Residential

The Indian state of Rajasthan has strongly supported the market for solar thermal technology. Since 2004, the state in the northwest of India has had a comprehensive mandatory law for solar water heaters: Solar energy use has been an essential requirement in setting up new hospitals, sports complexes, swimming pools, hostels, barracks, hotels, industrial buildings in which hot water is needed to process the goods, as well as public buildings and residential buildings with a plot size of 500 m² and above. In 2011, the state government has also granted an indirect subsidy to residential users of Solar Water Heaters (SWH). Having come into force three months ago, the scheme allows every SWH user to receive a rebate on its electricity bill of INR 0.25 INR/kWh of electricity, capped at a maximum of INR 300 per month – independent of the age of the system.
Photo courtesy: Jaideep Malaviya

On 22 December 2011, the Polish Ministry of Economy presented the draft of a new Renewable Energy Sources Law. It includes a renewable building obligation for the private and public sector, as well as a one-time tax deduction for private solar thermal customers (in addition to the grants offered by the Polish National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management, NFOŚiGW). The new regulations are thought to boost the Polish solar thermal market in the long term. At first, the RES Law was said to be introduced on July 1, 2012. However, delays in legislative procedures will most likely postpone the new regulations to later this year, so that they are going to take full effect in 2013.
Source: Wikipedia

This is a how-to instructional guide on how to make your own solar thermal hot water heating system. It was created by the website GreenPowerScience.com.

The guide explains how to devise a soalr thermal hot water heating system using a black rubber hose and a heat exchanger. The step by step walks the user through how to build and install the system and the various options they have in doing so.

Author: GreenPowerScience.com

Date: 2008

Pages: 8

The 25 May may prove to be a historically important turn in Switzerland's energy policy: The Swiss Federal Council adopted a law stipulating that no new nuclear power stations are to be built in the country. The existing plants could run as long as the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ENSI) certifies they are safe. There are five nuclear power plants in Switzerland. The Swiss Federal Council calculates with each having an overall operation time of 50 years, which means the last power plant, Leibstadt, would be shut down in 2034.

Carlos F. C. Faria is the founder of Brazilian consultancy Studio Equinócio - SE and former director of the Brazilian solar industry association ABRAVA. Studio Equinócio is dedicated to the development of solar energy in Brazil. The company works in partnership with industries, associations, banks, local governments and energy utilities to establish a solar energy network in Latin America. At the Eurosun 2010, solarthermalworld.org spoke with Carlos Faria about what drives the market in Brazil.
Photo: Eurosun

A satisfying record: The Indian city of Rajkot in Gujarat state, Western India, has seen the installation of more than 16,000 residential systems and over 700 commercial solar water heating systems since the Municipal Corporation implemented a solar building bye-law in March 2004.
Photo: Jaideep Malaviya

This research paper issued by the Laboratory of Heat Transfer and Environmental Engineering of the Aristotle University Thessaloniki relates to the historic evolution of energy building regulations.

Jaime Brash G., from the Mexican National Commission for Energy Efficiency (CONUEE), made this presentation during a solar heating and cooling workshop which took place in July 2009 in Mexico City.

The presentation explains the national programme PROCASOL (2007-2012) created to boost solar energy in the Mexican residential sector. It refers the main obstacles and drivers of the solar thermal development and the new regulations brought by the programme.

Estimations are that by 2012, 1.800.000 m2 of solar collectors will be in place.

Two years – that is how long California has already been waiting for a “200,000 solar roof programme“. After the Californian Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) published its “Proposed Decision“ in November, the programme may finally become reality next year.