The third SOLTRAIN technical training course was held in Pretoria in February. The objective behind SOLTRAIN (Southern African Solar Thermal Training and Demonstration Initiative), which is sponsored by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), is to contribute to the switch from a fossil fuel-based energy supply to a sustainable energy supply system based on renewable energies by building up training capacities and improving the quality, performance and lifetime of solar thermal systems.
At the same time, SOLTRAIN aims to create new jobs at small and medium enterprises and to initiate or strengthen political support mechanisms for solar thermal systems. The project also aims to install 50 solar water heating systems at hospitals, orphanages, homes for elderly people and HIV/AIDS institutions, to reduce their energy costs for water heating.
SOLTRAIN focuses on three groups – training institutions like universities and other training centres, small and medium enterprises working in the field of solar water heaters, and policymakers and administrators. Overall, participants will attend nine SOLTRAIN courses which are being held at the University of Pretoria.
SOLTRAIN coordinator for Southern Africa, Dieter Holm, explained that the most recent course involved participants in working with the simulation programme TSOL Expert – to design, simulate and then evaluate various solar cooling systems based on thermally driven cooling technologies like ab-/adsorption chillers and desiccant evaporative cooling (DEC) with solid or liquid sorbent.
Delegates have been drawn from those countries partnering with the ADA: South Africa (Sustainable Energy Society of Southern Africa – SESSA – and Stellenbosch University), Namibia (Polytechnic of Namibia), Mozambique (Eduardo Mondlane University and N&M Logotech) and Zimbabwe (Domestic Solar Heating). Their participation is being coordinated by AEE, the Institute for Sustainable Technologies from Austria.
“SOLTRAIN is an inspiring and ambitious project,” said ambassador for SESSA: Solar Water Heating, Irvan Damon. “Over the course of the project, we will prepare a comprehensive solar thermal market report for each participating country and numerous solar thermal systems of different sizes will be monitored and analysed for suitability to Southern Africa’s often harsh and variable weather conditions.
“Comprehensive training for production, installation and implementation of solar thermal systems will then be conducted so that small and medium enterprises will be able to install the 50 demonstration systems at social institutions, and then go on to extend their reach and influence in their communities to deliver solar thermal solutions while creating employment.
“In this way, the aims of SOLTRAIN dovetail with those of SESSA, a non-profit organisation dedicated to the creation and continued growth of an authoritative renewable energy hub,” he said.
