Establishment of a production, sales and consulting infrastructure for solar thermal systems in Zimbabwe

The courses targeted students at the University of Zimbabwe and technical college graduates as well as tradesmen. A total of 179 people have attended 8 training courses.

Up to now (October 2005) in total 375 solar water heaters with a total installed capacity of 483 kW_th were installed in the residential- and in the institutional sector.

Besides the solar water heaters also solar crop dryers were developed, tested and installed. Six of these dryers are in operation for coffee-, vegetable- and fruit drying.

The economic situation in Zimbabwe has taken a dramatic turn since the middle of 1999. The country is currently in the throes of the greatest economic crisis since gaining its independence in 1980. Since 1999, the economy of Zimbabwe has shrunk by two-fifths. In 2001 – the last year in which reliable data was available – the GDP growth rate was minus 8,4%. The estimation for 2004 is a further shrinking of the economy by another minus 8% to minus 13,6% (CIA – factbook). Thus, at the end of 2004, Zimbabwe’s economy produces half the value added of the year 1999.

Due to this situation a lot of small to medium sized companies filed a petition in bankruptcy, left the country, or opened a branch outside Zimbabwe.

On the other hand shortages of modern energy carriers have become a major obstacle to economic growth in Zimbabwe. Energy imports and infrastructure continue to drain scarce convertible currency. Zimbabwe has been importing between 35% and 60% of its electricity requirements because of inadequate internal power generation capacity.

The Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) faces debts – estimated to be about US$ 240 million – with foreign suppliers. To reduce the consumption of electricity ZESA has operated a ‘ripple control’ demand side management (DSM) programme to control water heaters during peaks periods.

About 230.000 households and institutions (hospitals, clinics, schools…) use electricity to run electric geysers. The majority of this electrical geysers could be replaced by solar water heaters in the long term.

Since a governmental support to install solar water heaters is not realistic at the moment, the main goal of the concluding phase of the project (2005 – 2008) is to conserve the business capacity for solar water heater manufacturing and installation built up by the prior interventions.

The project will focus on the dissemination of solar water heaters in two selected sectors:

• Institutional sector(hospitals, clinics, boarding schools, rehabilitation centres and AIDS-homes)
• residential sector

Furthermore upgrading of the business capacities of the companies involved in the production and installation as well as the improvement of the quality of the solar water heaters are emphasised in the project.

Since purely market driven promotion of solar water heating technology is very difficult in a poor macroeconomic environment, a subsidy scheme will be developed and introduced in the framework of the concluding phase of the project.

The project 1865-02/2005 is financed by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA)