Trina Solar in der Formel 1: Lighting the way

Lotus Renault Grand Prix team sponsors and a leader in global solar power Trina Solar are lighting the way for a brighter and greener F1 future. Listed on the New York Stock Exchange since late 2006 (TSL), Trina Solar is proud to be Formula One‟s first major „green‟ sponsor and hopes to develop technologies that will help pave the way for a more environmentally sustainable sport. With the FIA already committed to a major carbon reduction programme and new energy-efficient green engines to be introduced in 2014, F1 teams are working towards significantly improving its environmentally friendly credentials. A worldwide leader in the global solar industry, the Chinese-based company is also one of the top companies in this field with regards to corporate social responsibility. Trina Solar has a global distribution network in more than twenty countries and believes that Formula 1 may serve as the pinnacle showcase for green technology thinking – proving that performance does not have to be compromised by environmentally-effective solutions. This coming weekend, the spectacular Singapore F1 night race will be screened to millions of viewers marvelling at the impressive track – which is illuminated by more than 1500 projectors. More than 108 km of cable, which is twenty times the length of the circuit, has been strategically placed between 230 steel pylons with 12 twin-powered generators combining an output of a staggering 3.2 million-watt – the equivalent to lighting up 70 football stadiums. The lighting is four-times brighter than a typical stadium with enough blanket coverage to eliminate any shadows cast from the vehicles on the track – but it is this sort of technology Trina Solar believes it could help develop in the future. “In most cases wherever you have electric, there is an opportunity for solar energy to be used instead. Trina Solar are already providing technology and solar power to large scale installations around the world. It is a big undertaking but it is absolutely possible. With Trina Solar, you get the best $/kWh and large-scale projects is what we constantly look at”, said Dr. Haiyan Sun, Trina Solar‟s Vice President of Sales for the APAC/MEA region. The long term future of motorsport, including circuit facilities, may rely on renewable energy sources, and although solar energy may never be the primary source of power on an F1 car, solar power is one technology that may prove inevitable as part of the sport‟s ecosystem and environmental solution. “Our panels have shown superior performance time and again in independent tests around the world”, states Dr. Sun. In 2010, Trina Solar launched a strategic partnership with the Lotus Renault Grand Prix F1 Team because of their demonstrated commitment to green automotive technologies.
This engagement is in line with the Renault group‟s philosophy of providing “sustainable mobility for all”. Renault and the Lotus Renault GP Team represent the ultimate in „green‟ automotive innovation, contributing to the development and deployment of electric cars, more efficient engines, biofuels, and other cutting-edge racing technologies. Trina Solar and Lotus Renault GP have been working together to incorporate solar and other sustainable technologies into the Team‟s activities, both on and off the track. Most recently, this includes having installed a 1.8 kW solar system on the high-spec Lotus Renault GP motorhome, allowing the monitoring of how the system impacts the environment in tangible terms. Trina Solar‟s engagement with Formula 1 is a natural fit and intrinsic to the sport‟s move to being more environmentally conscious and efficient. “The beauty about F1 is that it is indeed consistent with our own, embodying the spirit of technology and innovation. This is the only way to do business in the twenty-first century”, explains Dr. Sun. The company works alongside Lotus Renault GP and F1 to bring renewable energy to motorsport and opening the door for a range of other industries to progress along the path towards sustainability. “This is the basis for Trina Solar‟s engagement with The Lotus Renault GP team – a partnership that is poised to raise awareness of „green‟ technologies and demonstrate how solar energy can be a commercially viable solution globally today, and in the years to come”, states Dr. Sun. Maybe it is only a question of time until we see a solar powered night race. General Note to Editors: KHP is one of the industry‟s most respected sports marketing and sponsorship agencies, offering a wealth of experience within Formula One and motor racing, and across other sporting projects. Founded in 1985, it now has offices in London, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain that work to provide comprehensive circuit consultancy, sponsorship acquisition, activation services for motorsport teams and brands alike. KHP is a multi-discipline agency with further services across PR and communications, experiential marketing, event management and hospitality, dedicated to delivering integrated sports marketing solutions for global and domestic brands, governing bodies, event hosts, circuits and promoters. Press Contacts: Silke Schroeder
KHP Consulting Ltd silke@khpconsulting.com