Chile

One of the biggest Spanish collector manufacturers, Termicol, can still celebrate its 10^th anniversary this year. The company has managed to counter the decline in the Spanish market by expanding its business abroad. Today, the export of collectors generates 20 % of the company´s turnover. With its own brand, Termicol claims a market share of around 10 % in its home country.
Photo: Termicol

This is a presentation delivered by Programa Solar during a workshop on the use of solar thermal technologies in Latin America and the Caribbean, organized by the Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE) in the framework of its cooperation with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

This presentation provides an overview of Nodo Solar, a technology development corporation financed by CORFO and InnovaChile to look at strengthening the technology networks and the solar thermal sector capabilities in response to Chile's energy needs.

The presentation includes data about the solar thermal market in Chile and the proposed activities of Nodo Solar, notably the workshops, seminars and training courses. The organisation is also investing in promotional material (including manuals) to raise awareness to the benefits of using solar thermal.

The National Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mining in Uruguay is working on a decree to regulate the use and incentives for solar water heaters in the country. The National Director of Energy, Dr Ramón Méndez, said at the end of July that his draft includes regulations for the next 15 years. He further explained that the legislation aims at creating both tax incentives and mechanisms for the certification and qualification of equipment and installers. Uruguay is a small coastal country between Brazil and Argentina with only 3.5 million inhabitants and no resources of oil, gas or coal.

Amr M. Abdel Hai, Programme Officer for the Energy Branch of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) (left), and Eduardo Noboa, Renewable Energy and Environment Coordinator from the Latin American Energy Organisation (OLADE), organised a two-day workshop with the aim to strengthen the solar water heating markets in Latin America and the Caribbean. A total of 46 solar thermal experts from several countries (Argentina, Barbados, Brazil, Ecuador, Chile, Colombia, Nicaragua, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay) exchanged information, knowledge, lessons learned and successful experiences.
Photo: OLADE

Chilean company THC is satisfied with the sales of its new collector type called Ecopanel. “We have installed around 2,500 m² of Ecopanels over the last seven months, and have contracts for 1,500 m² more,” Melchor Mittersteiner says. The Vice President of THC, a manufacturer of components for drinking water systems, believes the subsidies to be responsible for the strong growth of the market.
Photo: THC

German-Chilean cooperation in the field of solar energy: On 7 November 2010, the German Solar Energy Society (DGS) and the Chilean Solar Association ACESOL reached an agreement on reciprocal membership in Berlin. The cooperation contract was signed by ACESOL Honorary President Pablo Pastene (centre), DGS Secretary General Uwe Hartmann (right) and the Director of the DGS Regional Association of Berlin Brandenburg, Rainer E. Wüst (left).
Photo: ACESOL

Chile's first - and so far, only - collector manufacturer is producing its collectors at the Colina 1 jail in Santiago de Chile. The workers earn a wage which allows them to help their family. In 2009, the workshop produced 1,500 m² of collectors with copper fins.
Photo: Britec

This report has been arranged by the TECH4DCM (2008-2009) project which is financed by FP6 (European Union Sixth Framework Programme). This EU Project focuses on promoting solar thermal energy and is being carried out in five countries: Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico and Peru. The project’s primary goal is the promotion of renewable and efficient energy technologies, paying special attention to overcoming technological barriers.

The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) was create in the framework of the Kyoto Protocol to stimulate the development of CO2 emission-reduction projects in developing countries which then receive certified emission reduction (CER) credits, each equivalent to one tonne of CO2. These CER can then be traded and sold, and used by industrialized countries to a meet a part of their emission reduction targets under the Kyoto Protocol.