Swiss Partners
INFRAS AG, Zürich,
www.infras.ch,
Bernhard Oettli
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Documentation
Swiss Contribution
The Swiss assistance to the project focuses on the capacity building of the supply side and aims at building upon the Swiss experience in training, in testing and in establishing an inter-trade organization.
Description
Over 80% of the domestic water heating systems in Albania are powered by electricity. At present, about 2/3 of Albania’s total electricity consumption is used for domestic hot water and space heating. Albania, with its typical Mediterranean climate, could in fact offer preferential climatic conditions for the utilization of hot water systems based on solar thermal energy. Until now however, the market for solar water heating systems has been very limited.
The National Energy Agency (NEA) of Albania proposed a project to GEF’s executive board that is designed to accelerate the market development for solar water heating (SWH). The project has formally been endorsed by GEF and the UNDP in summer 2008 as a first country program of the global SWH program. Specific objectives of the program are the installation of additional 75 000 m2 new solar water heating systems and a total installed capacity of SWH systems of 540 000 m2 by 2020, resulting in a reduction of GHG emissions by 800 000 t of CO2 (cumulative amount) till 2020.
The main objective of this Swiss assistance was quality improvement of solar thermal systems which were designed, manufactured and installed by Albanian designers, planners, manufacturers and installers.