Solar thermal information dissemination and training continues in Zimbabwe

The SOLTRAIN team in Zimbabwe continued to fulfill its training mandate in the country despite challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic during the second quarter of the year. The workshops included training and dissemination workshops and covered four towns - Masvingo, Harare, Bulawayo and Kwekwe -  drawing a total of 133 participants, among which 23 were women.

Zimbabwe | Published Thu 09 Sep 2021 | view

Solar technology for wastewater treatment in Butha Buthe, Lesotho

During the second quarter of this year, Bethal Business and Community Development Centre (BBCDC) constructed a wastewater treatment system/living machine at at Queen Mamohato Children’s Village in Butha Buthe that applies simple yet powerful solar thermal technology to significantly enhance process, economy, and environment. This is the third such structure developed by BBCDC in Lesotho.

Lesotho | Published Thu 09 Sep 2021 | view

Women and youth a driving force in solar thermal activities in Zimbabwe

Involving women in the dissemination of solar thermal technologies will go a long way towards solving Zimbabwe’s energy-related challenges of shortage and pollution. This was one of the conclusions from Sustenergy and Statix Electrical’s initiative of partnering with SOLTRAIN in training women and youth in solar thermal technologies at the Eastern and Southern Africa Management Institute in Harare in April.

Zimbabwe | Published Thu 09 Sep 2021 | view

SOLTRAIN kicks off the next round of Mozambique's training activities in Beira

The next round of SOLTRAIN's training activities kicked off recently in Mozambique at Young Africa (YA), an organization located in Beira, about 1 000 km from the capital, Maputo. YA is a vocational skills training organization, with boarding facilities, where youth are trained in commercial and technical trades including carpentry, plumbing, electrical work and welding.

Mozambique | Published Thu 09 Sep 2021 | view

Solar thermal success story: Maru-a-Pula school hostels

Maru-a-Pula is a co-educational, independent day and boarding secondary school which was founded in 1972 and established as a non-profit trust. It was built on 50 acres of land donated by the Botswana Government with facilities that consume a significant amount of electricity. As part of lessening its carbon footprint, saving costs and in order to encourage the adoption of solar energy as a source power for heating water used by boarding students, two solar installations were carried out at both the boys and girls boarding houses.

Botswana | Published Tue 20 Jul 2021 | view

Hospital reaps the reward of hybrid solar thermal system

Hospitals have a very large demand for hot water and water heating is a major expense. Most hospitals use heat pumps to save energy when supplying their hot water requirements, and it is also possible to supplement the heat pumps by retrofitting a component to save even more energy and cost.

South Africa | Published Tue 20 Jul 2021 | view

Minister of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology visits University of Botswana's SOLTRAIN trailer

The Minister of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology, Botswana, Honourable Dr. Douglas Letsholathebe, visited the University of Botswana on a campus-wide tour of renewable energy projects at the University.

Botswana | Published Tue 20 Jul 2021 | view

Ostrich leather tannery's cost and energy savings quantified after two-and-a-half years of operation with solar

Cape Karoo International (CKI), is the result of a merger between Klein Karoo International and Mosstrich, and is the world’s leading producer of ostrich leather, feathers & meat products with our tannery division boasting an 80% global market share in its supply of ostrich leather. Despite this prestige, our responsibility towards sustainability remains. In fact, ever more so. With our dependence on fossil fuels ever increasing, we decided to seek opportunities for improving on the energy security of our business.

South Africa | Published Fri 28 May 2021 | view

Maternity clinic reaps the benefits of solar hot water

Mother Paula Maternity Clinic is situated in the suburb of Paradise Park in the town of Marondera, near to the capital, Harare. The clinic is operated and managed by the Catholic Nuns of the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood, and is named after the co-foundress of the congregation.

Zimbabwe | Published Fri 28 May 2021 | view

SOLTRAIN assists with providing solar hot water for townhouses in Maseru

A townhouse complex in Lesotho has become a beneficiary of the SOLTRAIN Demonstration Project initiative in which SOLTRAIN funds up to 50% of the cost of supply and installation of solar thermal systems.

Lesotho | Published Fri 28 May 2021 | view

SOLTRAIN Student Project Support Scheme: A supervisor's perspective

As a lecturer for Energy and Industrial Engineering at Botswana University of Science at Technology (BIUST), it was my honour to supervise Mr Modie Orapeleng, who was granted a bursary from SOLTRAIN’s Student Project Support Scheme in 2020, funded by the Austrian Development Agency. 

Botswana | Published Fri 30 Apr 2021 | view

Solar Thermal Energy for Maluti Mountain Brewery: A bursary recipient perspective

My name is Malillane Lillane, a Mosotho woman pursuing a Masters in Sustainable Energy at the National University of Lesotho and the following is my account of my experience of SOLTRAIN Student Project Support Scheme in pursuit of my MSc. in Sustainable Energy final year dissertation.

Lesotho | Published Fri 30 Apr 2021 | view

SOLTRAIN’s Support Scheme for Postgraduate Students has awarded fifteen bursaries so far with more to come

SOLTRAIN’s Student Project Support Scheme supports masters or PhD theses dedicated to the topic of solar thermal energy. The scheme provides financial support for students in order to encourage them to work in the field of solar thermal, to build up capacity and to promote the opportunities that solar thermal energy offer with regard to various applications and sectors, with the overall aim to reduce the use of fossil fuels for a sustainable future.

Global | Published Thu 08 Apr 2021 | view

Centurion Building: Lessons and savings from solar thermal in the residential sector

A report on one of SOLTRAIN's demonstration projects in the residential sector in Cape Town has been published.

The Centurion Building's solar thermal system (shown below) with heat pump backup was commissioned in 2018 and has saved 470MWh of electricity (a reduction of 69%) and R220,000 since commissioning.

The building is an old hotel that has been re-purposed as apartments for retirees. There are 134 apartments, with some retail outlets on the ground level.

Download the full report from this link.

South Africa | Published Wed 03 Mar 2021 | view

SOLTRAIN's policy workshop from the private sector perspective

A recent policy workshop in Botswana was the very first fully virtual policy dialogue hosted by SOLTRAIN through AEE INTEC, CERC and the Solar Industries Association of Botswana. It provided an opportunity for information sharing between the various parties, with public and private sector participants taking the floor to present the work being undertaken, as well as some of the practical challenges faced by the private sector in that country.

Botswana | Published Wed 03 Mar 2021 | view

SOLTRAIN holds impactful hybrid information workshop targeting social homes in Botswana

The Clean Energy Research Centre (CERC) in collaboration with the Solar Industry Association of Botswana (SIAB) hosted a number of representatives from social homes late last year. Due to restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 'hybrid' half-day workshop was held in Gaborone, Botswana, and attracted more than 20 participants from orphanages, retirement homes, women’s shelters and children’s homes to inform them about the SOLTRAIN project, what it offers and how they can benefit from it.

Botswana | Published Wed 03 Mar 2021 | view

Policy interventions in support of the implementation of Solar Thermal Roadmaps

The SADC Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (SACREEE) has a mandate to increase access to modern energy services and to improve energy security across the SADC Region. The six SOLTRAIN partner countries; Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe have developed Solar Thermal Technology Roadmaps and Implementation Plans (https://www.soltrain.org/assets/roadmaps), and the roadmaps have set solar thermal technology targets of each of the partner countries.

Global | Published Wed 03 Mar 2021 | view

Solar cooking with evacuated tubes

Evacuated glass tubes are central to a host of solar thermal applications. Several years ago innovators began harnessing evacuated glass tubes for cooking, putting them in a horizontal orientation and adding a reflective concentrator wing on each side, and then using an oblong narrow cooking tray that slides inside the tube. Various tube manufacturers have responded to this innovation and now offer much larger evacuated glass tubes designed expressly for solar cooking.

Lesotho | Published Wed 03 Mar 2021 | view

Lesotho’s Contribution to Net Zero

Countries, cities, organizations and corporations around the world are, on a  daily basis, making impressive commitments to decarbonize their economic activities.  Most of these commitments are framed against a deadline, 2030, 2040, 2050, etc. using the term “Net Zero.”  I do not know if the Government of Lesotho has any official word to say on the matter and I will not pretend to speak for it.  Sustainable development is a decision everyone can make immediately, implement and engage.

Lesotho | Published Fri 08 Jan 2021 | view

SOLTRAIN Funded Solar Hybrid Project

In 2020, SOLTRAIN awarded bursaries to qualifying research students in its five partner countries. One of the recipients was Kago Rabasoma from University of Botswana.  His project involves fabricating a working model of a solar absorber and nocturnal radiator hybrid system (“SAANR”). The system is intended to harness solar energy during the day to produce hot water and then use nocturnal radiation to produce cool water. The hot water can then be used in the evenings for domestic purposes such as washing and bathing, and then the cool water can be used during the day. The main supervisor of this work is Dr Kevin Nwaigwe with co-assistance from Dr Ditiro Setlhaolo.

Botswana | Published Wed 06 Jan 2021 | view

SOLTRAIN policy workshops successfully concluded

Four SOLTRAIN policy workshops and three housing sector information workshops were convened in the latter part of November this year. Through these, a total of 66 people participated in the policy workshops held in Cape Town, Windhoek, Harare and Maseru, while the three housing sector information workshops included 25 participants.

Global | Published Wed 06 Jan 2021 | view

SOLTRAIN participates at Botswana's Virtual STEM Festival & National Science Week

Clean Energy Research Centre contributed to Botswana’s virtual Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) festival and the National Science Week held at the beginning of October by showcasing the SOLTRAIN trailer, introducing SOLTRAIN and highlighting the benefits of solar thermal systems on energy supply, poverty alleviation, job creation and CO₂ emission reduction. The demonstration of the trailer was done by our Senior Project Technician, Mr Mike Lethapa.

Botswana | Published Mon 04 Jan 2021 | view

2020 - A challenging but successful year

As I already described in SOLTRAIN Newsletter #3 in August, none of the SOLTRAIN team imagined that the technical train the trainer courses and the policy workshops held at the beginning of the year would be the last time in 2020 that we would be able to convene in person and on-site in the respective partner countries.

Global | Published Mon 04 Jan 2021 | view

Solar thermal policy workshops held recently for Mozambique & Botswana

Earlier in September, SOLTRAIN workshops for policymakers on solar heat were held in Botswana and Mozambique. The workshops marked a departure from the policy workshops held in the other partner countries earlier in the year in that they were conducted online due to travel restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Global | Published Thu 12 Nov 2020 | view

SOLTRAIN's technical training goes online

The global COVID-19 pandemic has challenged SOLTRAIN to come up with new and innovative ways to deliver training sessions despite limitations imposed by travel restrictions, with one such innovation being the use of online delivery for technical training.

Global | Published Wed 11 Nov 2020 | view

Social institutions & housing projects make up bulk of demonstration systems so far in SOLTRAIN's fourth phase

Thermal heating and cooling includes a multitude of applications in Southern Africa such as hot water preparation in the household, hospital or hotel sector, space heating and cooling of buildings. In industry, in addition to the drying of agricultural products, it also includes the provision of process heat, such as low-temperature applications in the food and beverage industry.

Global | Published Tue 10 Nov 2020 | view

'Blue' solar water heating systems in Lesotho

Solarsoft, the commercial entity of Lesotho SOLTRAIN partner, the Bethel Business and Community Development Center (BBCDC), is gaining traction with its BBCDC-branded 'blue' solar water heating systems.

Lesotho | Published Mon 09 Nov 2020 | view

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on SOLTRAIN

At SOLTRAIN's training courses, which were held in the SOLTRAIN partner countries in early 2020, no one would have thought it possible that the COVID-19 global pandemic would lead to a complete lockdown and significant travel restrictions worldwide. Of course, this situation had a significant impact on our work relating to the SOLTRAIN project.

Global | Published Tue 01 Sep 2020 | view

Solar water heating dissemination workshop in Botswana

A dissemination workshop on solar water heaters was conducted by the Clean Energy Research Centre at the University of Botswana in conjunction with the Solar Industries Association of Botswana (SIAB) recently. The workshop, which was held in early March, attracted 33 experts and professionals drawn from government departments, tertiary institutions, parastatals and the private sector. 

Botswana | Published Tue 01 Sep 2020 | view

Lesotho experience with dual training

Solarsoft, the commercial entity of Lesotho SOLTRAIN partner, the Bethal Business and Community Development Center (BBCDC), recently partook in SOLTRAIN's “Dual Training for Artisans” programme which includes theoretical training under the leadership of AEE INTEC, as well as hands-on courses in combination with a 3-6 month internship. The cost of the internship is shared by SOLTRAIN and the local solar thermal companies.

Lesotho | Published Tue 01 Sep 2020 | view

SOLTRAIN supports the installation of another 100 solar thermal demonstration systems

The support of the installation of solar thermal demonstration systems in so called “Flagship Districts” continues in Phase 4 of SOLTRAIN, with the goal to co-fund the installation of another 100 solar water heating systems for different applications. The districts were established in all six partner countries in the previous phases of the project after consultation with policy, local authorities, training and research institutions, industry and NGOs.

Global | Published Tue 01 Sep 2020 | view

SOLTRAIN 4 bursaries awarded

SOLTRAIN provides financial support for masters theses or other student theses that deal with topics of solar thermal energy. In July 2020, eight students from five partner countries were awarded bursaries for the first round of bursary applications for SOLTRAIN 4.

Global | Published Tue 01 Sep 2020 | view

Train the Trainers Workshop at Harare Institute of Technology

The National University of Science and Technology (NUST), country partner in the SOLTRAIN 4 project in cooperation with AEE Intec, continued to support solar thermal uptake by conducting a Train-the-Trainer workshop at the Harare Institute of Technology in early February.

Zimbabwe | Published Tue 01 Sep 2020 | view

Local Zimbabwean SMME exemplifies efficacy of SOLTRAIN's practical and theoretical training interventions

One of the key aims of the SOLTRAIN programme is to increase technical skills through training and local skills transfer, and Sunnex, a Zimbabwean solar SMME, presents a good example of some of SOLTRAIN's success in this regard.

Zimbabwe | Published Tue 01 Sep 2020 | view

SACREEE joins the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Technology Collaboration Programme

SOLTRAIN regional partner, SADC Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (SACREEE), has joined the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Technology Collaboration Programme (SHC TCP). The SHC TCP, established in 1977, is one of the first programmes of the IEA to promote the use of all aspects of solar thermal energy.

Global | Published Tue 01 Sep 2020 | view

Solar drying innovations in Lesotho

Solar dryers have been taken to new level in Lesotho as Solarsoft introduces dryers that are operated by both solar thermal heat and electricity.

Lesotho | Published Tue 01 Sep 2020 | view

SOLTRAIN Zimbabwe exhibits at the Renewable Energy and Biofuels Policies launch

Just prior to restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, SOLTRAIN Zimbabwe managed to exhibit at the launch of the Renewable Energy and Biofuels Policies Launch at the Harare International Conference Centre under the theme “Unlocking Renewable Energy Potential in Zimbabwe”.

Zimbabwe | Published Tue 01 Sep 2020 | view

SOLTRAIN Hosts Zimbabwe’s first solar heat policy workshop

Zimbabwe held its first-ever solar heat policy workshop in early February in Harare. The workshop was hosted by SOLTRAIN Zimbabwe and was held against the backdrop of the launch of the solar thermal roadmap and implementation plan in November 2018 and subsequent endorsement by the government in July 2019. It was aimed at informing policymakers on the future plans for the SOLTRAIN project and mapping the way forward in terms of implementation of solar heating systems guided by the national targets and the roadmap.

Zimbabwe | Published Tue 01 Sep 2020 | view

More than 300 solar thermal systems as part of training & R&D co-operation

By the end of phase III of the SOLTRAIN programme, 3 000 people had been trained in 110 training courses, and the lessons learned in the courses have been implemented by local companies in 326 demonstration projects. The annual solar yield of all the plants installed since 2009 adds up to 3 533 MWh with CO2 savings of 1,222 tons.

Global | Published Tue 11 Aug 2020 | view

Solar electric vs solar thermal water heating: A comparison

How does a solar PV-driven hot water system perform in comparison with an equivalently sized solar thermal driven system in the same locality?

Angelo Buckley from University of Stellenbosch recently addressed this in a lecture entitled “Comparison of Photovoltaic and Solar Thermal Hot Water Systems in the South African Context”.

South Africa | Published Tue 11 Aug 2020 | view