Solar obligation

Solar thermal businessmen from Spain: Julio Castro (right) and Angel Martínez founded the collector manufacturer Termicol Energía Solar, S.L. eight years ago and invest even in times of crisis.

Photo: Termicol

Namibia has successfully implemented a directive in 2007 which requires SWH on all new public buildings, on existing public buildings without water heaters and existing public buildings with electric geysers. Namibia could reduce its peak electricity demand by almost 20 MW thanks to this directive. Find more details about the solar obligation in the following table.

Mandating the installation of solar heating in buildings is not a new idea. Since 1980, the use of this technology for solar heaters has been mandatory in Israel, (the world's first country to adopt such a policy for the use of solar energy). Many other countries and many cities are also adopting this policy, including Brazil.

In Europe much effort has been made for a broad introduction of policies that make a mandatory minimum supply of solar thermal energy in buildings.

There are several benefits attributed to solar energy obligations:

This solar obligation from 2006 requires the installation of solar heating in homes and in single rooms with 4 or more bathrooms.

Single residences or apartments with up to 3 bathrooms need to be prepared by entrepreneurs for the future installation of solar heaters. The new residential buildings are also required to have solar heaters installed in new buildings constructed in the city.

Reducing the burden of the electricity load: a solar water heater in the city of Delhi. Photo: Koto Trade & Service

A recoupment period of two years: The University of Namibia in Windhoek replaced an oil boiler that had reached the end of its life cycle with 109 solar water heaters.
Photo: Namibian Engineering Cooperation/Solahart

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

Maharashtra state and its 35 districts: ten major cities approved solar bye-laws, others will follow soon

The Open Hand is one of the landmarks of Chandigarh city, the capital of the two Indian states Punjab and Haryana in the north of India.
Photo: City of Chandigarh