Suntech’s CEO and founder, Dr. Zhengrong Shi, has been appointed Chief Chairman of the Asian Photovoltaic Industry Association (APVIA).
The Asian Photovoltaic Industry Association (APVIA) consists of over 600 manufacturers of solar panels, scientific institutions and other related organizations in Asian countries. The goal of the association is to promote technological and economic information exchange, improve connection with governments, further uptake of solar PV and the provision of various other member services.
Dr. Shi will be the Chief Chairman of APVIA for two years and is looking forward to the period ahead in the important role. With the Asian PV sector to grab one-third of global demand within just a few years; Dr. Shi says the region is well placed to be at the forefront of driving industry growth globally.
“Asia is home to a number of leading PV companies with excellence in manufacturing, technology and R&D, and boasts amazing solar resources. Through APVIA, the PV ecosystem will collaborate to develop the best technologies, achieve economies of scale, and identify market opportunities to achieve grid parity both in Asia and the world.”
In other recent Suntech news, the company has celebrated its first shipment of solar panels from its new manufacturing facility in Goodyear, Arizona. to the Mesquite Solar 1 construction site. The 150-megawatt (MW) Mesquite Solar 1 plant will host more than 800,000 Suntech solar panels when it is completed in 2013.
Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. also recently celebrated two major milestones – its 10th anniversary and five gigawatts of Suntech solar panels having been installed around the world.
Founded in 2001 by Dr. Zhengrong Shi, a graduate of the University of NSW, Suntech is the world’s largest producer of silicon solar modules. Suntech has delivered more than 20,000,000 modules to over eighty countries; including Australia, where the panels have proven popular in grid connect and off-grid solar energy installations.
