Smart Energy delegation amazed by China

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Over 12 days we led 16 delegates across China, covering 2,500km, visiting 9 cities and 10 companies and factories.

Delegates came from a broad cross section of the industry – household and commercial solar and storage, fund managers, project developers, retailers, researchers, consumer representatives and a grid distribution company in NZ.

By the second company visit on the first day, one of the delegates turned to me and said ‘It’s all over. China have won’.

As we looked across the massive assembly line for electric car and bus batteries at BYD, I could but agree.

Since 2011 BYD have deployed 17,000 electric taxis and 22,000 electric buses in their hometown alone. They have learnt about mass charging, battery cycle life and user acceptance first hand.

And there it was.  A beautiful all electric SUV, with a 500 km range, for under USD55,000, which is on track for assembly in Adelaide.

Then we found another. Check out https://www.nio.com/

Better.  Than.  Tesla.

The front passenger seat turns into a nearly lie flat bed.

I ran into a NEO owner a few days later half way across the country, and asked him how he found the car.

In broken English he told me he was so proud that it was China designed and built.

I had to agree with him.

We visited world leading solar panel factories that turn out twice the number of panels than the entire Australian market installs in a year.

We saw inverter and battery quality control, and individual product testing that would make Steve Jobs proud.

Everywhere we went the hospitality was amazing.

At the smart energy expo in Shanghai, we saw the latest shingle, half cell, double glass modules.

PV integrated into windows, building cladding, and roof tiles, as well as the latest solar batteries and the latest energy management software.

We also saw delivery trucks that run on renewable hydrogen, 9kg of hydrogen for 350km of truck sized travel.

But it was not just the smart energy technology that delegates were experiencing.

It was the light speed pace of development in China as a whole.

As we passed through the high-speed train terminal in Shanghai, I paused to look over the 50,000+ people in the arrival halls.  All were firmly in the international middle class.

From Shenzhen to Shangrao to Shanghai, there has been a significant improvement in China’s air quality.

Standing in the historic Shanghai Bund at night, looking across the Huangpu River, we could clearly saw Shanghai’s incredible skyline and even some stars.

Could not do that even 2 years ago.

China is not just making smart energy products for the world, it is the world’s largest smart energy market.

What did the delegates think?

Well, the trip was like a gruelling live-in exercise you might get at the culmination of one of the world’s top MBA programs.

Long days.  Lots of moving parts.

But to a person, delegates all agreed it was a professional and personal development experience that was completely unique, and extremely valuable.

100% of people rated the delegation organisation as ‘excellent’.

Extraordinary feedback.

We are already planning the next delegation, likely for November this year…. Shoot us an email if you want to be kept informed – admin@smartenergy.org.au