Solar innovation lights up global hopes

[Video/Ningbo Daily]

Li'ao village, a solar-powered village in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, is capturing international attention as a burgeoning global model of rural sustainability.

On June 27, a delegation from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), led by Deputy Secretary-General Sohail Khan, visited Li'ao in Longguan township, Haishu district.

Li'ao is known as China's first village to fully integrate solar panels into building structures, which is part of its "building-integrated photovoltaics" (BIPV) model that has been in effect since 2014. Today, 362 village rooftops are covered with deep-blue photovoltaic tiles that produce approximately 600,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, generating around 500,000 yuan ($69,803) in income — which is shared collectively by all villagers.

The delegation toured solar-powered installations including a low-carbon cafe and smart beehives. Khan expressed particular interest in the way photovoltaic tiles were aesthetically and safely integrated into rooftops, noting that such a solution addressed both structural and cost concerns. While regretting he couldn't immediately adopt the system in his home country, he voiced optimism about replicating the model once its full-service framework is refined.

Tufail Ahmed Shaikh, general manager of Pakistan's Power Planning and Monitoring Company, also spoke highly of the initiative. He emphasized its relevance for countries like Pakistan, where weak grid infrastructure makes decentralized, sustainable solutions especially valuable. He said he believed Li'ao's model could help rural communities both secure reliable electricity and contribute to national grids.