Ahead of the launch of the best-practice repository for Energy
companies in September, Gao Jifan, chairman and chief executive
officer of Trina Solar Ltd, a founding signatory to the Energy
for Society Initiative of the World Economic Forum, discusses
the potential for renewable energy in the developing world. A
decade ago we were building solar power stations in Tibet, where
access to electricity is limited. There was no television, no
access to outside news, not even any lights. Children had to
rely on candles and kerosene lamps to read and write. When our
solar power stations started generating electricity, I witnessed
the moment Tibet’s children first saw lights and the TV. The
excitement in their eyes was unforgettable. It demonstrated just
how big an impact the energy industry can have on society.
Worldwide, there are still 1.4 billion people lacking access to
electricity. This is mostly in Western China, African countries,
India and other developing regions with remote areas the grid
cannot reach. In t