SOLTRAIN

The overall goal of this southern African regional project is to contribute to the switch from a fossil fuel based energy supply to a sustainable energy supply system based on renewable energies.

This should be achieved by building up training capacities in the participating countries in the field of solar thermal technology and the improvement of the quality, performance and lifetime of solar thermal systems. Furthermore it is the aim of the project to create new jobs at small and medium enterprises and to initiate and/or to strengthen political support mechanisms for solar thermal systems.

Finally 50 demonstration systems for social institutions (hospitals, orphanages, homes for elderly people, HIV/AIDS institutions etc.) will be installed in order to increase the hygienic standard of the social institutions and to reduce significantly the energy cost for water heating.

The project focuses on three target groups:

1. Training institutions like universities and other training centres

In cooperation with the training institutions a comprehensive solar thermal market report will be prepared for each participating country. Furthermore solar thermal systems of different sizes will be monitored and analysed. Comprehensive training of the key groups for production, installation and implementing of solar thermal systems will also be a key component of the activity carried out by the training institutions. In total 9 training courses for professionals will be carried out.

2. Small and medium enterprises (companies working in the field of solar water heaters)

Small and medium enterprises are invited to take part in the training courses. They will be supported also in the optimization of their solar thermal systems by individual consulting but also by component testing. The solar thermal companies will take over also the installation of 50 demonstration systems at social institutions.

3. Policy and administration

In cooperation with policy and administration political and financial support mechanisms will be developed for renewable energies in general and solar thermal in particular