Mr. Eric Luo is the Chief Executive Officer of Shunfeng International Clean Energy Group (SCFE).
Prior to taking on this role, Mr. Luo served the Chief Executive Officer of Wuxi Suntech Power Co. Ltd., where he managed the company through its acquisition by SFCE. Mr. Luo joined Suntech in October 2010 as its Senior Vice President of Global Supply Chain and was responsible for end-to-end supply chain management encompassing order supply and demand planning, procurement, manufacturing and logistics.
Mr. Luo has most recently been nominated as Asian CEO of the Year by Power and Electricity World Asia. He holds a Bachelor degree of Economics from the Hangzhou College of Commerce in 1988, as well as an MBA degree from Michigan State University in 2000.
ABOUT SFCE: SFCE is a fully integrated clean energy solutions provider, delivering choices in affordable and comprehensive clean energy. SFCE offers a portfolio of energy products and services in wind, PV solar, geothermal, GSHP, ion air battery and energy storage, as well as end user applications so as to meet growing energy demands.
1. China is seen as an emerging global leader in clean energy. In your opinion, what can other countries in Asia learn from China in terms of encouraging clean energy development?
China’s fast paced growth has unfortunately also made it a major generator of carbon emissions. This has been the driving force behind China’s clean energy policies which are aimed at both curbing emissions while still allowing for sustainable development. As China continues to cement a sustainable future, we believe it will set the standard for neighbouring countries whose growth will depend on their ability to increase energy production with minimal environmental impact.
Asia comprises a full 30% of the world's land area with 60% of the world's current population as such it has no choice but to squarely focus on energy efficiency and renewable solutions. For Asian nations to meet the region’s growing food, water, and urban living demands they will have apply energy policies similar to those in China.
2. What has been the impact of the decline in oil prices on the development of clean energy in China?
Oil prices have long been deemed as the ultimate weakness of environmental organisations and clean energy companies. In the wake of the most recent decline, share prices of some of the world’s most prominent renewable energy groups have slumped. However this decline has not impeded the development and deployment of clean energy technologies. In fact the volatility of the conventional energy market has strengthened the desire for greater renewable energy development which is stable, resilient and abundant. Today, China is at the forefront in leading this momentous transition.
China currently accounts for 29% of the world’s total renewable energy investment. With industry investments increasing by 415% over the past decade, China is responsible for the greatest boost in renewable investment across the globe. By 2014, the country had an installed capacity of 378GW from solar, wind, and water sources - as compared with 172 GW for the United States, 84 GW out of Germany, and 71 GW for its neighbour India.
China’s investments have remained steadfast even with the decline in oil prices. The reasons for this are China’s continued economic growth, urbanization trends and unsustainable pollution levels which have reinforced the country’s rationale that renewable energy development and oil are not a zero sum game. It has embraced a long term strategy to encourage a move away from finite fossil fuels.
3. Solar is – and will increasingly be – key to sustainable energy security globally. What do you think is its future in Asia, and where in the region will it have the most impact?
Solar energy is one of the more accessible clean energy technologies out there, able to generate energy on and off the grid, in all different topographies. I believe that the future for solar lies in two areas.
First, it will serve as the backbone of the clean energy revolution integrated with other clean energy solutions in growing urban environments.
Second is its off-grid potential serving remote areas, whose access to renewable and clean energy, will have a far-reaching impact – giving light and power to those without accessible energy, which is essential to such aspects of modern life as healthcare, telecommunications, water systems, etc.
Nevertheless, while solar tends to be a more reliable renewable energy source, it’s important to capitalize on a diverse portfolio of renewable technologies in order to strengthen energy security. For Asia, this lies in broadening the regional energy mix, with an effort put on integrating clean technologies. Hence, building on our PV expertise, SFCE aims to meet this effort and provide comprehensive energy solutions that fully utilize and integrate technologies and services from across clean energy sector.
4. Beyond solar, what are the other clean energy sources that will help meet Asia’s growing energy demand and strengthen the region’s energy security?
The projected energy demand in the Asian Pacific region is expected to double by 2030. There is an imminent need to generate energy in an economically, socially, and environmentally sound manner in order to feed the widespread energy poverty across the continent. Solar alone will not be a silver bullet to meeting the increasing energy demands of a growing population and the needs of rapidly expanding industries and economies.
That is why we are looking beyond solar and at integrating several other clean energy technologies and sources. These include wind, geothermal, ion air battery, energy storage and end user applications. Solar will remain the backbone of clean energy solutions but will only reach its full potential if it is combined with other sources which provide reliability accessibility and efficiency.
5. How can companies like Shunfeng International Clean Energy work with private and public organizations across the region to identify and seize clean energy opportunities?
Clean energy, with its tremendous potential for sustainable development, presents the perfect opportunity for cooperation between the public and private sector. In fact, SFCE has already begun work in two municipalities in China, applying integrated solutions at a city-level to bring real savings to the local governments while dramatically reducing carbon emissions.
Integrated clean energy solutions are the future of the energy industry. They can be tailored to specific needs of single facilities, or entire cities to deliver cost-effective energy and significant emission reductions. In addition to our work at a city-level, SFCE is running pilot projects in schools campuses, stadiums and hotels to demonstrate the viability of clean urban solutions.
There is a real opportunity for integrated clean energy solutions to make a difference, especially in the developing world, and address the need for energy accessibility and security across the region. We intend to seize this opportunity and focus on off-grid communities by working with international development agencies and non-government organisations on integrated energy models.