Vehicles run on a solar expressway in Jinan, capital of East China's Shandong province, Dec 28, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua] JINAN - The 1-kilometer section of solar expressway in East China's Shandong province has generated more than 96,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of power in three and a half months, the project developer, Qilu Transportation Development Group, said Monday. Some 5,875-square-meters of solar panels were laid beneath part of a ring road surrounding Jinan, the provincial capital, in late December. The road surface is made of a transparent, weight-bearing material that allows sunlight to penetrate. The road section has a designed life of 20 years and the surface is made of three layers -- a concrete layer pervious to light on top, thin amorphous silicon panels in the middle, and a waterproof insulate protection layer at the bottom. The total thickness of the surface is less than three centimeters. The solar expressway has helped power street lights, electric signs, deicer sprinkler system, tunnel and toll gates since it began operation. According to Xu Chunfu, chairperson of the group, more than 40,000 vehicles drive over the road section every day and the surface has shown excellent performance in load-bearing capacity and skid resistance even in extreme weather and increased traffic during the Spring Festival. The road's design team estimates that if two lanes of all expressways in China are fitted with the solar panel surface, together they could generate 7.2 trillion kWh of power every year, which is equivalent to 1.28 times the amount of China's total residential power consumption in 2015. It could also cut emissions of greenhouse gases by 7.2 billion tonnes. custom bar braceletcustom sports braceletscustom logo wristbandsde securite pour personne ageeembossed wristbandscolorfilled wristbandsembossed printed wristbandsdual layer wristbands
Banlangen granules are a combination of several herbs, which should be taken under medical guidance. [Photo by LIU JIAO / FOR CHINA DAILY] SHANGHAI -- The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has published an international standard for isatis indigotica root or banlangen, a traditional Chinese medicinal herb commonly used for the prevention and treatment of colds. The herb has a long history of use in China and other East Asian countries for removing heat and toxins, cooling the blood and clearing the throat. However, problems such as different quality requirements among different countries and regions may affect the herb's clinical effectiveness and safety, according to a document posted on ISO's website. Formulation of the ISO standard was led by a research team from China's Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and also involved experts from Germany, Canada, Australia, Thailand and the Republic of Korea. The project lasted 34 months and the standard was published earlier this month. Wang Zhengtao, a member of the Chinese research team, said the standard mainly specifies the minimum technical requirements for isatis indigotica root such as heavy metals and pesticide residues as well as the herb's test methods. The publication of the standard is expected to improve the international influence of isatis indigotica root and boost the trade of the herb across the world, Wang said. Herbal medicine is an important part of traditional Chinese medicine, which boasts a history of more than 2,000 years and has gained global attention for its unique theories and practices.
