Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. (NYSE: STP) has announced it will install a 10MW solar farm on the Tibetan Plateau, making it the world’s highest altitude solar power installation.
To be constructed in Chek Kang village in Sangri County, Shannan Prefecture, the Suntech solar panel based facility will be situated approximately 4 kilometres above sea level.
The installation tackles climate change on two fronts - the avoidance of greenhouse gas emissions associated with generating electricity and addressing some effects of climate change already being felt in Tibet.
The solar farm will generate around 20,000 megawatt-hours of solar electricity annually and play a role in alleviating power shortages in the region. Electricity disruptions have become all too common in the area as more frequent and severe droughts heavily impact on water levels in reservoirs used for hydroelectric power generation.
Dr. Zhengrong Shi, Suntech’s Founder, Chairman and CEO, said Tibet is very well suited to solar energy generation with excellent sunlight levels accompanied by cool temperatures. Contrary to popular belief, solar panels work best in cooler weather as they lose some efficiency as the temperature increases.
The project isn’t Suntech’s first in Tibet. The company has donated over 50 off grid solar power systems to schools, community centers and homes throughout the region. Suntech also installed a solar power system at Mt. Everest’s base camp three years ago, which provides hikers and mountaineers access to electricity.
“We’re proud to invest in preserving the region’s fragile ecosystem by providing an economically-viable and sustainable solution for electricity generation. From the desert sands of Arizona to the peaks of the Himalayas, anyone can look up and harness nature’s cleanest and most abundant energy resource.” said Dr Shi.
Suntech was founded in 2001 and has evolved into the world’s largest manufacturer of solar panels. The company says it has shipped more than 15,000,000 photovoltaic modules to customers in more than 80 countries.
