Promoting business models for increasing penetration and scaling up of solar energy

Context

The aim of this project is to contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through the use of concentrated solar thermal (CST) technologies for process heating and cooling applications in industries. The activities are designed to help removing barriers associated with CST technology, its awareness, capacity building, market and financial barriers. In addition, the project provides technology application information packages and standardization of CST system performance measurement.

Reduction of industrial CO 2 emissions is a specific challenge, and requires changes to not only provide power from sustainable sources, but often even more so on the heating and cooling needs forming part of the industrial and commercial processes. The low to medium temperature heating and cooling demands in the industrial processes can be successfully met through solar thermal energy. Despite the potential, the use of renewable energy (RE) for heating and cooling applications has remained limited so far in the country.

Activities

The main activities of the project include:

1. Strengthening of policy and institutional framework for solar energy applications
2. Technology investment and application: confirmation of technical and financial viability of projects, enhancement of local manufacturing capability for soar energy systems in industrial applications and increased investments in solar energy application in industry through detailed technology application tools (integrated CST with energy storage); detailed project reports (DPRs); selection, installation and demonstration of CST demonstrations; qualified consultants; and case studies.
3. Scaling up of solar technologies in industrial applications through the development of business models for CST leading to sustained replication of solar thermal applications in industry, quality assurance and certification framework and establishment of financing facility for scale-up.
4. Awareness raising and capacity building for manufacturers, suppliers and installers, promotion of industry-academic partnership and documentation of project outputs, case studies, best practices and lessons learned

Expected Impact

The project aims to achieve:

• 45,000 square meter of CST based systems installed through demonstration projects resulting to 39,200 tonnes of carbon dioxide emission reduction; and
• Knowledge documents and standardisation of performance measurement developed with barriers removed for large scale promotion of CST Technology.

It is envisaged that the project will contribute to the mitigation of GHG emissions through the deployment of solar power in industrial applications.