Curtain walls in solar glass installed on the Power Valley Jin Jiang International Hotel facade. [Gong Zhihong/Xinhuanet]

Power Valley Jin Jiang International Hotel, China's first example of a building self-sufficient in electricity from its own solar power generation, came into service on October 18. The generating capacity of the 5-star business hotel in Baoding, in central China's Hebei Province, is equal to that of a small power station, with a total installed capacity of 0.3 megawatts. The self-generated electricity is not only sufficient for the building's own needs, but can also supplement the local power network directly. 

This is China's first example, and also a pilot model, of a building with integrated photovoltaics (BIPV).