South Africa

• SOLTRAIN: Free Solar Heating Systems for Social Institutions-

  Two solar water heating systems – one at an old people’s home and the other at an orphanage (photo) – started operating this March thanks to an initiative by SESSA members Holms and Friends, and the Austrian Development Agency (ADA). Together with another system completed last year, the installations are part of an ADA pledge in support of the SOLTRAIN (Southern African Solar Thermal Training and Demonstration Initiative) project, which is coordinated by Professor Dieter Holm and Henning Holm of Holms and Friends (formerly Omnibus Engineering). Promised are more than 50 solar water heating systems (see http://www.solarthermalworld.org/node/3466).
  Photo: SESSA

• Advancing Solar Water Heating in Southern Africa - The Example of Soltrain (2011)-

  This report evaluates the progress of the SOLTRAIN project in Southern Africa in the period 2009-2011. The project’s initiation was covered by solarthermalworld.org back in 2009, and is available here.

• The South African Water Heating Industry (2011)-

  Presented by Dominic Goncalves at the Renewable Energy Africa Conference on July 28 2011, this presentation surveys the potential for the market development of the South African solar water heating industry. Because 18% of South Africa’s national electricity supply is allocated towards the heating of water, solar water heating is portrayed as a solution to the impending electricity crisis; whereby domestic demand for electricity far outstrips supply.

• CSP Feed-in Tariffs Guide (2011)-

  Written to support CSP Today’s 2011 concentrated solar power (CSP) event in Seville, this report provides an overview of the regulatory incentives schemes that exist to support the concentrated solar thermal industry around the world. It summarises the incentives and targets for CSP in nine countries: USA, South Africa, India, Spain, Morocco, Italy, Greece, and Portugal. For each, the feed-in tariffs, tax credits, or subsidies are specified and explained by different industry experts.

  Author: CSP Today

  Year: 2011

• South Africa: University of Pretoria’s 672 m² Solar Thermal System-

  The University of Pretoria is extending its Onderstepoort campus and this extension also includes a 672 m² solar thermal system. The system provides warm water to the new energy-efficient flats accommodating a total of 550 students. Onderstepoort - or OP, as it is commonly known - is located in Pretoria North and is home to South Africa´s only Veterinary Institute. Holms and Friends, formerly Omnibus Engineering, has recently completed the university project. With it, the member of the Sustainable Energy Society of Southern Africa (SESSA) has just set up one of the currently largest glazed installations in Southern Africa.
  Photo: Holms and Friends

• South Africa: SAIA Examines Green Geyser Replacement Project -

  The South African Insurance Association (SAIA), a body representing the short-term insurance industry, has completed phase One of an assessment related to the Green Geyser Replacement Project. In a press release from 3 April, the association said that four working groups have taken a look at the implications to the participating short-term insurers if they were to offer their clients a solar water heater or a heat pump in case of a valid insurance claim for a damaged electric boiler.

• Concentrating Solar Power: Global Outlook 09-

  This 2009 report looks into the global outlook of concentrating solar power (CSP). The report first looks into the different CSP technologies and makes a comparison based on the advantages and disadvantages. The report also provides an overview of the CSP development by region. For certain countries per region a more detailed assessment is provided. In particular, the potential of the Mediterranean and the MENA region is being assessed.

• First Southern African Solar Energy Conference (SASEC), Stellenbosch - The First Southern African Solar Energy Conference will be held from the 21 to the 23 May 2012 at the Protea Hotel in the Technopark, Stellenbosch. This conference will focus on both Solar Photovoltaic and Solar Thermal Energy technology systems and applications.
• South Africa: Solardome closes SWH manufacturing facility-

  After 42 years in the business, South African solar thermal pioneer Solardome SA had to shut down its manufacturing operations at the end of last year. The name Solardome - formerly Mikado - stands for more than four decades of collector manufacturing in South Africa (see www.solarthermalworld.org/node/1346). Managing Director Tertius Lindenberg holds ESKOM’s rebate programme responsible for the trouble that his company and some other local manufacturers are in at the moment. The rebate scheme of South Africa’s main power supplier had resulted in a flood of cheap imports, which compete with local production.
  Photo: Solardome

• Germany: Solar Thermal Experts Discuss Cost-Cutting Strategies -

  The solar thermal industry is facing major challenges: Costs of storage and collector components have to be reduced even further if large solar plants are to offer investors competitive prices for heating. Hence, 170 industry representatives and scientists from all around the world came together at the international industry conference SMEThermal 2012 in Berlin at the beginning of February 2012 to explore cost-cutting strategies during a round-table discussion.
  Photo: Solarpraxis AG / Therese Aufschlager

• Interbuild Africa 2012, Johannesburg- The Star Interbuild Africa will take place from 15 to 18 August 2012 in Johannesburg. The International Building and Construction Exhibition focuses on the latest developments in the extensive building services and construction arena. From affordable housing products to civil engineering equipment, plant hire and equipment, scaffolding and structural products including bricks, tiles, cement, flooring and windows, doors, roofing and cladding, lighting and paints.
• South Africa: Harvesting the Sun with Western Cape’s Housing Project-

  Thermosiphon systems on the roofs of social housing blocks in South Africa: Almost all of the 210 flats that are part of the newly built housing project in Steenberg, a suburb of Cape Town, have been equipped with a solar water heater of local system supplier Hotmix (Pty) Ltd.
  Photo: Bruce Sutherland / City of Cape Town

• South Africa: Solar Water Heating Strategy & Implementation Plan -

  Last November, South Africa's Department of Minerals and Energy (DME) published the draft of an “Overall Recommended Strategic Framework”. The framework is to come into effect in April 2010. This strategy should help to equip 1 million households with solar water heaters by 2014.

• South Africa: Eskom convenes Solar Industry Workshop-

  In early August, South Africa's national utility, Eskom, convened a workshop for solar water heating manufacturers, suppliers and installers. The primary objective of the workshop was to advise the industry on what to do about the remaining budget for the solar water heating rebate scheme, as well as which immediate steps to take until the end of the 2011-2012 financial year. Quality issues of currently installed systems were also discussed (see the attached presentation). The chart shows the strong increase in the number of applications for non-pressurised (NP) solar water heaters.
  Source: Eskom

• Solar Water Heaters save Electricity in South Africa-

  As of 12 July 2011, the South African utility Eskom counted a total number of 84,214 approved applications since the beginning of the programme in 2007. Since the beginning of the programme the level of subsidies changed regularly. The latest table with the maximum rebate level was published on 12 April, 2011 and will be implemented most probably at the 1st of October. 

• SOLTRAIN: Solar Thermal Training in South Africa-

  Thirty seven solar water heating industry leaders and academics have just attended the third SOLTRAIN (Southern African Solar Thermal Training and Demonstration Initiative) solar thermal technical training course in Pretoria, South Africa. The training was formally opened by the regional coordinator of the programme, Professor Dieter Holm. In opening, Holm emphasized the value of the hands-on approach to the course under the guidance of a number of eminent experts in the field. The delegates represented a balanced mix from industry and academia.
  Photo: Omnibus Engineering

• Assessment of Feasibility for the Replacement of Electrical Water Heaters with Solar Water Heaters in Namibia (2005)-

  This study, commissioned by the Ministry of Mines and Energy, provides an overview of the solar water heating (SWH) industry in Namibia in 2005, comparing it with electric solar heating. Other African countries such as South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana and their SWH development are also mentioned to help comparing the evolution of Namibia.

• South Africa: Clarity sought on Future of Rebate Scheme-

  There has been no decision yet regarding the future of the national residential incentive programme by South African utility Eskom: As of 12 July 2011, the utility counted a backlog of all in all 53,208 applications. This is more than half of the number of all applications approved since the beginning of the programme in 2007 (84,214 application). 76 % of the applications that are still pending approval deal with open loop systems. Closed loop systems make up the smaller proportion, with 12,644 still pending applications.
  

• South Africa: New Collector Factory commissioned-

  South African company Ikhwezi Solar (Pty) Ltd announced in mid-July that its new solar thermal flat plate manufacturing plant has become fully operational. The factory's annual production capacity is 22,000 collectors, which are manufactured on a single shift basis. Before starting its own collector production, the company based in East London, at the southeast coast of South Africa, had specialised in supplying and installing solar thermal collectors for both South Africa's commercial and domestic market. “We decided to capitalise on the momentum created in South Africa, with the focus having moved much to renewable energy,” Executive Director of Ikhwezi Solar, Pieter Bosch, explains.
  Photo: Ikhwezi Solar

• Funding for Commercial Solar Water Heating Projects-

  The Renewable Energy Market Transformation Project (REMT) aims at supporting Commercial Solar Water Heating (CSWH) projects during the next four years. There is a total funding available of US$ 17.3 million. So far there is no final word on how CSWH projects will be supported.

  This text was written by communication specialist Hanna Schober based in South Africa. Schober_hanna@gmx.at
  
  

• Solar Cooling Market to experience big Changes-

  According to Dr Uli Jakob, Vice President of the “Green Chiller - Association for Sorption Cooling”, the solar cooling sector may soon experience a shift from small series production of a niche market to considerable manufacturing quantities. Jakob points out two signs supporting such a development: First, the approval of the IEA-SHC task 48, “Quality Assurance and Support Measures for Solar Cooling“; second, the recent market entry of big players, such as Stiebel Eltron (Germany) and Hitachi (Japan).
  Photo: Bärbel Epp

• Emerging Technology Option for Clean Power Generation - Concentrated Solar Power (2009)-

  This 2009 paper underlines the overall benefits of solar power especially when considered as part of a country or region's energy generation options mix. In addition to listing the available technologies, the document also looks into the economics of solar thermal and provides a summary comparison among parabolic through, central receiver and parabolic dish technologies.

• Energy Action Sheet: Solar Water Heating (2006)-

  This action sheet was published by the Pace Project (Pan African Conservation Education Project), funded by the Vodafone Foundation and ran in partnership by Tusk Trust and Siren Conservation Education. The goal is to help spreading simple solutions to environmental problems between communities in Africa.

• South Africa: Three partners – one Solar Project-

  
  
   

• Solar Water Heating as a Climate Protection Strategy: The Role for Carbon Finance- In January 2005 (revised in November 2005), a US non profit Green Market International released this study on the possible role of solar water heatering in international efforts to reduce GHG emissions for developing nations. The Kyoto protocol's Clean Developing Mechnisms (CDM) provides the opportunity for carbon trading to support environmental protection and economic development? Markets of Solar water heating is described in 6 developing countries, namely Barbados Brazil China India Mexico and South Africa.
• South Africa: First Solar-Powered Air-Conditioning System-

  Showcasing solar cooling in South Africa: The Netcare Moot Hospital in Pretoria has installed the first cooling system based on a solar thermal powered absorption chiller. Photo: Voltas Technologies

• Low Carbon Future (2011)-

  This is an overview presented by the Southern Africa Solar Thermal and Electricity Association (SASTELA) concerning the potential, developments and future perspectives for both solar thermal and PV energy in Africa, especially in South Africa. The main objective is to develop and interconnect the African nascent grid to the EU electrical grid by 2050. Following a brief presentation of SASTELA’s 10 objectives, the document provides some context information linked to the CSP (concentrating solar power) potential of Africa and the main activities under development.

• Energex Africa 2011, Johannesburg- The Energex Africa 2011 will take place at the Gallagher Convention Center in Johannesburg from 7 to 9 June. The trade fair will present the achievements and novelties in the field of solar thermal, PV, biomass, wind power, hydro power, and energy efficiency.
  
• South Africa: Eskom´s Incentive Programme shows a Steep ramp up-

  The number of monthly installed and subsidised solar thermal installations in South African households increased significantly towards the end of 2010. According to Eskom, energy utility and administrator of the national residential subsidy programme, 4,914 claims were paid in December. This compares favourably to the approximate 250 systems that were installed in the same period in 2009, and represents a significant increase as can be seen from the graph. Eskom is not updating the above chart anymore with monthly figures.
  Source: Eskom/SESSA

• TREE seminar on financing Projects in Abu Dhabi and South Africa-

  The three speakers for the two-day workshop in Abu Dhabi (from left): Riadh Bhar (Ecofys Germany), Uli Jakob (Solem Consulting) and Rainer Schmidt (TST-C Thomas Schmidt Consultants GmbH) had extensive discussions with the participants about project design and financing of renewable energy systems in the field of solar cooling, solar process heat, photovoltaics and energy efficiency in buildings.
  Photo: Solem Consulting

• Renewable Desalination Market Analysis: Oceania, South Africa, Middle East & North Africa (2010)-

  This report was released as part of the Project ProDes (Promotion of Renewable Energy for Water production through Desalination). The project ProDes (2008-2010) brings together 14 European organisations in order to support the market development of renewable energy desalination technology in Southern Europe. At present the main renewable energy technology options for powering desalination (reverse osmosis or distillation technologies) are: solar thermal, concentrated solar power, photovoltaic, wind power, geothermal energy and ocean energy.

• More than 41 years of Collector Manufacturing in South Africa-

  Collector panel from the year 1969: This 41-year old collector is one of the very first units that South African company Mikado (PTY) Ltd. (since 1997 called Solardome SA) produced in South Africa. Today’s Managing Director Tertius Lindenberg looks back at 4 decades of solar thermal business.
  Photo: Solardome

• Combined Solar Power and Desalination Plants: Update on the MED-CSD Project (2009)-

  This presentation from 2009 provides an update of the MED-CSD project. The main aim of this project is the assessment of the technico-economic potential of CSP for electricity and desalination in the Mediterranean region. The presentation first gives a global overview by linking the regions suffering from water scarcity with the global potential for concentrating solar power.

• South Africa: Freezing Cold destroys several 100 Solar Thermal Systems-

  In the middle of June, during the World Cup in South Africa, the significant drop in temperature around Johannesburg did not only cause some football players to catch a cold in the meantime, but one of these frosty winter nights also destroyed several hundred solar systems in the region.
  Source: http://de.fifa.com

• Is solar thermal technology still a niche market?-

  There are a number of mature markets like Israel, Austria, Barbados, China or Cyprus where solar thermal is used by a wide majority of people for heating the domestic hot water and sometimes for room heating.
  

• South Africa: 2009 Study of the Solar Water Heater Market-

  Commercial systems are gaining importance in South Africa: A recent market survey by national energy provider Eskom estimates that 15% of the installed collector area in 2009 were part of large-scale solar thermal systems.
  Photo: Solar Beam

• South Africa: 140 m² of Collector Area on ABB Building in Johannesburg-

  Paulo Davids, Head of solar thermal projects at ABB South Africa, says that, “The payback period of the 140 m² system will most certainly be achieved within ten years and possibly even shorter if projected energy price increases are taken into account”.
  Photo: ABB

• South Africa: Santam Insurance offers Replacement Service for Solar Water Heaters-

  Short-term insurer Santam confirmed at the beginning of March that its residential clients would be able to replace damaged electrical geysers with solar water heaters, following a partnership with national power utility Eskom. When replacing a damaged geyser, the South African insurer allows its clients to choose between different solar-heated alternatives during the claim process. It is actually the first South African insurance company to promote renewable energy in that way.

• Market Survey of Solar Water Heating in South Africa (2005)-

  This document was prepared by SolaSure for the Energy Development Corporation (EDC) in 2005.

  This market survey breaks down the solar thermal industry worldwide and South Africa. With enhanced awareness of the beneficial impacts on all income sectors, as well as enhancing industry awareness can make a potential boom in the solar hot water heating market.

• South Africa: SEG Solar Energy Offers Training and Marketing Support to Suppliers and Plumbers -

  A training day in Randburg: SEG Solar Energy, the newly founded solar system provider in South Africa, provides trainings and free marketing for its dealers and plumbers.
  Photo: SEG Solar Energy

• South Africa: Eskom increases Rebates-

  Solar thermal installation in Soweto: Eskom's Renewable Energy Portfolio Manager, Cedric Worthmann, said that, “Our aim is to encourage as many South Africans as possible to move away from using electric geysers and replace them with solar heated systems instead”.
  Source: www.solarheat.co.za

• South Africa: Support Project for Commercial Solar Water Heating -

  The Renewable Energy Market Transformation Project (REMT), established in November 2008, was developed to help South Africa address some of the barriers within the renewable energy sector. It is funded through the world bank by the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and endeavours to fulfil the 2013 renewable energy target of 10,000 GWh, set out by the South African government.

• South Africa: Unit Standards and the Need for Training-

  When it comes to installing solar thermal systems, skilled workers are still rare in South Africa – a fact that the training centre WaterSmith tries to change. The training facility is offering its first solar water heater courses.
  Photo: Zingaro

• A Desk Top Study to Investigate the Global Best Practice for Solar Water Heating Manufacturers (2006)- This study was commissioned by Central Energy Fund (CEF) to Palmer Development Consulting (PDC) and Synopsis to report to the South African public and private sector of the best practices for SWH technologies, warranty periods, pricing, and standards. The methodology of the report consisted on a questionnaire sent to worldwide manufacturers inquiring about exports of SWH systems into South Africa. Results showed a similarity in the systems and technologies, when compared to national manufacturers, but a big difference in terms of prices was registered.
• Eskom Solar Water Heating Rebate Programme: Claim Process Guide (2008)-

  This guide was made to help consumers applying for a Eskom Solar Water Heating Rebate Programme. This rebate programme was set-up by the South African Government to increase the share of renewable energies on the final energy consumption to 10 000 gigawatt hours by 2013. The guide includes a series of steps that should be taken into account applying for the Eskom rebate scheme, the documents necessary for the application, the systems that are qualified for the rebate and other practical information.

• Solar Water Heating as a Climate Protection Strategy: The Role for Carbon Finance (2005)-

  This analysis (from 2005 by Green Markets International) of carbon finance covers its impact on domestic solar water heating, and the market implications six countries (Barbados, Brazil, China, India, Mexico, and South Africa).

  More specifically it examines the contribution that SWH can make to carbon abatement in several developing countries that are eligible to participate in major carbon trading programs. It also explores how participation in carbon trading can boost SWH markets.

• Carbon Finance and Solar Water Heating Technology (2004)- This document (from 2004) explores the potential of carbon finance to boost markets for solar water heating (SWH) technology in developing countries. It also introduces many of the barriers that have traditionally prevented SWH from gaining a foothold in the residential and commercial energy sectors.
• Large-scale Rollout of Concentrating Solar Power in South Africa (2009)-

  This 2009 paper is a follow-up from the CSP workshop which took place in May 2009. This document looks into the large-scale rollout of concentrating solar power (CSP) based upon the modelling of long-term mitigation scenarios (LTMS) of South Africa.

• Solar Thermal Generation: A Sustainable Intervention to Improve SAPP's Diminishing Generation Surplus Capacity (2007)-

  This paper from 2007 looks into the energy needs of the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) which is a consortium of countries in Southern Africa represented by their national power utility companies. The paper indicates that the critical concern for this region is that the electricity demand cannot be met beyond 2010.

• SOLTRAIN: Southern African Solar Thermal Training and Demonstration Initiative-

  A solar thermal expert with heart and soul: Werner Weiss, Managing Director of AEE – Intec, the Institute for Sustainable Technologies from Austria, runs technical trainings and demonstration projects for solar thermal technology in several countries worldwide. Photo: Bärbel Epp

• Kuyasa - South Africa’s first Clean Development Mechanism project-

  Over 6,300 solar water heaters are planned in Khayelitsha, the biggest informal settlement in Cape Town, South Africa. Photo: City of Cape Town

• Cape Town: Draft of Solar Water Heating Bye-law -

  Currently, solar water heating systems have hardly penetrated in Cape Town, South Africa. Only 2 % of city’s 906,000 households use solar energy. The planned bye-law should boost the market to 76,000 newly installed system in the next two years, but has been delayed due to continuous legal obstacles. Photo: Sustainable Energy Africa

• South Africa: The Resolution of the ISES Solar World Congress-

  Hosting the next ISES Congress: The 30th ISES Solar World Congress will be held in Kassel, Germany, from 28 August to 2 September 2011. This year´s resolution recommends that governments worldwide should establish a law to increase the use of renewable energies in the heating and cooling sector.
  Photo: ISES

• Report CSP Workshop, South Africa (2009)-

  This is the report of a CSP workshop, which took place in South Africa on 22 May 2009. The workshop results from the necessity to gather project developers, the government, NGOs and research centers to start a discussion on scaling up CSP.

  In South Africa, the development of CSP infrastructure has been boosted by the government which policy is to encourage renewable energy projects via financial measures and incentives such as the Renewable Energy Feed-In Tariff (REFIT) or the Clean Development Mechanism.

• TREE Project – CSP Seminars in South Africa (2009)-

  The TREE Project (Transfer Renewable Energy & Efficiency), run by the Renewables Academy (RENAC) in Berlin aims to promote capacity building and know-how transfer in renewable energies (RE), energy efficiency (EE) and climate protection for both decision makers from politics and business, as well as technicians and engineers in emerging countries.

• Assessment of the World Bank/GEF Strategy for the Market Development of Concentrating Solar Thermal Power (2006)-

  This report from 2006 gives a detailed assessment on the approach of GEF towards concentrating solar power development. In particular it looks into the GEF's Operational Programme 7 (OP 7) which deals with the development of technologies with low greenhouse gas emissions that are not yet commercial, but which show promise of becoming so in the future.

• South Africa: Rebates up to 30 %- 90 % of South Africa’s electricity is generated by coal-fired power stations. The fourth quarter of 2007, however, started with massive power cuts as electricity supply fell behind demand. Eskom, the largest electricity supplier in Africa, the South African Government and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), began to implement alternative and renewable energy programmes a year later. Among these is a rebate programme for solar water heaters.
  
• South Africa: Workshop Discusses Market Barriers- Solar water heaters possess a huge potential in South Africa. “Some 100,000 houses are built every year, 30,000 homes are renovated, and about 400,000 electric geysers are replaced,” Thulani Gcabashe, head of Head of Energy Building Africa Holding, explained at the national solar water heating workshop in Midrand, South Africa, this February.
• “Bringing the Industry Closer Together”-

  Dylan Tudor-Jones was a founding member of the Solar Water Heating Division of the Sustainable Energy Society of Southern Africa (SESSA). Solarthermalworld.org spoke with him at the International Solar Energy Society Solar World Congress 2009 in Johannesburg in October.
  Photo: Hanna Schober

• Commercial Solar Thermal Installations in South Africa-

  Showcasing a commercial solar application: 40 solar collectors on the roof of the Southern Sun Stay Easy Emalahleni Hotel in Witbank, South Africa, reduce the peak electricity load by 70 kW.

  Photo: Southern Sun

• South Africa: Zingaro - a new solar player in South Africa-

  Solar thermal systems for all application areas – this is the top marketing and sales concept at Zingaro, an Austro-South African solar thermal systems distributor, designer and installer. Photo: Zingaro

• Interbuild Africa, Johannesburg- The Star Interbuild Africa, together with co-locating shows Plumbdrain Africa, Sani’ter, Frigair, Glass Expo Africa and Woodpro Africa, is the largest building services, construction, plumbing, drainage, water and sewerage, HVAC/R, glass and aluminium, and woodworking exhibition in Africa hosting the full spectrum of related industries in residential, commercial and industrial development.
• ISES Solar World Congress 2009, Johannesburg- The International Solar Energy Society (ISES) together with the Sustainable Energy Society of Southern Africa (SESSA) invites renewable energy supporters to Johannesburg om October 2009 to the 29th Solar World Congress. SESSA has been long looking forward to hosting the event and after 22 years away from Southern Africa this event is coming home for SESSA. The exciting and comprehensive Congress program being developed will include the latest findings in renewable energy research, technology, applications, education and good policy initiatives.