Less coal, more comfortIn China, it is almost certain: the further away from the booming cities in the East, the poorer and the poorer life gets. In rural Xichuan in the province of Henan, conditions are very simple. Over three quarters of the population live in simple dwellings without any comfort, cooking on inefficient coal stoves.
Through this project they receive very simple solar cookers. They function via a parabolic mirror, which directs sunlight directly onto the cooking pot and heats it up like this. Further technology is not involved, but the advantages are enormous. Sun energy is free, clean and sufficiently available in this area of China. Smoke pollution in the huts disappears. In the meantime, around 48,000 sets of solar cookers have been
installed and put into operation by rural households, which has stimulated local solar energy development.
How does solar energy contribute to climate action?Although the development of renewable energy sources is increasing, energy from fossil fuels is still a significant part of energy production worldwide. This is associated with the release of large amounts of carbon emissions. The use of solar energy is a good way to provide people around the world with renewable energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Solar installations, implemented through solar projects, convert sunlight into electricity (photovoltaic) or heat (solar thermal). Even when the sky is cloudy, the solar thermal power plants generate heat and convert it into electricity. Photovoltaic projects use the photoelectric effect to convert sunlight into electricity.
The energy produced is typically fed into the national or regional power grid, reducing the share of fossil fuels in the electricity mix. In addition to reducing carbon emissions, solar projects also prevent the release of various pollutants associated with conventional power generation. Solar energy projects in the ClimatePartner portfolio are registered with international standards.
