SOLTRAIN
Southern African Solar Thermal Training and Demonstration Initiative
Keywords
Solar water heating, solar thermal, Southern Africa, training, capacity, jobs, SMME, policy, demonstration, social institution
Aim
Solar water heating (SWH) and solar thermal energy are no-brainers in South Africa and the Southern African Region
Southern Africa has the world's best solar radiation area suitable for solar water heating
Southern Africa depends on finite and polluting fossil fuels leading to a very high carbon footprint and severe climate change impacts
Solar water heating and solar thermal energy are cost-effectively accelerating the required rapid transformation from a fossil dominated to a sustainable energy world based on renewable energies
Solar water heating and solar thermal energy are cost-effectively alleviating the electricity crisis in Southern Africa
Solar water heating and solar thermal energy are creating much-needed job opportunities while alleviating the regional energy supply problems of Southern Africa
Scope
SOLTRAIN's Train-the-Trainer programme provides advanced solar thermal training and capacity building to tertiary educational institutions and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMMEs) in the participating countries of South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique and Zimbabwe (nine workshops in total). These are then using and disseminating state-of the-art knowledge
SOLTRAIN's monitoring programme improves the quality, performance and lifetime of solar water heating and solar thermal systems, and enhances local expertise
SOLTRAIN creates sustainable jobs to SMMEs in the region
SOLTRAIN initiates and strengthens regional solar thermal policies and measures by informing decision makers on tested and proven international policies, thereby building local and regional markets in the developing world
SOLTRAIN co-sponsors 50 solar thermal demonstration systems at social institutions (hospitals, orphanages, old age homes, HIV/AIDS institutions) to improve hygiene and energy efficiency while reducing water heating costs significantly
SOLTRAIN co-sponsors a SWH test rig at the University of Stellenbosch. This will provide much-needed technical feed-back to the SWH industry and foster solar thermal R&D and training
Duration
2009-05-01 to 2012-04-30
Sponsors
Austrian Development Agency (ADA)
Co-sponsorship by social institutions and in-kind contributions by the Namibian Ministry of Mines and Energy to the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Institute (REEEI) as well as the the World Bank's Renewable Energy Market Transformation Programme (REMT) hosted by the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA)
Cooperation
SOLTRAIN supports and cooperates with the Eskom Solar Water Heating initiative and the South African Departments of Energy's Million Solar Water Heater project, as well as municipal SWH and the SANTAM initiatives
Application for the recognition of the training course at the South African SAQA has been lodged on 2009-09-13.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points are being earned with the training courses in South Africa
ADA cooperates with Energy and Environmental Partnership in Southern Africa (EEP-S&EA)
Progress (see progress reports)
A comprehensive solar water heating market report has been prepared for each participating country in cooperation with the training institutions. The first and second round of Train the Trainers and Dissemination workshops have been completed successfully (see WP4 for qualified trainers in Gauteng)
To see upcoming workshops visit Events calendar
Coordinator: AEE – Institute for Sustainable Technologies
AEE INTEC
Feldgasse 19
A-8200 Gleisdorf
Austria
www.aee-intec.at
Contact: Werner Weiss
Phone: +43 3112 588617
E-mail: w.weiss@aee.at
Project Partner
Sustainable Energy Society of Southern Africa (SESSA)
P.O.Box 58 Hartbeespoort 0216
South Africa
www.sessa.org.za
Contact: Prof. Dieter Holm
Phone: +27 (0)83 287 3220
E-mail: dieterholm@worldonline.net
Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies (CRSES)
Stellenbosch University
South Africa
http://academicsun.ac.za/crses/
Contact: Prof Wikus van Niekerk
Phone: +27 (0)21 808 4251
E-mail: wikus@sun.ac.za
Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Institute (REEEI)
Polytechnic of Namibia, P. Bag 13388
Windhoek
Namibia
www.reeei.org.na
Contact: Kudakwashe Ndhlukula
Phone: +264 61 2072 154
E-mail: kndhlukula@yahoo.com
N&M Logotech Lda. (LOGO)
Josina Machel Ave. 915, 1st Floor, Flat 3
Maputo
Mozambique
Contact: Manuel Damissone
Phone: +258 21 360 450
E-mail: damissone@tvcabo.co.mz
Project Partner
Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM)
Faculty of Engineering
Av. Moçambique, Km 1.5
Maputo
Mozambique
Contact: Dr Fabião M. Alfredo Cumbe
Phone: +258 21 475310
Project Partner
Domestic Solar Heating Pvt. Ltd. (DSH)
11 Kingsbridge Avenue, Northwood
Mt Pleasant, Harare
Zimbabwe
www.thesundrum.org
Contact: Dr Anton Schwarzlmüller
Phone: +263 4 870 293
E-mail: sundrum@zol.co.zw
