Solar Valley in Dezhou, East China's Shandong Province, built by Himin Solar Co

Huang Ming, chairman of Shandong-based solar power firm Himin Solar Co, has never been afraid of making harsh comments about the solar industry, even if they cause controversy. He has become well-known for his willingness to spell out the ugly truth.

As a pioneer in the sector, Huang has been dubbed the "godfather" of solar power. He describes himself as a "maverick" in the industry.

Huang, 55, has been exposing problems in the solar industry since 2012, such as companies using inferior materials in their products or employing fraudulent methods to gain government subsidies.

On August 24, Huang revealed at a press conference that some solar power heater producers used parts that could cause excessive quantities of heavy metal to get into the water.

This has been the eighth time Huang exposed industry irregularities.

"Dark sides also exist in an industry associated with sun," Huang told the Global Times on the sidelines of a press conference in Beijing on August 15.

Photos: Courtesy of Himin Solar Co

Solar flair

Huang graduated from the China University of Petroleum in 1982, after which he worked as a petroleum engineer at a research center.

However, Huang started to worry about dwindling global reserves of oil and China's excessive reliance on it.

Six years after he started working at the petroleum research center, he designed his first solar water heater, something he had been working on during his spare time. In 1995, Huang resigned from the center and founded Himin Solar Co.

After years of efforts, the company became a famous brand in the sector. It has reported annual sales of solar water heaters with a total size of around 3 million square meters in recent years.

Huang was elected as a deputy at the 10th and 11th National People's Congress in 2003 and 2008. As the only deputy in the renewable energy sector, Huang was able to help guide legislation for the industry. 

Dezhou, the small city in East China's Shandong Province where Huang's company is based, used to be known mainly for its braised chicken. With the fast expansion of Himin Solar, the city now touts itself as China's solar city.

However, fast growth of the domestic solar power sector soon drew more companies, and now it has over 1,000 of them, with many companies engaging in fierce competition by offering ever cheaper prices.

"The market is on the brink of saturation and the industry is big, but not strong," Meng Xian'gan, secretary-general of the China Renewable Energy Society, told the Global Times Wednesday.

By 2012, the number of solar water heaters in operation in China covered a total size of around 200 million square meters, with annual production of around 60 million square meters, ranking the first in the world, according to Meng.

However, more innovation is needed in the sector and products need to be upgraded, Meng noted.

"There has been some improvement after my criticism of the industry's irregularities. But the problems are deep-rooted, and it will take time to solve them," Huang said.

A greener picture

Himin has also started to explore areas beyond solar water heaters. In 2012, Huang announced that the company would build 5,000 "climate marts" throughout the world in five years, offering solar-powered products ranging from air conditioners to smartphone chargers.

Himin has so far opened climate marts in cities including Beijing, Tianjin and Qingdao.

"Solar-powered household goods will be the featured products of the climate marts in the second half of this year, such as solar cookware and travel-related products," Huang told the Global Times.

Wearing a T-shirt with the logo of his climate mart, Huang looked excited when talking about his vision of a solar-powered future. "All the products around you can be replaced by greener alternatives!" he told the Global Times, sounding excited.

Huang also claimed that these solar-powered products are cheaper to run than regular products. For instance, solar-powered fountains cost less than regular designs, as they consume less power.

The company has also started researching green power solutions for hotels, schools, factories and airports. It has even built its own environmentally friendly, low-emission holiday resort in Dezhou, called Solar Valley.

"It is the right time to change, but Himin is entering into a completely untapped market. As a pioneer, the company faces an equal chance of success and failure," said Meng.

Meng noted that although Himin is facing great risks, its efforts now could offer a model for the future. "I suggest that Himin should cooperate more with government-supported projects to reduce risks," he said.

Media reports have said that the company's profits have been declining in the past few years, as well as suggesting that real estate projects such as the 200-acre Solar Valley may have become a burden for the company.

"Huang's ideas are very advanced and represent a promising trend. But it is still hard to say whether it will work out," said Liu Buchen, a home appliance industry analyst at consultancy Jiachunqiu Media.

Mavericks needed

Huang called for more integrity among business leaders during a speech on August 15 and said that every industry should have several mavericks like him to supervise the industry for the sake of consumers.

"Every time I attend an event like this, I may say something that is uncomfortable for some people," said Huang, who criticized several industry leaders during his speech, such as Niu Gensheng, founder of Mengniu Dairy, some of whose products have been found to have quality problems.

Ma Yun, chairman of e-commerce group Alibaba, was also singled out. Huang said there are many fake goods available on the group's website and that Ma should deal with the problem.

"Personally, I am not a very harsh person. But I have to act very intensely sometimes because I want to make some changes," Huang said.

"I think Huang is a person who values social responsibility, but I also think he might be trying to promote his company when making such daring comments," said Liu.

"Huang has contributed a lot to China's solar industry… Many people have left the industry and many companies have disappeared - it has not been easy for Huang to stick with the solar industry for so many years," Meng noted.