About SOLTRAIN

Solar water heating (SWH) and solar thermal energy are are highly applicable in South Africa and the Southern African Region. In fact, Southern Africa has the world's best solar radiation area suitable for solar water heating. Yet we depend on finite and polluting fossil fuels for much of our energy needs, 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. These technologies are cost-effectively alleviating the electricity crisis in Southern Africa, whilst creating much-needed job opportunities while alleviating the regional energy supply problems of Southern Africa.

The Programme

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). 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 and 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. The programme 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 also 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

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)

Coordinator: AEE – Institute for Sustainable Technologies

Contact: Dieter Holm
Phone: +27 12 371 3389
E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.