Solar water heating, a promising alternative

TIRANA, May 14 – The Solar Water Heating is one of the promising technologies in Albania to reduce electricity and fuel wood consumption with a significant contribution toward greenhouse gas emission reduction, said Freddy Austli, UNDP Deputy Country Director, at the launch the draft national renewable energy action plan for Albania and to discuss the legal framework for the promotion of solar water heating.
Renewable energy sources (RES) is important because it helps the country fulfill its strategic objectives: secure the energy supply and sustainability. Albania is a special case because its electricity generation is realized in large majority using hydro big and medium sized power plants. Also, about 10-13% of the Total Primary Energy Sources (TPES) of the country are provided by biomass, especially fuel wood for fire. However, the country’s reliance on hydropower makes it vulnerable to changes in hydrologic conditions, as witnessed during the last years, and this has reduced dramatically the electricity supply security. On the other hand, Albania has considerable imports of energy which vary – depending on yearly conditions – between 30 and 60% of TPES. Renewable energy can be a solution for reducing this strategic dependence on imports and improve not only security of energy supply but also country’s economic and political macro security by decreasing country’s budget deficit. The development of renewable energy projects attracts foreign investment and generates new jobs for Albania as well.
“Having a significant potential of renewable energy sources can serve as driver for investments that will reduce carbon emissions and pollution contributing to transformation into a green economy. Albania country programme aims at accelerating the market development of solar water heating in Albania resulting in greenhouse gas emissions reduction up to 146,000 tons of CO2 per year up to 2020,” added the UNDP Deputy Country Director.
The new draft RES law foresees promotion of Solar Water Heating Systems under a number of measures and incentives including (i) mandatory installation of SWH systems in buildings and the inclusion of such an obligation in the certification of the energy performance of buildings; (ii) minimum technical and efficiency requirements for SWH; (iii) certification of SWH and installers by an accredited body; and (iv) exemption from custom duties and VAT of imported or domestically assembled SWH systems.
“Albania has taken good steps to implement in its national energy policy the requirements of EU Directives relating to the common rules for the creation and development of the internal energy market and the promotion of the production and consumption of energy from renewable sources. Interest in renewable sources has grown considerably and new plants have started to be constructed – first of all, small hydropower plants as the best-known and available technology, followed by solar water heating systems, while several investors have started to request authorizations for wind turbines as well as,” said Majlind Lazimi, Director of Cabinet, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Energy.
The Solar Water Heating (SWH) Project has also supported the installation of a SWH system and a set of equipment for three VTCs in Tirana, Durres and Fier.