Train the Trainers Workshop at Harare Institute of Technology

Submitted by Samson Mhlanga and Blessed Sarema
Published 5 years, 6 months ago

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.

Delegates in front of the solar pumped system at the Harare Institute of Technology

Among those trained were technicians, installers and artisans from the following organisations:

  • Sunnex
  • Impact Solar
  • Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT),
  • Harare Institute of Technology (HIT)
  • Nhjizana investment
  • Lower Nooks Enterprises P/L
  • Standards Association of Zimbabwe (SAZ)
  • Hanseal Plumbering
  • University of Zimbabwe (UZ)
  • Ministry of Energy and Power Development
  • Msasa Industrial Training Centre

There were three female and thirteen male participants, comprising a total of sixteen altogether. The facilitators for the training were Rudi Moschoeck (AEE Intec, Austria), Samson Mhlanga (NUST) and Blessed Sarema (NUST).

The training session focused on the following topics:

  • Solar Heat Worldwide, an overview of the worldwide developments and applications
  • The solar resource
  • An overview of solar thermal collectors,
  • Solar thermal system designs for pumped and thermosyphon to water systems,
  • Performance of solar collectors
  • Collector field hydraulics
  • Flow conditions and pressure drop in parallel and serial collector connections,
  • Pumped solar thermal systems
  • System configuration
  • Components
  • Monitoring and energy savings based on systems monitored in SOLTRAIN 3
  • Simulation software
  • An introduction into Retscreen and TSOL

The training also included a 'how-to' on preparing an application for demonstration systems which are financially supported up to 50% by the SOLTRAIN project in two flagship districts within a 50km radius of Harare and Bulawayo, as well as a session where local companies could showcase their installations.

The training was concluded with a visit to the solar pumped system at the Harare Institute of Technology, and a visit to the solar trailer demonstrating a thermosyphon and pumped system at the University of Zimbabwe.