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Lesotho Council of NGOs and its relevant members should continue
to be involved in the future solar technology platform, this was said
at the Southern African Solar Thermal Training and Demonstration
Initiative (SOLTRAIN) - Lesotho 1st Workshop for Policy, Planning
and Administration held at Maseru Sun Cabanas on March 23, 2015.
The workshop was aimed at Introducing Lesotho stakeholders to SOLTRAIN and the potential for solar thermal applications.
LCN learned a number of issues at the workshop including that:
- Solar thermal technology has a lot of potential in Lesotho
- Solar thermal is much more efficient for producing hot water and heat for domestic, institutional and industrial purposes than using electricity, which is a limited resource
- The initial SOLTRAIN – Lesotho project is a pilot project at Bethel Business and Community Development Centre (BBCDC), with hopes to expand to other areas
- In Lesotho electricity is subsidised, but only accessible to relatively wealthy people in urban centers
- Previous solar energy projects in Lesotho have had limited success and we need to learn from their mistakes
- Solar thermal systems are expensive but could be sold via hire-purchase agreements, similar to household furniture, if people understood their value
The meeting conclusion was that SOLTRAIN should collaborate with Lesotho
government agencies to set up a solar technology platform involving government,
NGOs and industry who meet two or three times a year to track progress and share
information
Background
SOLTRAIN 2 is a three-year project, which aims to enhance solar thermal
technology in Southern Africa and to support the transition to renewable
energy within the context of relevant national policies. SOLTRAIN is focused
on solar thermal systems because solar radiation levels in Southern Africa are
high, and these systems can readily be manufactured or assembled in the region.
Solar thermal systems like solar water heating have a huge potential to alleviate
the serious problems of unemployment, power supply, energy costs, and pollution.
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