China pushes solar and wind innovation as green power buildout accelerates

China is expanding its green power system at extraordinary speed, but its companies and researchers are also trying to change what solar and wind technology can do.

This year, Chinese teams generated electricity from high-altitude winds 4,000 metres above Earth. Companies and researchers also cleared the last hurdle toward commercialising a cheaper and more efficient alternative to silicon solar panels.

Trials have begun on the world’s most powerful floating and fixed-bottom offshore wind systems, adding another area of technological experimentation to the country’s rapid renewable-energy buildout.