The Sun King of China

Discovery

BBC

Science, Technology

4.3 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 31 October 2016

⏱️ 26 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Meet Huang Ming, the Chinese inventor who describes himself as, 'the number one crazy solar guy in the world'. One of the prize exhibits of his museum in northern China is a vintage solar panel. It is a water heater, installed by President Jimmy Carter on the roof of the West Wing of the White House. Back in 1979 the installation was meant to symbolise a new solar-powered future for America. Instead, oil prices fell and Ronald Reagan removed the White House panels. Thirty-seven years on and it is China, not the US that is embracing the idea of a solar-powered economy. Huang Ming, an engineer, prominent political figure and businessman is leading the way with his foundation of Solar Valley. In 800 acres of land south of Beijing he employs 3000 people in solar research, development and manufacture. Peter Hadfield visits Solar Valley to see the fruits of the sun, from a solar-powered yurt to the world's biggest solar-powered building. He asks if Huang Ming can persuade his nation to turn its back on coal and oil and angle its face toward the sun.

Transcript

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0:00.0	These solar panels at the White House cost almost $30,000 and they heat only the water
0:10.0	in the building's West Wing.
0:12.0	But they are meant to symbolize the Carter administration's commitment to solar energy.
0:15.9	In the year 2000, the solar water heater behind me, which is being dedicated today will still be here
0:26.2	supplying cheap efficient energy. In 1979 US President Jimmy Carter committed his nation to a future
0:36.1	powered by the sun. To symbolise the government's multi-million dollar investment
0:41.2	he installed solar water heaters on the roof of the West Wing of the White House.
0:46.0	A generation from now this solar heater can either be a curiosity, a museum piece
0:53.0	peace an example of a road not taken or it can be just a small part of one of the
1:01.0	greatest and most exciting adventures ever undertaken by the American people.
1:07.0	So where are they now?
1:09.0	Well Carter's words were prophetic. Those solar panels were taken down during the presidency of Ronald were
1:13.0	taken down during the presidency of Ronald Reagan.
1:16.0	They're now in a museum.
1:18.0	This solar panel used to be on the top of the White House, on the roof of the White House.
1:24.0	This is the one that was on the White House.
1:26.0	Jimmy Carter's one.
1:28.0	Unfortunately, now this is a piece of my collection in the museum.
1:32.0	Oh, oh, he oh! from my collection in the museum.
1:33.0	The museum and its owner sit at the heart of China's booming solar industry.
1:40.0	I'm Peter Hadfield.
1:42.0	For Discovery on the BBC World Service, I'll be finding out how this
	...

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