Suntech to install its panels on the roof of the world

Suntech Power Holdings Co Ltd, the NYSE-listed global producer of solar panels, has announced that it will develop a 10MW solar installation that will reportedly generate decades of clean electricity for residents of the Tibetan Plateau.

Located in Chek Kang village in the Sangri County, Shannan Prefecture, Tibet, the solar power farm will be one of the highest on earth at around 4,000 meters above sea level.

With target completion by the middle of the 2011, the facility will generate around 20,000MWh of renewable electricity per year to help facilitate sustainable economic development in Tibet. The new 10MW solar power plant will help to alleviate peak power shortages and serve as a strong complement to existing hydroelectric resources.

"With intense sunlight and cool temperatures, Tibet is extremely well-suited for the utilization of advanced photovoltaic technology," said Dr Zhengrong Shi, Suntech's Founder, Chairman and CEO. "We're proud to invest in preserving the region's fragile ecosystem by providing an economically-viable and sustainable solution for electricity generation."

The project isn't Suntech's first in Tibet. The company has donated over 50 off grid solar power systems to schools, community centers and homes throughout the region. Suntech also installed a solar power system at Mt. Everest's base camp three years ago, which provides hikers and mountaineers access to electricity.

"From the desert sands of Arizona to the peaks of the Himalayas, anyone can look up and harness nature's cleanest and most abundant energy resource." said Dr Shi.

Suntech was founded in 2001 and has evolved into the world's largest manufacturer of solar panels. The company says it has shipped more than 15,000,000 photovoltaic modules to customers in more than 80 countries.