Solar water heating systems installed in 3 vocational centers

TIRANA, May 3 – To promote the technology of solar water heating in Albania, the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities in cooperation with the UNDP Climate Change Programme are supporting Vocational Training Centers (VTCs). This initiative is part of the identified needs for qualified installers of the Solar Water Heating systems in Albania. In this regard, the Solar Water Heating (SWH) Project has supported the installation of a SWH system and a set of equipment for three VTCs in Tirana, Durres and Fier. The project is also contributing to improve the training course on “Installer and Repairman of the Solar Panels” developed by the VTCs in Albania, in collaboration with the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities and the National Employment Service.
Elvita Kabashi, Environment Officer from UNDP Albania, amongst others highlighted: “Enhanced awareness and capacity of the targeted end-users and building professionals to consider and integrate SWH systems into different types of buildings is one of the key components of the GEF/UNEP UNDP Solar Water Heating Project we are currently implementing in Albania.”
According to the National Energy Strategy, Albania’s National Communications to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Technology Needs Assessment, over 70% of domestic hot water needs of the household and service sector in Albania is supplied by electric boilers, while the energy demand for hot water in Albania is projected to grow from 600 GWh in 2000 to 875 GWh in 2015, in the residential sector alone. Using solar water heating systems, one may save around 30% – 50% of the electricity used for sanitary hot water preparation. For the service sector and hotels, the bigger the hot water consumption, the more feasible is the substitution of the electric boilers with the solar water heaters. A well dimensioned solar water heater may cover up to 70% of the respective demand for hot water throughout the year.
The Albanian Government with the support of UNDP through the Global Environment Facility and UNEP is implementing a project which facilitates the installation of 75,000 m2 of new installed collector area over the duration of the project, an annual sale of 20,000 m2 aiming to reach the set target of 520,000 m2 of total installed SWH capacity by 2020.
The project also aims to accelerate a sustainable market development of solar water heating in Albania with good quality products and services.