China boasts 60 percent of the world's solar water heaters and is the largest producer of solar water heaters, Luo Zhentao, director of China Association of Solar Energy Thermal Application, said Tuesday.

 

Luo said at an ongoing China Solar Thermal Industry Forum that the solar water heater industry is of the largest production scale in the field of renewable energy in China.

 

In 2005, the total output of these heaters added up to 15 million square meters and the output value was 15 billion yuan (US$1.88 billion).

 

It is predicted that the annual output of China's solar water heaters will reach 30 million square meters by 2010, which will help save 22.5 million tons of standard coal. Solar energy will take up 1 percent of overall energy consumed and offer nearly 800,000 jobs.

 

Solar thermal industry is a sun-rising industry, and its development requires support from the government and all other industries, said Luo.

 

(Xinhua News Agency January 11, 2006)