Guangdong's top honors for sci-tech achievement went to 13 Zhuhai-based projects -- eight more than for 2018 -- at the Guangdong Science & Technology Innovation Conference in Guangzhou on March 25.

First prize of the 2019 Guangdong Technological Invention Awards went to Gree Electric Appliances for independent research and application concerning direct current (DC) technology in photovoltaic (PV) air conditioners.

The R&D team overcame technical bottlenecks to combine the new-energy DC power supply with an air-conditioning system. The world-leading technology, which greatly increases electrical energy efficiency and achieves PV power generation and "zero electricity charge," has 146 invention patents.

To date, Gree PV technology has been used in 25 countries and regions, contributing much to global energy conservation and emission reduction. In addition to air-conditioners, the company also engages in R&D of other new-energy DC electronic appliances. Gree is staging several demonstration projects, including a low-voltage DC ecosystem in Xiong'an New Area in Hebei Province and at Shenzhen Institute of Building Research's Future Edifice.

Gree Electric Appliance PV project [Photo courtesy WeChat account: GREE-1991]

The key technology and application of a cross-domain multi-dimensional electric fence by Da Hengqin Technology Development took first prize among the 2019 Guangdong Science & Technology Progress Awards.

The Da Hengqin team developed the world's first electric fence system that networks multi-source heterogeneous devices such as radars, opto-electronic trackers, remote-sensing satellites, unmanned aerial vehicles, and videos to collect big data spanning sky, ground, and sea. The system reportedly can control people, vehicles, and vessels in target areas through artificial intelligence when there are no physical barriers.

The technology has been awarded with seven invention patents and 14 software copyrights and led to the Guangdong provincial standard General Specifications of Electric Fences. It fills a gap in domestic and even global standards in electric fence overall structure and system construction, and can be promoted in smart cities, surveillance of key borders or coastal areas, ports, and logistics. 

Moreover, 11 Zhuhai enterprises garnered second prize of the Progress Awards category for innovations in integrated circuits, electrical energy, electronic-electrical equipment, engineering construction, biomedicine, and agricultural science and technology.

They include Zhuhai Founder Tech Hi-Density Electronic, Apex Microelectronics, COSMX Battery, Rossini Watch Industry, Da Heng Qin, Modern Agriculture Development Center, Singyes Green Building Technology, Zhonghui Microelectronics, Tian Li Heavy Industries, Chunhe New Material Research Institute, and United Laboratories.

Guangdong Science & Technology Awards are given by the Department of Science & Technology of Guangdong Province to recognize individuals and organizations that have made great contributions to sci-tech advances and socioeconomical development. This year, 173 projects were nominated.