New Energy World™
New Energy World™ embraces the whole energy industry as it connects and converges to address the decarbonisation challenge. It covers progress being made across the industry, from the dynamics under way to reduce emissions in oil and gas, through improvements to the efficiency of energy conversion and use, to cutting-edge initiatives in renewable and low-carbon technologies.
Taking the long view: Energy Institute President’s Award Winner 2026
18/2/2026
8 min read
Feature
Winner of the 2026 Energy Institute President’s Award, Lei Zhang HonFEI, Founder of the Chinese renewables company Envision, gives a valuable insight on technology innovation and keys to success in AI-supported renewable energy development globally. On the day he received what is the Energy Institute’s highest honour, Lei Zhang spoke to New Energy World’s Senior Editor Will Dalrymple about his past, his vision of the future and how he sees the state of the energy transition today.
Q: What does receiving this Award mean for you personally and professionally?
A: It’s an affirmation of our vision to create new prosperity for the world. I believe we are at a pivotal moment. Energy is critical not only for our survival in the climate crisis, but also to sustain the development of civilisation. We need to have a cool, concerted approach and strong commitment to build a renewable energy system that works for everybody in a just transition.
Receiving this Award, I feel I am not alone in this endeavour. There are many like-minded people around us, with a strong belief that we should be able to create a great energy foundation for new prosperity.
Q: As founder of Envision nearly 20 years ago (in 2007), how do you see the company’s role in the context of the extraordinary growth, vitality and innovative development of China’s energy business?
A: Envision started with innovative low-wind turbines. We did not just limit innovative development to a small area in northern China but spread wind power initiatives to every province. We democratised wind energy production and quickly realised that, given the state of grid congestion, we could develop a way to orchestrate the grid using an IoT [Internet of Things] platform and other initiatives.