LONGi executive speaks at 2024 Davos Forum panel to share best practices in improving manufacturing sustainability
Davos, Switzerland, Jan 17, 2024-As one of the newest recipients of the World Economic Forum (WEF) “Lighthouse Factory” recognition, LONGi is on hand at the WEF forum in Davos to further promote the role of clean energy in global manufacturing.
LONGi is the world’s largest manufacturer of solar photovoltaic and has been instrumental in making solar energy become more affordable and abundant around the world. As the company continues its impressive global expansion it is becoming a mainstay at important international events.
LONGi arrives in Davos after a productive stop in Dubai for the UN COP28 climate conference where it announced new partnerships with the UN Refugee Agency and wildlife conservation efforts, along with the release of its annual Climate Action White Paper highlighting company achievements to reduce its own operational emissions.
In December 2023 LONGi announced that it had been recognized by the World Economic Forum as a “Global Lighthouse Factory”, one of only 153 factories around the world with such recognition and the world’s first solar module factory listed. These Lighthouse factories are listed as such in recognition of their progress in advancing sustainability in manufacturing.
There is no viable path to reaching the goals outlined in the Paris Agreement and further commitments from COP28 in Dubai without accelerating the decarbonization of manufacturing operations and supply chains, which account for nearly 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions. This is what the WEF seeks to address.
LONGi’s production facility in Jiaxing, China was awarded this Lighthouse status due to its use of digital technologies including AI and automation to promote intelligent manufacturing that reduces production costs, delivery cycles, and energy consumption. Adoption of these technologies reduced energy consumption per unit by 20%. Behind this achievement is LONGi's persistent dedication to technological innovation and sustainable development.
“We will seize this opportunity to continue leading the low-carbon and digitized development of the photovoltaic manufacturing industry. We look forward to playing a more proactive role in the global energy transition, contributing greater efforts to promote the widespread adoption and sustainable development of clean energy”, says LONGi Chairman Zhong Baoshen at the award ceremony of WEF’s Global Lighthouse Network.
Chairman Zhong also spoke at the panel “Accelerating Net Zero: Innovative Strategies for Manufacturing”, noting just how difficult it is to make these continued energy efficiency improvements. “Even solar cell efficiency improvements of just 0.1% require significant research and hard work,” he noted, “making such advancements through technology is no simple feat. It takes consistent perseverance to see real achievements.”
As highlighted in its 2023 Climate Action White Paper, LONGi has made monumental strides toward clean energy development, including slashing operational emissions per revenue unit by nearly 40 percent in 2022. Additionally, 47 percent of LONGi’s total electricity consumption is now sourced from sustainable alternatives, eliminating approximately 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
These production advancements have allowed LONGi to produce solar modules at a global scale, helping the company also advance projects in less developed countries, part of its “Energy Equity” strategy. “Clean energy should be available to everyone,” noted Chairman Zhong, “as the sun is a natural resource that every person on Earth has access to.” LONGi is committed to contribute to the global clean energy transition, making the value of sunlight accessible to all and enabling everyone to enjoy clean and affordable solar energy.
At the panel, Chairman Zhong also explained how LONGi’s efforts go beyond solar technology, as the company is also a pioneer in developing hydrogen energy. Hydrogen is one of the cleanest, most efficient forms of energy, but its production often requires large amounts of energy. LONGi is implementing what it calls “Green Hydrogen” by using solar and other clean energy sources to produce hydrogen. Although the global proportion of green hydrogen remains below 1 percent, Chairman Zhong explained that it will become an inevitable choice for deep decarbonization, especially in the transportation sector.
“LONGi still has more we can do to improve the greening of our operations and advancing the clean energy transition,” Chairman Zhong noted. “We are eager to share our experiences with other companies working hard to improve their sustainability, and we know we have much to learn from them as well. That’s why we’re here at Davos.”
About LONGi
Founded in 2000, LONGi is committed to being the world’s leading solar technology company, focusing on customer-driven value creation for full scenario energy transformation.
Under its mission of 'making the best of solar energy to build a green world', LONGi has dedicated itself to technology innovation and established five business sectors, covering mono silicon wafers cells and modules, commercial & industrial distributed solar solutions, green energy solutions and hydrogen equipment. The company has honed its capabilities to provide green energy and has more recently, also embraced green hydrogen products and solutions to support global zero carbon development. www.longi.com