Wang Baixing, Chairman of the Board of Zhongli Group, has been named a “Prominent Figure in Energy Transformation over Forty Years of Reform and Opening-Up.”

On December 19, the “2018 Energy Annual Conference and the Fourth China Energy Development and Innovation Forum,” co-hosted by the Weekly of Energy Development of China Reform Daily and China Petrochemical Corporation, was held in Beijing. More than 500 attendees—including representatives from the National Development and Reform Commission, the National Energy Administration, local governments such as Anhui, Shanxi, and Hebei provinces, as well as energy experts, scholars, and corporate representatives—participated in the event. Wang Weifeng, President of Zhongli Group–Talesun Power Technology Co., Ltd., was invited to attend.

This year’s forum, themed “Transformation and Integration, Openness and Innovation,” featured in-depth discussions on energy innovation and transformation. At the event, leaders and experts—including Huo Fupeng, Director of the Development Division of the High‑Tech Department of the National Development and Reform Commission; Wang Siqiang, Director-General of the Science, Technology and Equipment Department of the National Energy Administration; and Yi Yuechun, Deputy Director‑General of the Hydroelectric and Water Resources Planning and Design Institute—stressed that, as China marks the 40th anniversary of reform and opening-up, its energy sector has entered a new phase. Grasping emerging trends in energy development and building new engines for the energy economy are of paramount importance—not only for the industry as a whole but also for individual enterprises. Today, energy‑related technological innovation is experiencing an unprecedented period of rapid advancement. In fields such as photovoltaics, wind power, smart grids, the energy internet, and large‑scale energy storage, a wave of cutting‑edge technologies is accelerating at an unprecedented pace, poised to exert increasingly profound and far‑reaching impacts on the global energy landscape and economic development.

At the forum, the “40 Years of Reform and Opening-Up: Pioneers of Energy Transformation” awards were announced, honoring outstanding entrepreneurs who have made exceptional contributions to China’s reform and opening-up and to the transformation and development of the energy sector. Wang Baixing, Chairman of the Board of Zhongli Group, was among the recipients, with the organizers praising him as follows: “In business, he has worked tirelessly, crafting a remarkable corporate legacy; in poverty alleviation, he remains deeply rooted in his community, willingly shouldering social responsibility. A widely respected industry leader, he is also the down-to-earth ‘Old Man Wang of Photovoltaics.’ Whether sitting on the ground at the edge of a field, engaging warmly with impoverished households, or rolling up his trousers beneath solar panels to sow seeds alongside local villagers, his ‘PV + Farm’ model has made an extraordinary contribution to China’s photovoltaic‑based poverty‑alleviation efforts.”

Meanwhile, Zhongli Group was also honored with the “2018 China Energy Innovation Breakthrough Award” and the “2018 China Energy Enterprise Innovation Responsibility Award.”

During the forum, Wang Weifeng delivered a keynote address titled “Technological Innovation and Transformation to Embrace the Grid‑Parity Era.” He emphasized that vigorously developing the photovoltaic industry is of strategic importance for advancing China’s ecological civilization, driving a revolution in energy production and consumption, and achieving an optimized and upgraded energy structure. As 2018—marked by volatility and challenges—draws to a close, looking ahead to 2019, the PV sector is poised to enter a period of rapid growth as grid parity becomes a reality. To successfully navigate the “last mile” before the full phase-out of subsidies, PV companies must strengthen their internal capabilities, accelerate cost reduction and efficiency gains, closely monitor market dynamics, and leverage technological innovation and transformative change to meet the grid‑parity era head‑on.

Wang Weifeng stated that since entering the photovoltaic sector in 2010, Zhongli Group has undertaken extensive innovation and practical application in agricultural PV technologies and integrated solutions through a series of technological and model‑driven advancements. Its “Smart PV + Tech‑Driven Agriculture” initiative has overcome the traditional land‑use constraints of agrivoltaics, enabling mechanized cultivation of staple crops such as rice, wheat, and corn. Building on this foundation, Zhongli Group further pioneered the “PV Farm for Impoverished Villages” targeted poverty‑alleviation project, addressing challenges faced by impoverished communities—including difficulties in securing investment, creating employment, and adopting innovative technologies. To date, the program has helped 73 impoverished counties and over 800,000 people achieve sustainable, long‑term poverty reduction through a 25‑year, cumulative income stream generated by the integration of photovoltaics, agriculture, and employment.

Grounded in the “New Era,” we look ahead to emerging trends in energy development. Zhongli Group will remain committed to innovation, continuously explore new business models, and deepen collaboration with industry peers to jointly foster the healthy, sustainable growth of the sector, paving the way for the era of grid parity in photovoltaic power generation.