United PV to build panda-shaped solar parks under MoU with UN

China’s United Photovoltaics Group Ltd (HKG:0686) will be building 50-MW solar power stations shaped in the form of pandas around the world in a bid to promote the sustainable development concept among young people.

The company, whose largest single shareholder is China Merchants New Energy, has teamed up with the United Nations for this initiative. It said on Friday it has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with regard to the development of the solar projects and on sharing knowledge.

The company said that the first panda-shaped solar park will be installed in China. More projects will be developed in selected areas around the world with G20 members.

The initial project, to be funded and constructed by United PV, will cover an area of about 1,500 acres (607 ha). Monocrystalline silicon solar cells will be used for the black part, while thin-film solar cells will make up the grey part of the park.

The plan also envisages United PV setting up a so-called Sino-US New Energy Dream Team -- a programme that seeks to bring together the most advanced big data and solar cell technology "so that the Panda Power Plant will become an innovation platform of constant application of new technology and material". US majors such as First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR), SunPower (NASDAQ:SPWR), IBM (NYSE:IBM) and Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) are all participating in this startup, United PV said.

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