In Tsochen County, Ngari Prefecture, Tibet, at an altitude of 4,700 meters, the October winds cut like knives as temperatures drop to -10°C outdoors. Yet, in the home of Gacan, a resident of the Zhari Namco neighborhood in Tsochen Town, radiators hum steadily with 18°C warmth, keeping the indoor temperature comfortably stable. A pot of butter tea steams on the coffee table.

"Before, every household relied on burning coal or dung for heat, constantly tending to the stove," Gacan recalls. "The walls were blackened by soot, and while the area near the stove was scorching, just a few steps away, it was freezing." Now, with clean energy heating, warmth spreads evenly, making homes cleaner and healthier.

For decades, winters here were marked by the scent of burning dung. Gacan remembers following his parents through snowstorms to gather fuel for the long, harsh winters. After enduring over 30 smoky winters, he and his neighbors finally transitioned to clean energy heating last year.

"Heating is a necessity for both officials and residents," says Duan Dongming, Party Secretary of Tsochen County's Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau. Located in a high-altitude subarctic monsoon semi-arid climate zone, Tsochen experiences eight months of dry, frigid weather annually, with temperatures plunging to -35°C. Traditional biomass-fueled boilers were inefficient, costly, and often failed to maintain a comfortable 18°C indoors.

The solution lies in harnessing local renewable energy. Northeast of the county, over 6,000 photovoltaic panels glisten under the sun. "Our clean energy heating system uses these solar collectors alongside a 40,000-cubic-meter thermal storage tank to convert and store solar energy as heat, distributing it where needed," explains Li Haoju, the project's technical lead.

Even during extreme weather, the system ensures stable heating for at least a week, maintaining indoor temperatures around 18°C.

For residents like Quzhen, the change is transformative. "No more dung fires—just clean, solar-powered warmth," she says. "Now, women gather in cozy homes to craft handmade goods, chatting and earning extra income. At night, children and elders no longer huddle under thick wool blankets."

The Tsochen County Clean Energy Heating Project, a 314-million-yuan investment, began construction in April 2024 and became operational by October, covering 286,000 square meters. It operates efficiently with smart, unmanned management. Compared to traditional methods, solar-powered heating reduces fossil fuel use, cuts emissions, and enhances comfort—bringing warmth through technology to this sun-drenched plateau.

Here, where the sun shines closest, its rays now gently warm every home, turning winter from a natural challenge into a harmonious blend of clean energy, technology, and human care.