Children will inherit the Earth. So we should make sure there is a healthy Earth to leave them in the future.
The members of the next generation learned about the current state of renewable and traditional energies through visits to energy companies as part of this year’s Shanghai Family Summer Media Camp. The summer media camp for students was held in July. During the camp, the first batch of campers learned about the fundamentals of journalism writing, the media industry, design, branding, and public speaking.
Campers also visited two energy companies to interview top executives, and put into practice what they learned over the course of the five-day camp to produce their own articles. But enough from the adults, let’s hear directly from the students.
Sustainable, clean energy is the solution.
By Alicia Bolstein
Around the world, climate change is becoming serious. From wildfires to floods, to droughts and hurricanes, there’s no escaping the dangers plaguing the planet. One main cause of global warming is conventional energy sources being burned for electricity, resulting in carbon dioxide being emitted into the atmosphere. A shift toward sustainable clean energy sources must occur to stop the use of conventional energy sources.
JinkoSolar and PETRONAS are two companies striving to make a change. While JinkoSolar is developing more efficient solar panels to promote clean energy, PETRONAS is working toward net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Both companies acknowledge this shift might take years, but through innovation, they continue to improve.
Currently, worldwide, Jinko’s solar panels have the highest efficiency of up to 22.02%. When the solar panels need to be replaced after 25-30 years, they are recycled, producing little waste. Jinko is also working on stopping carbon emissions from their factories, and Ms. Qian Jing, Vice President of JinkoSolar, believes soon they can produce solar panels entirely using clean energy. Doing this, they are making an impact. According to Jinko, they reduced 20,547,040 tons of carbon dioxide emissions by using solar panels.
Ms. Qian Jing, Vice President of JinkoSolar
Other companies traditionally using conventional energy sources, like PETRONAS, are working toward cleaner energy sources. However, Ms. Lisy Lee, PETRONAS China Chairman, states, “We need to balance the speed and reality.” So now, they use more natural gas because it emits 50% less carbon dioxide compared to fossil fuels and coal. This way, by gradually replacing conventional energy, a shortage in energy supply is prevented, all while developing better solutions.
As companies shift toward clean energy, sustainability can’t be ignored. When looking at sustainability, circular economy determines whether the product is sustainable. Ms. Lee used manufacturing electric cars to explain. “An electric car is very clean, compared to the other fossil [fuel] cars, it’s clean. Why is it clean? It’s using electricity. When you drive the car, it does not emit carbon dioxide, so it is a clean energy. But we have to think of the whole life span of where this electric car is coming from. Is it really, really sustainable?“ She explains that while parts of the car’s lifespan may be beneficial to the environment, other parts may cause harm, making it unsustainable, such as the use of lithium batteries to power the car. That’s why evaluating sustainability is crucial when considering clean energy alternatives.
Ms. Lisy Lee, PETRONAS China Chairman
JinkoSolar and PETRONAS show what can be done to help climate change, but they are a long way from finding the perfect solution to using sustainable, clean energy. Ms. Lee said, “reality is not rosy,” and these problems will not go away unless critical actions are taken. No one knows what the future might bring, but clean energy shows what is possible and what can be done when people work together as one.
Alicia,
A 14 year old 9th grader
at Shanghai American School Pudong Campus
Solar in action.
By Bella Pek
People always say, global warming is making a huge impact on the world, we need to do something, but how? And when is it too late to take action?
Right now, the Earth is facing rising sea levels, melting of ice and higher probability of acid rain, which is making our environment more and more harmful.
Thankfully, there are companies who are determined to help planet Earth. JinkoSolar specializes in making solar panels. On Tuesday July 19th, the Shanghai Family Campers went to JinkoSolar to discover what solar energy is and to look at the solar energy models, followed by an interview and an overall presentation with Ms Dany Qian, VP of JinkoSolar and Mr Daniel Liu, GM South Asia of JinkSolar.
Inside JinkoSolar’s buildings, you can get a whole view of the JinkoSolar Cloud Management Center. It shows where the power plants are, and how much carbon emissions they reduced, which is over 20,547,040 tons.
In the next section, you get an overview of the global presence of where Jinko’s solar panels are located, such as America, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Hefei and Xinxing, China. In glass displays, you can see how solar panels are made, from poly-silicon to ingots, then to wafers, and next cells, and finally modules and panels. You can also admire the Tiger Neo 54HC, their newest technology, with enhanced solar capture efficiency at 22.02%. According to an expert at JinkoSolar, “It is the most innovated panel in our industry.”
Up the staircase to the third floor, there are the meeting rooms. The Shanghai Family Campers took a seat and listened to a presentation of how JinkoSolar was inspired to immerse in the solar world. They interviewed Ms Qian, VP of JinkoSolar, and learnt a lot about the solar panels and what they do to make our environment safer and better. From what types of solar panels they have to the values and goals of the company, the campers got a lot of new information about solar energy, in depth.
Thanks to Jinko, people around the world can have hope of reaching their achievement: to stop global warming. But, still, there is a lot the world has to do in able to stop global warming, and even though technology is getting more and more advanced, society needs to make a change to the world, before it is too late.
Bella,
A 9 year old at Shanghai American School
By Kiki Zhang
Did any of you noticed that in June, it was already extremely, burning hot? Have you noticed that a lot of natural disasters are happening recently? But, have you ever thought about what actually caused all of this to happen?
Now, global warming and rising sea levels are a serious problem. You might not know how important they actually are, but they will make a huge impact to communities and normal life. On Tuesday, Shanghai Family members visited JinkoSolar to learn about solar panels and solar energy. They also interviewed Ms Dany Qian, VP of JinkoSolar, and Mr Daniel Liu, General Manager South Asia of JinkoSolar.
Inside JinkoSolar
There was a future model of the world powered entirely by solar energy and solar panels. Next to it was a large screen that showed the map of the company’s other global offices. To the left, was the Jinko Cloud Management Center. Sixty pieces of solar panels were on show in front of the model. Big pieces of solar panels are for vast areas of land and the small solar panels are for small areas of land.
Jinko and how it makes renewable energies
There are many different energies in the world. Energy is split into two different types, conventional energy and renewable energy. Conventional energy includes petroleum, natural gas, coal and nuclear energy. Renewable energy includes solar, geothermal, wind, biomass and hydropower.
The main technologies of solar energy are photovoltaic (PV), solar heating, and concentrated solar power (CSP), a hybrid.
According to Mr Liu, after the solar panels are used for 25 years, they will be recycled and be made back into a new one. This shows the cycle, where it gets recycled, shaped, and made again. This helps to save resources from the planet and it is also really sustainable to reuse it.
Unfortunately, not every place is going to be powered by sustainable solar power, because in Shanghai and the east part of China, the land area is not enough for solar. For the cities that are located in the south, north and west of China, there are open areas for solar panels and solar energy, like Xinjiang.
The future is now. Changes must be made before global warming takes over the world! Small acts done now, always make a big impact!
Kiki,
A 10 year old at Harrow International School Shanghai
By Louisa Shen
There are many issues that are occurring on our planet Earth. Global warming is one of them. Global warming is causing the glaciers to melt, oceans to acidify, sea levels to rise, and more. This will cause islands to disappear in the future and even some animals, such as polar bears, to become extinct. Global warming is an important issue that humans need to take serious action against now and in the future.
Renewable energy is coming to help reduce global warming by replacing some conventional energies, such as coal energy. On July 19th, The Shanghai Family Media Camp visited PETRONAS and JinkoSolar Company to learn more about sustainable energy and had an exclusive opportunity to interview people from these two companies.
“We are making solar panels higher in efficiency and better,” says Daniel Liu, General Manager of South Asia of JinkoSolar. Liu also said that solar energy is clean and sustainable, and it can also change into different energy for other usages.
Nowadays more and more people are starting to drive electric cars, and families are encouraged to apply solar panels on top of their roofs. The life span of a solar panel, which is recyclable, is about 25 to 30 years. Hence, more renewable energy such as solar energy should be incorporated into daily life.
As people know, global warming is a very crucial issue in the world. The usage of coal and gasoline is very common all around the world. These energies cause air contamination and global warming. Therefore, some of the conventional energies are replaced by renewable energies like solar.
Over the next few years, PETRONAS will replace some conventional energy with renewable energy. PETRONAS set a goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, and they will cooperate with JinkoSolar to achieve this goal to reduce the speed of global warming.
According to Lisy Lee, PETRONAS China Chairman, “It is a long-term goal. There are strategies for the next few years to achieve the goal”. Hence, PETRONAS is stepping closer to achieving the net-zero carbon goal and easing global warming.
In the future, more renewable energy will become available and will replace conventional energy, reducing the speed of global warming to protect the Earth.
Louisa,
A 17 year old at Santa Catalina School, USA
By Cindy Wang
Global warming is getting more serious than before. Everyone says society needs to solve this problem but no actions have been made. Society needs to start to take actions now, but how?
On July 19th, Shanghai Family members visited JinkoSolar in Shanghai. They went to see the models of solar panels and how the energy system works around the city. They also listened to a presentation about JinkoSolar, and interviewed the Vice President of JinkoSolar, Ms. Qian Jing.
Inside Jinko
At JinkoSolar, they have an impressive display about their vision. The model room contains a simulated energy system of a small city, along with the solar panels that JinkoSolar made. Shanghai Family members were given an exclusive presentation about what JinkoSolar is doing and an introduction to the solar panels that they are making.
Solar Engery Presentation
During the presentation, a Jinko worker explained the types of solar panels and new energy, the energy system, the main cause of global warming, and also an introduction on the solar panels JinkoSolar is making.
The main cause of global warming is pollution, which is greenhouse gas emissions. One of the most important energy systems is photovoltaic (PV) used in solar energy. When solar energy is captured on the solar panels, it is a direct current, and when this current is in the electrical system, it turns into alternate current. This is the process where solar energy turns into electricity. The main components of this system includes the PV module, the PV inverter, and the mounting system. Another system is called solar heating. This is the process where solar energy turns into thermal energy.
Interview with Ms. Qian
When asked why new energy is so important, Ms. Qian answered, “To make a better world, to save ourselves. If we continue the way that we are living now, then there’s only a few hundreds of years left for us now.”
She also said that solar energy is one of the key factors to saving the planet. She added, although a lot of people think that electricity and energy should be there since it’s natural.
But now nature is teaching the world a lesson, which is climate change. If society doesn’t start to do anything, the world won’t have comfortable living conditions in the next few hundred years. That’s why renewable and sustainable energies are needed. Ms. Qian agreed, “We must do something to protect the Earth.”
Society also needs to help the Earth to recover to its original harmonious state by doing small things. Everyone is looking forward to a better, solar-powered Earth.
Cindy,
A 12 year old at Shanghai United International School Jiaoke Campus
By Leona Li
On July 19th, Shanghai Family campers went to PETRONAS energy company and JinkoSolar company to see how renewable and petroleum energies work. The presentation was done by Ms. Lisy Lee from PETRONAS and Ms. Qian Jing from JinkoSolar.
According to them, in the past, people only had energy such as fossil fuels like coal and oil, which caused a lot of pollution.
Now, people create renewable energies, for example, wind energy, hydropower and solar energy.
The renewable energies can be used for electricity generation, space and water heating, cooling, and transportation, reducing carbon emissions and air pollution from energy consumption.
“People create renewable energies because they do not harm the environment, unlike petroleum, and fossil fuels that willproduce greenhouse gas emissions,” a worker from JinkoSolar informed.
At JinkoSolar, Shanghai Family campers learned about how their energy system works, and Ms. Qian Jing explained the process. She was a wealth of information, and when asked how she was privileged to attend a lot of formal summits about energies and resources, she answered, “I want to provide help to the world, also it’s my job to help investigate renewable energies.”
The visit to the two energy companies gave insight to different types of energies, how they work in different conditions, and their advantages.
Leona,
A 12 year old at Shanghai United International School Jiaoke Campus
By Jasmine Zhang
Compost is a good way to protect our environment and good for our Earth’s future. I recently watched a documentary about composting, and I was very interested to try it with my parents. Especially now the climate is getting warmer, we can be friendlier to Earth.
In the documentary, the woman introduced her experience of composting. She showed the audience her garden. There were many beautiful plants. She explained her achievements of composting. Then she showed the compost she was currently making. She was very successful with her composting.
On the first day I tried composting, my parents and I prepared some soil, kitchen garbage and put them into a garbage can. I mixed them together and put the garbage can on the balcony. Then over the next few days, I put the kitchen garbage into the compost can everyday.
I learned that composting isn’t easy. You need to cut the weeds every day and it is very smelly in the summer. You must keep going because it is very easy to fail. But you will enjoy the process.
I hope that more people can learn about composting, and contribute to the Earth’s environmental protection.
Jasmine,
A 10 year old
at Shanghai Xuhui Jianxiang Primary School
沪ICP备15036271号-2
