|Sept. 26, 2016 -- Ever since a long time ago, due to the lack of conventional sources of energy, in the vast farming and pastoral areas of Tibet there has been a daily energy usage habit in which manure from cows and sheep is burned as fuel. The ecological conditions in Tibet are very harsh, the households are scattered, averagely there distribution is one to two people per square kilometer.
Other than this, the mobility of population in pastoral areas in high, and the scale of mobility is vast. Subsequently, it leads to the fact that the electricity consumption ratio is low. The cost of permanent power grid construction, which is not able to adjust to the life demands of the local farmers and herdsmen, is extremely high.
In recent years, Tibet respectively practiced different demonstrative solar power projects which have comparatively high social, economic and ecological benefits. Up until now, the government has invested over 4 billion RMB to carry out the photovoltaic project in which the installation capacity numbers to 180 megawatts, which directly or indirectly has resolved the electricity usage issues of more than 600,000 people in the areas that are without electricity or lack electricity.
The exploitation of solar power has made the application and popularization of the sunlight greenhouse technology become possible. Fresh fruits and vegetables can be available throughout the four seasons in rural and urban areas, yet it is unlike the old days when all had to rely on car or air transport, which has enriched the local people’s vegetable baskets.
Resources from solar power can be applied to other fields. Nowadays, mobile phone signals are present in more and more areas in Tibet. China Mobile has established the worldwide biggest solar power base station in Tibet. Amongst over 1000 base stations that China Mobile set up in Tibet, the solar power stations account for 78.79% of the total. Even in the Mt. Qomolangma area that is of world’s highest altitude and harshest climate, Tibet Mobile also set up power solar mobile stations at the areas that are 5200 meters, 5820 meters and 6500 meters above sea level as well as along-road network projects, which has helped to realize full mobile signal network coverage along the entire Mt. Qomolangma hiking route.