Dr Zhengrong Shi, the founder of Energus and Sunman, is a renowned Australian solar scientist and widely known as the Sun King. A fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Science and Engineering he has been named as one of “50 people who could save the planet” by The Guardian, and described by TIME as a ‘Hero of the Environment’, an annual list that celebrates the most innovative and influential protectors of the planet.
In 2000, Dr. Shi founded Suntech Power, a pioneering solar panel manufacturer that listed on the New York Stock Exchange and by 2011 it was the world’s largest producer of solar panels.
Dr. Shi has received numerous awards through his career, including the 2019 Al-Attiyah International Energy Award, The International Photovoltaic Science and Engineering Conference Excellent Contribution Award in 2005, Zayed Future Energy Award in 2010, and the Murphy & Spitz Global Leader Award 2011 at the World Economic Forum.
Dr. Shi is regarded as one of the world’s most successful clean energy entrepreneurs. His passion for the environment and making solar energy affordable and available to all, has led him to publish more than 100 papers and invent 60 patents in photovoltaic technology over the last 30 years.