Professor Wang Zhifeng, a researcher at the Institute of Electrical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences , and founder/president of the China Solar Thermal Alliance (CSTA), has been awarded the International Energy Agency SolarPACES Lifetime Achievement Award, in recognition of his pioneering contributions to advancing concentrated solar power (CSP) technologies and their commercialization.Since the award was established in 2009, he is the 17th recipient and the first Asian scientist to receive this honor.
On September 18, 2026, at the closing ceremony of SolarPACES 2026 in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Germany, Wang Dibei, daughter of researcher Wang Zhifeng, accepted the trophy on her father's behalf from Wes Stein, Vice President of SolarPACES. Wang Zhifeng was unable to attend due to visa issues.
Photo: Award ceremony
In his presentation remarks, Wes Stein stated: "Zhifeng is a pioneer in the field of CSP. With decades of steadfast dedication, he has made enormous contributions to the promotion of CSP technologies worldwide and to the global energy transition. He is a truly remarkable person!"
The SolarPACES 2026 Conference ran for four days, with approximately 400 delegates from 31 countries—including Germany, Australia, Italy, the United States, China, Spain, South Korea, Portugal, Argentina, South Africa, Morocco, and Chile—in attendance.
Photo: Closing ceremony