Gansu Natural Energy Research Institute (GNERI) ∕ UNIDO International Solar Energy Center for Technology Promotion and Transfer (ISEC-UNIDO)/Asia-Pacific Research and Training Center for Solar Energy is mainly engaged in the studies and application of new and renewable energy, and solar energy technique, domestic and foreign technical cooperation and training, technical consultation and exchange, new product research and development on solar energy, technology promotion and transfer on solar energy in particular. At present, GNERI has already become one of the leading national research agencies; its academic level has been powerful to national advanced ranks and also well-known over the world. It is one of the main founding member units of the China South-South Cooperation Network, one of? the “International Science and Technology Cooperation Base” granted by the Ministry of Science and Technology of People’s Republic of China and an Associated Institution of United Nations University within the overall framework of the UNU Environment and Sustainable Development Programme, as well as one of UNIDO’ s agencies for technology promotion and transfer.

GNERI ∕ISEC-UNIDO consists of the Administration Office, Division of Research and Development, Division of Technology Consultation and Training, Division of International Cooperation for Technology Promotion and Transfer and Division of Finances，Research Lab of Solar Thermal Technology , Research Lab of Solar Photovoltaic Technology, Research Lab of Building Design of Solar Energy, Research Lab of Solar Water Treatment, Research Lab of Application of Wind Energy , Research Lab of Biomass Energy, Research Lab of Energy Saving, Research Lab of Rural Energy, Testing Center for Solar Product Performance and Quality Inspection, Network Center for Solar Energy Information and 10 labrotories concerning different fields. GNERI/ ISEC-UNIDO also owns two Experiment and Demonstration Bases of Solar Energy, three development entities and one Solar Building Design Institute. GNERI ∕ISEC-UNIDO has 6 researchers, who have obtained the national level expert titles, 20 more senior scientific researchers, 30 more intermediate and 40 primary researchers or staffs. Till now, GNERI ∕ISEC-UNIDO has sent almost 20 staff members to USA, Japan, Australia, and Italy and other countries for further study or cooperative research. More than 70 staffs have been abroad for investigation, academic exchange and cooperative projects.

Since 1978, there are more than 130 scientific research achievements have been gained, of which 26 items obtained the award of national or provincial level. For example, The Passive Solar Heating Technology for Building won the unique national award of Advanced Science and Technology in the solar building field, 15 monographs and comprehensive tool books have been published. Besides, more than 290 papers have been published on domestic and international publications or international seminars.
Under the support of Chinese governments at different levels, 70 domestic training workshops have been held by GNERI ∕ISEC-UNIDO, with more than 10 thousand participants attended solar water heater, solar cooker, solar building, solar photovoltaic technique, energy saving and coal or firewood saving stove workshops. Furthermore, by the support of Chinese Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UN and relevant international organizations, GNERI / ISEC-UNIDO has held “International Solar Energy Application Technological Training Workshop” over 28 times, and trained more than 800 solar energy talents for 104 countries in the five continents from 1991 to 2008. The international training program is not only the way to spread technology and friendship, but also plays an active diplomatical role in improving and strengthening the relationship between China and the other countries, developing countries in particular. GNERI / ISEC-UNIDO has sponsored and hosted 12 international academic conferences or forums on solar energy and other renewable energy, together with the UN systems and other international organizations, the concerned commissions and ministries of the Chinese Government, institutions as well universities. By the end of 2008, around 210 world famous experts have been invited here to give lectures or do technical exchanges, 3200 ambassadors, scientists and governors in total from more than 110 countries (including 9 Presidents and Prolocutors, more than 100 Ministers) came to visit GNERI. Dr. George Lof, the pioneer of world solar energy development and the former president of International Solar Energy Society, uttered the following words after giving a lecture in GNERI in 1983: “I am greatly impressed with the progress you have made during the three short years since my last visit to your institute in Lanzhou. You have developed a center which, I am sure, will become an important international center for solar development.” The chairman of World Global Day Organizing Committee and the former US SERI Director, Dr. Denis Hayes paid a visit to GNERI in 1984, saying, “The people of Gansu and indeed the people of China are fortunate to have such fine resources, and such dedicated staff, available to them. I am confident your center will prove to be of invaluable assistance to the nation as it vigorously pursues its ambitious programs to harness the sun for human purpose.” The former president of Peru and leader of People’ s Party inscribed, after his visit to GNERI in 2006, he said “What you have done shows a glorious prospect of improving life through solar energy utilization for the world’s impoverished countries as well as the poor people. I would like to express my sincere respect and congratulations to your spirits and the achievements you have made.” And, in March, 2006,? Dr. Kandeh Kolleh YUMKELLA, Director-General of United Nations Industrial Development Organization attended the Launching and Establishment Ceremony of UNIDO “International Solar Energy Center for Technology Promotion and Transfer, he left the following words: “Today marks the beginning of a new partnership for promoting renewable energy utilization throughout the developing world—UNIDO-Gansu/China Cooperation.”

With the support from the Ministry of Science and Technology ,Ministry of Commerce of PRC and Gansu Provincial Government, GNERI / ISEC-UNIDO has successfully carried out the two phases of UNDP projects on solar energy utilization, set up the “Solar Energy Heating and Cooling Technology Experiment and Demonstration Center” in the outskirt of Lanzhou city, which is the biggest one in Asia covering 80 thousand sq meters. The center is equipped with the advanced testing instruments for photovoltaic and solar heating technique, and can serve as an excellent platform for the research and experiment of applied technology, the research and development of high-technology product, the national and international technology cooperation and exchange, and the personnel training. Through 30 years’ hard work, GNERI / ISEC-UNIDO has grown from a recipient of technology assistance unit into a successful technology provider and an international agency under UNIDO. In Dec 2007, GNERI / ISEC-UNIDO got the award of the "Foreign bases of international cooperation" by the Ministry of Science and Technology of People’s Republic of China.

GNERI / ISEC-UNIDO not only provides technical training for developing countries, but also actively participates in the technology communication and cooperation with developed countries. When GNERI / ISEC-UNIDO sends experts to developing countries for technology assistance and technology training , also sends staffs to America, German, Japan, Australia , Italy and other countries for technology cooperation , communication and study. GNERI ∕ ISEC helped Tanzania to develop a national five-year plan of solar energy development, assisted Coted’ Ivories in formulating a countrywide photovoltaic development and dissemination strategy, provided technical training on solar cooker and solar water heater in Djibouti and Pakistan, and implemented the aid project of establishing a solar PV production line in Cuba. At the request of UNIDO, GNERI drafted “The Proposal for Developing & Applying Solar Energy in Africa”. As a special-invited guest, GNERI has made a presentation on solar energy at “The China-Africa Cooperation Forum: Ministerial Conference, Beijing 2000”. Domestic projects which GNERI is currently implementing include: the first 863 megawatt solar photovoltaic power systems, a national demonstration project under the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (863 Program); National Key Technology in the 11th Five-Year Plan Period; pivotal international cooperation projects in China; major provincial projects of Gansu Province, and many other projects under the commissions of local governments or enterprises in China. Besides these domestic projects , GNERI / ISEC-UNIDO also has extensive cooperation with U.S.A, Japan, Germany, Spain, Canada, Thailand, Pakistan, Yugoslavia, Romania, Lesotho, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Sierra Leone for technological cooperation of solar energy, and some cooperation projects on solar energy with countries in South-Pacific, Africa, Asia and Latin America are under discussion. Further more , GNERI / ISEC-UNIDO develops a close cooperation with UNDP, UNESCO, UNEP,UNU and WB, ADB and etc.

GNERI / ISEC-UNIDO devotes herself to the transfer of scientific research achievements into productive forces and industrialized products. More than 50% of solar houses in China are designed by GNERI, and the GNERI-developed solar water heaters, solar cookers and photovoltaic products also hold an important share in the domestic market, and some products have been sold in the international market, among which GNERI / ISEC-UNIDO ’s major products like stainless steel frozen resistant solar water heater and solar cooker have won science and technology achievement awards, and the first prize in national contests for many times.

Solar energy industry has a bright and prospective future. GNERI ∕ ISEC-UNIDO/ Asia-Pacific Research and Training Center is keen to cooperate with each and every colleague, at home or from abroad, to upheave the sun of tomorrow and to create sunny and magnificent sun industry of 21st century.
GNERI ∕ ISEC? provides the following products and cooperation:

1.Integrative and Basic Fields:
Domestic and international technical training on solar heating, photovoltaic application, energy saving and rural energy.
Technology consultation, evaluation and judgment for renewable energy and conventional energy.
Developing and testing of new products on solar energy and energy saving.
Constituting overall plans for national or regional new energy development.
Projects designed for the solar energy research and demonstration centers.
Undertaking large scale international academic seminars and national and international exhibitions on solar energy.

2.Solar PV :
Designing and installation of PV module production line.
Designing and construction of PV power station for countryside, hospitals, schools and post offices.
Various kinds of single crystal silicon and amorphous silicon PV modules, batteries, inverters, controllers saving, energy lights.
10W-3000W domestic PV power system and matching devices.
Wind-PV hybrid domestic power system.
PV power system and controller for TV and micro-wave communication.
Designing and installation of PV water pumping system.
PV street lamp and signal lamp for meteorological station, hydrological station, highway, forestry center and others.
PV clocks, hats with solar fans, PV radios, calculators, etc.

3.Solar Water Heater:
Designing, installation and adjustment for solar water heater production line.
Designing and installation of large scale solar water supplying system for industry, service industry (hotels, swimming pools) and civil use.
Various types and sizes of solar water heaters (copper and aluminum pressed or compounded, all copper, stainless steel water heaters, vacuum glass tube water heaters for whole year use, integrated plastic solar water heaters, etc.).
Designing, installation and adjustment of solar driers for the drying of agricultural products, medicine, fruits and others.

4.Solar House:
R&D of various heating apparatuses for solar buildings.
Computer simulation and prediction of thermal mathematical model on solar heating and cooling, including consultation for the project design.
Designing and construction of passive solar houses.
Designing of active solar houses and air-conditioning houses.
Thermal calculation for green houses.
Designing and reconstruction of solar houses in rural area.
Desinging and construction of? solar buildings in intermediate and primary schools.

5.Solar Cooker:
Designing of various kinds of solar cooker production lines.
Commercialized colored glazing solar cookers.
Portable picnic solar cookers (suitcase type).
Research of indoor solar cookers.

6.Solar Water Treatment :
Sea water desalination.
Brackish Water Desalination
Solar photocatalytic treatment of waste water.

7.Wind Energy:
Feasibility study on the construction plan of large scale wind power farm.
100W-600KW wind power generators.
Technical consultation and training on wind power.
Sifting and evaluation on wind resources.

8.Rural Energy and Biomass Energy
Designing and construction of Methane generating pit.
Demostration of fesibility study on construction of? Methane generating pit in rural areas.
Technical consultation and training on Methane technology.
Demonstration of straw gasification project.
Designing and equipments selection on straw gasification project.
Reasearch on biomass technology of power generation and biomass technology of liquid fuel .

9.Conventional Energy Saving Technology:
Energy saving technology in industry and architecture.
Reasearch and development of miscellaneous solar energy materials(storage, insulation and anti-transmittance materials).
Research and design of conventional energy saving stoves, cookers and beds.
Application of heat pipe technique to recovery industrial surplus heat.
Heat pump conservation technique.