Taoyuan and Irvine Join Forces with Join It as Coloured Solar Technology Builds New Net-Zero Links across Southern California

A Taoyuan start-up has taken its technology to Irvine, the city's US sister city, forging new net-zero technology links through city-to-city diplomacy.

Wei-Li Hsueh, Founder of Join It Sustainable Tech. Co., Ltd. and Chief Executive of Richten Energy, recently travelled to Southern California representing the team behind its coloured solar technology as part of a delegation organised by the Taipei Computer Association (TCA).

The delegation brought together Taiwanese technology companies including ASUS and Foxconn of Hon Hai Technology Group, with visits to Los Angeles City Hall, Irvine City Hall and the Port of Los Angeles, as well as transport, healthcare and research facilities. The programme explored local demand and potential applications for smart-city technologies and public infrastructure

Founder Wei-Li Hsueh (left) presents a customised coloured solar panel to Irvine Mayor Larry Agran (right) during discussions on urban sustainability, building energy and applications in public spaces, highlighting the potential of coloured solar façades to bring together renewable energy, architectural aesthetics and urban development.

The programme also brought together representatives from San Gabriel, Temple City, Irwindale and Diamond Bar, alongside industry networks across Orange County, with discussions covering public buildings, parking facilities, transport hubs, energy management and long-term operations and maintenance.

At Los Angeles City Hall, the delegation met Deputy Mayor of International Affairs Dilpreet Sidhu and Deputy Mayor of Finance, Operations and Innovation Matt Hale, as well as city officials responsible for infrastructure, climate resilience and transport. Discussions also explored the city's emerging sustainability needs in the run-up to the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games, while potential areas of collaboration remain at an early stage of needs assessment and feasibility review.

Join It Sustainable Tech. Co., Ltd. joined a Taiwan smart-city business delegation to the US West Coast for a visit to the City of Los Angeles, where it met officials from across city departments to discuss applications for public buildings, urban infrastructure and net-zero energy. The visit aimed to explore opportunities to bring technologies already validated in Taiwan to international urban markets.

Irvine and Taoyuan have been sister cities since 2001, with both cities placing a strong emphasis on the technology sector, youth entrepreneurship and sustainable development. Wei-Li Hsueh met Irvine Mayor Larry Agran and the city's economic development team, introducing the company's coloured solar façade technology, which has undergone national-level field validation by the Architecture and Building Research Institute, Ministry of the Interior (ABRI). He also presented the Mayor with a customised coloured solar panel.

Irvine officials expressed interest in potential applications across public facilities, areas where the city could provide support, and long-term operations and maintenance following installation. The two sides also discussed opportunities for further engagement.

Join It Sustainable Tech. Co., Ltd. was selected this year to join the Taoyuan City Skyline Accelerator, operated by the Department of Youth Affairs, Taoyuan City Government. On 6 August, the company went on to win the Green Technology category of the Startup Stars Competition at the Taoyuan Entrepreneurship Expo.

The company expressed particular appreciation to the Department of Youth Affairs and the team led by Director Hou Chia-Lin for providing incubation, business matchmaking and international networking support, helping extend Taoyuan's start-up ecosystem beyond Taiwan and into overseas markets.

Join It Sustainable Tech. Co., Ltd. wins the Green Technology category of the Startup Stars Competition.

Wei-Li Hsueh said the next step would be to bring together Richten Energy’s R&D and engineering capabilities and apply experience gained from national-level government validation projects in Taoyuan. The company hopes to identify suitable sites across public buildings, schools, parking facilities and industrial parks for small-scale demonstration or proof-of-concept projects.

The aim is to build a pathway from national validation and deployment in Taoyuan to sister-city collaboration and international replication, positioning Taoyuan not only as Taiwan’s international gateway, but also as a showcase for net-zero building technologies with global potential.

Taoyuan Mayor Chang San-Cheng (center) and Department of Youth Affairs Director Hou Jia-Ling (right) hear from Join It Sustainable Tech. Co., Ltd. Founder Wei-Li Hsueh (left) about the company’s coloured solar façade technology and its potential applications across public buildings, industrial parks and the urban landscape.