Solar heating system provides warmth for PLA soldiers in SW China's Tibet

PLA soldiers of a border defense company of the Shannan Military Sub-Command of the PLA Tibet Military Command in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region no longer have to worry about heating in the freezing winter, after a heating system was installed in December 2020.

Photo shows a parabolic solar trough heating system. (Photo courtesy of PLA Daily)

The system makes good use of the rich solar energy resources in the region, which sits at an altitude of over 4,200 meters. Using mirrored surfaces, it can track the sun and absorb the maximum amount of sunlight to reflect the incident solar radiation, which is then transferred to a receiver tube filled with thermal oil in the center of the parabolic mirror collectors. Water in two 60 cubic meter storage tanks is pumped through the receiver tube and heated as it passes through the tube.

A soldier cleans the mirrored surfaces of the solar trough heating system. (Photo courtesy of PLA Daily)

On rainy and snowy days, the system produces heat through wind power, and its surfaces can move automatically, which means they will not get frozen on snowy days.

Compared to the boilers the soldiers previously relied on for heating, the new facility is more energy-saving and environmentally-friendly, and can provide sufficient heat and hot water for the soldiers to take a shower.

PLA soldiers observe the reading of a storage tank. (Photo courtesy of PLA Daily)

"Thanks to this new system, which can guarantee heat supply for the whole company, the soldiers had a very warm Spring Festival," said Wang Rui, instructor of the company.