At the same time that the 2013 Solar Decathlon China is taking place, Aug 2-13, there is a China International Solar Energy Summit and Forum, in the city of Datong, Shanxi province, on Aug 2, to provide a place for cooperation in the development of solar industry in Datong.

There were Chinese government and UN officials, experts in various forms of energy, solar energy company managers, and even university students (from the solar decathlon) taking part in the forum to talk about the future of solar industry and to affirm solar energy's role as the inevitable choice for sustainable development and China as an important part of the solar energy industrial chain.

In the new world economy, technological R&D, global cooperation, and coordinated development are needed in solar industry and, as a component of the decathlon, the forum was able to come up with many valuable suggestion for its development.

Datong is a historical city and important coal base, but also great sunlight resources with an annual average 2800 hrs of sunshine and daily average of 6.1 kWh per square meter. The city's development strategy calls for new energies such as solar and wind to replace the traditional coal through the construction of new energy projects, making it an important new energy city.

The Decathlon brought in 22 teams of university students from 13 countries'35 universities to show their talent in different areas, including electric power, environmental protection, and construction materials, building experimental houses that are competitive and endowed with characteristics that make them marketable, enjoyable, and scientifically useful.

Edited by Roger Bradshaw