Page 268 - ISES SWC50

Priyantha Wijesooriya
Country: Sri Lanka
Year joined industry: 1990
Company first worked for: SELCO Sri Lanka
Technology area: PV
Still active in the industry: Yes

Priyantha Wijesooriya was connected to Neville Williams of Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF) by Phil Covell of Enersol
Associates, while he completed his Rotary Scholarship based solar masters in 1990 at University of Massachusetts
(UMass). It was summer and he had just returned from an Enersol solar training session in Dominican Republic (DR)
thanks to sponsorship from District Governor Edward C Hall of Rotary District 7910 of Central Massachusetts. In the
DR project, former Westinghouse Engineer Richard Hansen literally brought in ‘solar lighting’ to a rural Dominican
area, Bella Vista where only kerosene lamps were used. He went to DR to learn from Richard’s work. Upon return
to UMass, Priyantha’s faculty Professors Jose Martin and John Duffy encouraged him to adopt similar operations in
his country Sri Lanka. It is noteworthy that subsequently, Rotary District 7910 also sponsored his UMass colleague
Harish Hande from India for a similar (Enersol) training stint in the DR that he took up as well. Meeting Neville was
instrumental in determining his career and Priyantha and Neville soon met in Colombo and we planned a futuristic
Sri Lanka strategy. Modest financing from SELF and Rotary D/7910, helped us install over 500 pilot-scale solar
(lighting) systems in the outback. Neville being a great visionary, also contributed to convincing multi-laterals like
the World Bank to explore financing renewable energy. He often leveraged on their local pioneer presence to persist
his case, and often succeeded. About this time the Rio Earth summit happened; in 1993. The Post-Rio era provided
an enabling climate for SELCO in Sri Lanka although obstacles remain today. He is still involved with solar today.

Shi Zhengrong

Country: China
Year joined industry: 1995
Company first worked for: Pacific Solar
Technology area: PV
Still active in the industry: Yes

Dr Shi Zhengrong completed his PhD at UNSW in the study of solar technology after his initial study in laser physics
at the Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics. From UNSW he co-founded Australian solar start-up Pacific
Solar, then later returning to his native China, as a dual-Australian citizen, where he established Suntech Power.
Suntech would go on become the world’s largest manufacturer of solar modules, and this in turn would lead to
the mass production and falling costs of solar panels, making them an affordable reality for homes, business and
industry across the globe. In 2007 Time Magazine honoured Dr Shi in its “Heroes of the Environment” list, and in
2009 he was the recipient of the prestigious Oslo Business for Peace Award in recognition of his contribution to
“transformative and positive change through ethical business practices.” Dr Shi has been a member of the Australian
Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering since 2009 and has addressed the World Economic Forum,
is the inventor of more than a dozen patents in photovoltaic technology, and through the world-leading success of
Suntech Power, was the world’s first solar billionaire and philanthropist.

250 | ISES SWC50 - The Century of Solar-Stories and Visions