Dec. 14, 2010 (China Knowledge) - Beijing Economic-technological Development Area, or BDA, recently kicked off a demonstration project to produce electricity from solar power systems to be built on the roofs of buildings in the area.

The area will invest about RMB 460 million in the project that will have an installed power capacity of 20 megawatts, and will also receive RMB 230 million of fiscal subsidy for the project.

BDA expected that it will be able to build rooftop solar power systems on more than 700,000 square meters of roofs of industrial buildings in the area. Upon completion, the solar power systems will produce 22.7 gigawatt hours of electricity annually, and a total of 568 GWhs of electricity in 25 years.

The project will ease electricity shortage in the industrial sector in peak season, save 8,179 metric tons of standard coal each year and reduce emission of 21,429.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.

The launch of the rooftop solar power project is part of the Chinese government's effort to develop the photovoltaic industry, which is seen as one of the country's strategic emerging industries.

The new energy and new material industry is one of new emerging industries which BDA will focus its support on. Since 2002, the area has attracted more than 20 solar PV enterprises to the area, including BOE Optical Scientific Co and LG Chemical.