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Students of Silk Road School, Renmin University of China visited the Golden Concord Holdings Limited (GCL Group).
On the 29th September 2019, 55 students from the Silk Road School,Renmin University of China had visited Golden Concord Holdings Limited (GCL Group).
Founded in 1990, the GCL Group was dedicated in the production of new and clean energy and specialises in areas such as solar power, natural gas, mobile power storage, semi-conductor and more. They ranked top in the new energy sector of Top 500 Chinese enterprise for many years continuously and 3rd in the global new energy Top 500 enterprises.
Upon entering the building, students and teachers of SRS were greeted by a green wall with red flowers on the green world map, indicting the projects the GCL Group had participated in.
Students and teachers were first brought to the Energy Data Center. Standing behind a glass wall, participants were able to observe the real-time updates of the statistics for the various projects of the company. At the Energy Data Center, GCL Group employees can monitor, manage and made adjustments based on the statistics that were provided.
Left: Process line of the materials made/ recycled.Right: A completed solar panel is made up of 72 cells.
Next up, participants were brought to the Future Energy Pavilion.The Future Energy Pavilion was established in 2016 when the International Forum on Energy Transitions was held in Suzhou and had 4 galleries namely the Introductory Gallery, Energy Revolution Drives Civilization, Green Energy Supports Sustainable Development and Bringing Green Power to Life. There were models, videos and write up explaining the history of the energy revolution to the display of the various types of energy, process line of how they gotten the materials they needed and the products that are available in the market. The GCL Group specialises in the manufacture of solar panels and photovoltaic (pv) power generation; thus, a wide range of exhibited products were focused on solar energy. For example, a completed solar panel which is made up of 72 cells, with the maximum output tolerance set at 395 watts and both sides of the panel can be connected to the battery. The newly developed product will be less laborious while reaching the same level of efficiency in year 2020. Instead of discarding the whole solar panel away once it has reached the end of its life cycle, certain components will be recycled. It was also noted that the option of ocean energy has not been explored as much.
Renewable energy in the world by year 2030.
Due to the pollution from the traditional form of energy, we may face a crisis of the lack of energy in the future. Hence, in 2015, Chinaalong with 174 countries had concluded the Paris Agreement at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters, an agreement in response to the global climate change and a divide for energy reform, and by 2030 the world would have the amount of renewable energy as shown in the map above.
Energy can be generated as the tiles lights up while being stepped on.
Moving down the Future Energy Pavilion, there isan interactive set up that stood out from the rest of the exhibition.Participants are to step on the tiles on the floor, which then generates energy to move the windmills that are on the wall.
Furthermore, collaborations between the Ethiopia government and the GCL Group has started since 2013. Following an agreement signed between Ethiopia, Djibouti and the GCL Group, the GCL Group will also be constructing a 767km Ethiopia-Djibouti natural gas pipeline to transport the natural gas from landlocked Ethiopia to Djibouti Port along the Red Sea.
Putting the technologies developed into real-life, the final part of the Future Energy Pavilion demonstrates how renewable energy is an integral component in the daily operations of the Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP). For example, the screen above shows the indicators of power output and consumption in the SIP.
Appliances and house systems can use the energy generated from the roof.
The enterprise visit ended with a tour around the Smart Town, showcasing how the green energy can be present in our lives. For example, the toilet can provide information on one’s healththrough the testing of one’s body waste anda coffee tabletop that acts as a user energy complementary management platform. Amazed by the advance technologies, some participants had expressed their interest in staying in a house as such. Nonetheless, we can look forward to such appliances appearing in our houses in the future.
This visit had been an eye-openingexperience for the participants, leaving some with queries and ideas on how to improve the green energy living in this city.
Written, photos taken by: Lim Yin Ru
About the writer:
Lim Yin Ru is a Graduate Student of Silk Road School of Renmin University of China.
Yin Ru had graduated from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU) with the Bachelor of Arts in Chinese with Honors, and a minor in Translation.
Being an avid volunteer, she has been doing voluntary articles translation for Amitofo Care Centre and is a volunteer writer at the Meet-the-People sessions in her constituency.
She has participated in the Nine Emperor Gods Festival, a collaboration research project between NTU and National Heritage Board (Singapore). She also interned at the Singapore Press Holdings Limited as a journalist for LianheWanbao.
