Seven students at North China University of Science and Technology recently invented a "sunflower" solar water heater, which has obtained four patents for utility models and three for invention, all authorized by China’s State Intellectual Property Office, CRI reported on June 8.

Peng Can, one of the designers, was responsible for auxiliary circuit control and interpretation at the university's Maker Space. According to Peng, the plane of illumination of the water heater can chase sunlight, just like sunflowers do. The heater is composed of spherical photosensitive sensors, photovoltaic cells, a heating tank, a temperature-preservation water tank, a thermostatic valve and a rotating base. The solar-energy utilization ratio of the students' heater is nearly double that of others currently on the market.

Peng added that, since the Maker Space was launched in October 2015, it has offered students a platform for entrepreneurship, innovation and exchange. The university strongly supports students’ creativity and absorbs all relevant costs so that students can unleash their innovation to the fullest possible extent.