SOLTRAIN - Southern African Solar Thermal Demonstration and Training Initiative

SOLTRAIN supports solar thermal decision makers

Submitted by Karen Surridge

In keeping with some of SOLTRAIN's key focus areas, and specifically the strengthening of institutional structures which can offer expert advice, training and technical support on solar thermal technology, one of SOLTRAIN's South African partners, SANEDI hosted a half day of 'decision makers' seminar on solar water heating operating at different scales, followed by a half a day site visit to an installation comprising 1 500 litres of storage, heat pump backup and 30m² of solar collector area at a military base in Hoedspruit. The target audience for this seminar was the military decision makers within the Department of Defence (DoD) as well as the tourism and hospitality service providers from Limpopo province.

The second part dealt with the economic and investment aspects and included:

Efficiency curves and user profiles

Simulation software as a decision assistance tool

Expected capital expenditure (CAPEX) on different systems

Expected operational expenditure (OPEX) in relation to durability, repair and maintenance, tariffs, return on investment (ROI)

Payback period prediction.

Dr Karen Surridge from SANEDI presented both parts of the seminar using the Hoedspruit installation and its performance as a practical case study for the latter.

In discussion after the presentations, it emerged that the security of supply that solar thermal can provide is what most participants would regard as being their primary driver to invest in solar thermal technologies, specifically in a country that is under the continuous threat from loadshedding.

Since observing the benefit of investing in solar thermal energy, the the DoD has begun plans for further investment and many of the workshop participants indicated that they would be pursuing the same plans of shifting their thermal reliance to the sun rather than electricity.

Some of the technical topics for the first part of the seminar included:

Understanding of the global solar thermal resource

Solar water heating first principals

Understanding thermodynamics

Thermosiphon vs. pumped systems

Different types of application for solar thermal technologies (e.g. district heating, cooling, drying)

Examples of South African solar thermal installations

SOLTRAIN supports solar thermal decision makers

SOLTRAIN+ Bursary – Call closed by end of July 2025

SADC Utilisation Training Workshop on Solar Systems and Components - Lilongwe, Malawi

Accelerating Energy Security in Southern Africa: Key Highlights from the 2024 SADC Sustainable Energy Week

The 8th SOLTRAIN+ Conference in Botswana – A Resounding Success

Training on Solar Heat for Industrial Processes in Harare, Zimbabwe and CAFCA Technical Tour

Joint SOLTRAIN+ / IEA SHC Task 69 ‘Solar Heat for 2030’ Week from 23-26 September 2025

The Experimental Setup of a Side-by-Side Solar Water Heating System at The Namibia Energy Institute Reaches Commissioning Stage

NUL-ERC & SOLTRAIN+ lead Lesotho’s Solar Revolution

Enhancing Municipal Energy Efficiency: CRSES and City of Cape Town Collaborate on Renewable Solutions for Indoor Heated Swimming Pool

Exciting Opportunity for Postgraduate Students: SOLTRAIN+ Rolling Bursary Calls