to produce one 150L solar water heater are disassembled, the comprehensive cost (including the energy consumption cost of raw materials) consumed can be recovered in about 1.1 years. If the later sales costs are added, the recovery period is about 3 years.

    Solar energy is free, but the process of applying solar energy requires a cost to ensure that this product is more environmentally friendly in production and use. Similar to Huang Zhelin, many solar water heater companies have begun to pay attention to energy conservation and environmental protection issues in the production process, such as the "Double Green Standard" of Four Seasons Muge, which proposes that solar water heaters, as green products, should also be energy-efficient and environmentally friendly in the production process. Solar water heaters can cause pollution in both production and use, and some small businesses still use environmentally unfriendly foaming agents in production. Light pollution may also occur during the installation and use of solar water heaters. Yan Zhongmin, the deputy general manager of Jiangsu Huaiyin Huihuang Solar Energy Co., Ltd., who has been engaged in environmental protection work for many years, has been paying attention to these issues. "Enterprises in the industry that have passed the 'Ten Ring Certification' (i.e. China Environmental Labeling) are those that meet national environmental protection requirements in their production process and should receive key government support." If the country can provide key financial support to large enterprises that focus on comprehensive environmental protection, those small enterprises that use environmentally unfriendly raw materials and compete at low prices will gradually be eliminated, and the solar water heater industry will also move towards a healthier direction. Development.

    In addition, there is still a lot of room for technological research and development of solar water heater products, especially for products that will be integrated with buildings in the future. Currently, there is no mature solution, and national subsidies and support can help solar water heater products upgrade rapidly and move towards maturity. From the perspective of market share, such a good energy-saving product only accounts for one-third of the market, indicating that the product is not as mature as electric water heaters and gas water heaters, and there is a lot of room for technological improvement, "said Pan Baochun, Chairman of Hefei Rongshida Solar Energy Technology Co., Ltd. It can be seen that during the critical period of industry development, government support will provide impetus for the sustainable development of the industry.

The standard system is becoming increasingly perfect

    2009 was a year when the construction of the standard system for the solar water heater industry accelerated. Currently, the solar water heater industry has formed a relatively complete standard system including collector elements, collectors, water heaters, hot water engineering, and main accessories. GB/T 19141-2003 "Technical Conditions for Household Solar Water Heating Systems" is the most comprehensive standard for household solar water heating systems. With the development of the industry, it is planned to revise it in the near future, and the technical standards will be improved, adding some items in terms of quality and safety. ”Jia Tieying, Secretary General of the National Solar Energy Standardization Technical Committee, said. It is reported that the GB/T 23888-2009 "Controller for Household Solar Hot Water Systems" drafted by Shandong Linuoruite New Energy Co., Ltd. has been approved and will be officially implemented from January 1, 2010.

    According to Jia Tieying, the "General Technical Conditions for Material Selection of Main Components of Household Solar Water Heating Systems" was drafted by Huangming Solar Energy Group Co., Ltd., aiming to be completed and approved by the end of this year. The content will involve the selection of materials for the inner tank of the water tank, and corresponding regulations will be made for the two commonly used and market recognized materials for the inner tank of the water tank in the industry - stainless steel and enamel. For some new inner tank materials that have emerged recently, the standard will not involve them temporarily. Jia Tieying emphasized that the standard will also stipulate the minimum thickness of stainless steel inner tank materials.

    The national standard for sealing rubber rings is jointly formulated by the Solar Energy Standardization Technical Committee and the National Rubber Standardization Technical Committee. The former is responsible for specifying the size of the rubber rings, while the latter is responsible for specifying the specific rubber materials. It is understood that this standard is a recommended national standard and has been submitted for review. The sealing rubber ring may seem inconspicuous, but its usage is large and its effect is also significant, "Jia Tieying said. The inner diameter of the sealing rubber ring is the outer diameter of the vacuum tube and the diameter of the water tank opening. After making it a standard part, it can improve the interchangeability of enterprise products, facilitate future maintenance, and to some extent reduce the difficulty of enterprise research and development.

    It is worth mentioning that despite some disagreements within the industry, the first mandatory national standard for the solar water heater industry, the "Minimum Allowable Values and Efficiency Grades for Thermal Performance of Household Solar Water Heating Systems," has begun to be formulated. The formulation of national energy efficiency standards can not only guide consumers to choose solar water heater products in a simple and clear manner, but also guide enterprises to improve product quality