Taiwan supports Qatar’s puszh for clean energy programmes

Taiwan’s innovative solutions in the field of clean technology can play a significant role in Qatar’s thrust to generate power through renewable energy sources, an official of the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (Taitra) has said.According to Taitra vice chairman Dr Suo-Hang Chuang, a delegation comprising Taiwanese companies are in the country to participate in the ‘Taiwan Green Energy Solution Providers to Qatar’ forum held under the patronage of the Qatari Businessmen Association (QBA), in association with Al Sawari Holding.Speaking at the forum, Chuang said: “With Qatar’s plan to generate 20% of the country’s energy needs through renewable sources by 2024, and to reduce its per capita energy consumption by 15%, I believe that Taiwanese solutions for energy-efficient buildings can play a significant role in achieving these goals.”Chuang also introduced the ‘eco smart glass’, Taiwan’s latest innovation in electricity generation using solar power. Compared to the conventional window glass, the ‘eco smart glass’ has the ability to keep the room temperature lower by insulating a building from UV and IR rays, and at the same time harvests solar power.“The ‘eco-smart glass’ is a total solution for a green building, which has a semi-conductor that can generate electricity and through an inverter can channel power to an air conditioning system,” he added.Chuang told reporters on the sidelines of the forum that “given the opportunity,” Taiwanese companies are keen to set up manufacturing facility that can produce the special glass in Qatar.The products, he added, can be used for local consumption or exported to neighbouring countries or other markets outside the Middle East. Currently, Taiwan exports the ‘eco smart glass’ to the US, Japan, South Korea, England, and Switzerland.Chuang said NexPower, the company that manufactures ‘eco smart glass’, has mass produced the product, lowering costs from $600 per square metre to $300 per sqm.In a speech, QBA chairman HE Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al-Thani said: “Discussing green energy is extremely important both in the business perspective as the environmental one. Our government is actively working towards a more energy-efficient future for Qatar and private businesses also need to take action.“We are proud to receive this elite business delegation of green energy solution providers and we are looking forward to discuss how the new technological developments can be used to reduce our energy consumption and contribute to our country’s sustainable energy production.”