A Day of the year has been allocated to the power of the sun thanks to the UN Environment Program (UNEP). International Day of the Sun on 03 May is meant to recognize and promote the expansion of this abundant renewable energy resource.
International Day of the Sun also coincides with a major research collaboration to identify the optimal thermal technologies that companies and households can use as alternative sources of energy. The first of these collaborations will focus on solar water heating potential using different solar technology solutions.
The move by the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) could take huge pressure off the overstrained national electricity grid and enable easing of load shedding if companies switch to solar and related thermal heating and cooling technologies. Companies switching to low-carbon technologies would also shield themselves against high electricity tariff increases, save money, give themselves greater energy security, and contribute to reducing carbon emissions.
SANEDI and the CSIR have established a Thermal Laboratory that will test and compare a range of low carbon technologies and develop business cases for implementation of the most effective solutions at different scales, explains SANEDI Manager for Renewable Energy Dr Karen Surridge. “We want to identify the most savvy, energy efficient thermal technologies to use for heating and cooling tailored towards specific types of businesses and present these two companies for evidence based consideration.
” Heating and cooling are intensive users of energy. They often account for between 40% and 50% of electricity costs in companies and households, and draw large amounts of electricity from the overstretched national grid if coal-based electricity is used
Technologies such as solar water heating have been shown to be highly energy efficient. Recent examples of this have been shown by the Southern African Solar Thermal Training and Demonstration Initiative (SOLTRAIN) funded by the Austrian Development Agency and in which SANEDI is a South African partner.
SANEDI often under the banner of SOLTRAIN is creating awareness on Renewable Energy (RE), Energy Efficiency (EE), more specifically on solar water heating technology at military units in Limpopo province of South Africa. After only 2 and half years of operation the system is already making significant savings in electricity and water.