Nepal's solar hot water scene

Hot Water Scene Electricity prices close to European levels, remote areas that are difficult to electrify, and a lack of indigenous fossil fuels - what could be a better starting point for renewable energy? And indeed, only 11% of Nepal’s already low energy consumption is met by fossil fuels. Has one of the poorest countries achieved a level of renewables that the European Union’s White Paper on RES falls short of? Cornelius Suchy, RAW Consultants & Engineers reports.

Nepal’s energy scene

energy demand is evident. About two thirds

lem in some urban areas, particularly

of the energy is used for cooking, heating,

Kathmandu

and drying

rural and urban areas is further exacerbated

in rural areas. On the other

Take a second look to assess the situation:

hand, in the rural areas, excessive burning of

For one, the low level of commercial

biomass

use reflects the low level of industrial

energy activ-

energy

deforestation

has resulted

and combustion

ities, which has changed little over the last

far from being efftcient.

decade. The dominance

imported

of the household

sector (89%) over other sectors in the total

is becoming

by high population

the

in both

growth.

in extensive processes are

Consumption

fossil fuel is increasing

and pollution

Valley. The problem

of

annually

a serious prob-

Unsustainable fuel? Although

the majority

rely on biomass

of the Nepalese

energy sources,

ture

on

non-renewable

such

as petroleum

country’s

products

limited about

-

income

from export

40%

of Nepal’s

renewable

of unsustainability.

problem

in Nepal

reliance

on

is

energy

The prevail-

of energy use indicates

elements sive

total

right away

While this expenditure

remains largely undeveloped. ing pattern

the

exchange

is spent

annually,

growing

sources

drain

foreign

reserves

for fuel imports.

expendi-

energy

many

The energy

arises not from excesnon-renewable

energy

sources, but rather that one form of energy, fuel wood,

is being

unsustainable tial of other e.g.

hydro

consumed

at an

rate, while the vast potenforms or

of renewable

solar,

remains

energy, virtually

undeveloped.

Focus on RE All these problems, development

therefore,

of renewable

call for the

energy. In fact,

the last Five-year Plan - a planning

policy

still in fashion in Nepal - has emphasized the

development

Construction tions, through

32

January/February

2002

REFOCUS

wwwre-focus.net

of renewable

of low-cost

supporting electrification,

energy.

hydropower

rural

sta-

development

and diversification

,FEATURE

4

of the end-use

enet-gy arc some

features.

Private

including

donor

sought

sector

to reduce

Subsidies,

but

training

and

\vell as stand-alone

vast hydropower

Nrp,il’s

developed.

Solar home

installed

l,iog,\s

plants

The

been

systems where 90 000

bren

improvements

such

complement

.ts

NGOs

solar

not amongst ported

the energy

with

systems

arc sup-

a mature no

f‘lct,

there

are some

.iS companies

regis-

tered

as

manufacturers

of

water

in

the

tot,11 number producing

of workshop

cstimatcd

sort

to he more

Nepl.

Many

panics

and other

of them seawnnl

products

months.

The

.tnd

be done

can

account,

than

solar

Adoption

water

0f tic I population

5 to 7 ml

inhabitants.

of collector Nepal

in the in terms

top

ing

countries

like

on

Kathmandu

study

added

leavhchind.

see

conducted

built

2000

sysbeing

class homes.

for\vard

as utilitv.

them

in 1797,

primarily

middle

in

Commission

that around

is propelled

as much

rooftops

actu.tlly

yearly,

in newly

sector

the

Energy

and

estimated

arc

symbol

3

VC’ater

of can

~OLI [ii

Nepal‘s

The

one

and

less than

health

rated

hotels.

systems

among

institutions

20 ?{I of schools

the more

less solar

use

the non-star

of solar hot water

ble among

in the

penetration

German);

hotels

the

is not

and negligi-

hospitals.

can he

five countries

of market

than

educational high,

hotels,

and

for

by status

Designs of the 70s _ The

above

able

if you

basically

market look

niches at the

all locally

made

open-loop

natural-circulation

oped

way

hack

since

than.

easy to copy, areas,

nor

lodges

in the

VC’hile they they

hotels

especially

in

Langtang

areas

systems

along

Everest, frequented

used: cop

design and

70s

arc

are rxither

for large-scale

and

are understandtechnology

an

devel-

unaltered

low-tech

and

fit for frost

systems.

Certain

trekking Annapurna by tourist,

routes and have

The

involved

in

heater

200

is

in all of

are one-man constructors during

hot

000

kerosene

interesting

Among

‘star’ rated water

the users

In

Valley.

of- sol.ir

with

per 1000

solar

20

less

Within

are the main

subsidized

solar

sector.

cxprnsive heated

hotels

while

make

hut

areas oFNepal.

sector,

SWH,

for around

believe

in.my

is required.

Kathmandu

some

into

surface

urban

industrial is stabile.

accounts

the rest predominate-

consid-

that

make

technology

ly in other

diesel

installed tl ie .wc .

district

80% of these systems,

commercial

An estimated

have Taking

insralled

Being

are often

oE quality.

market

growing.

Secretariat

ered

heaters

really

tems

technologies

support

not

thermal

aolx

cvrrphere.

sto\fes

of renewable\.

by the government.

fui-rhcr

Nepal’s

Standing

efficiency

hot water

prices

and

Solar thermal Unfortunately,

Kathmandu

de\-ices

Good market penetration

world

stoves

improved

the promotion

on the cupense

counted

Finally.

and

SCENE

standards.

many

For

dcployxi

support.

operative

WATER

a 50%

drvers

by various

have

C;ovcrnmcnt

arc hardly

HOT

and

of this is that

households

artxs

on

bvith low skills

downside

systems.

Some

as well as solar

initiated

unir\

,300

photovolraic

use of solar

products

as of‘

is not yet

hdve been installed

lxsis.

agrlcultur.il ha\

is put on

potential

is not an option.

subsidy

of the

as 98%

remote

in

h+ropower

SOL.XR

of

gf-id connected

installations.

The

reduced

campaigns,

XC part

both

~ i\

of r~newables.

policy. An emphasis

hydropower,

.irc

costs

-

N(;O’s

alvareness

monitor-ing

C;overnmcnt’s small

the also

and

NEPAL’S

workshops.

of the main

participation

agencies

-

conthat

non-winter

manufacturinp by rudimentary

is

simple nictnl

.lar~uary/Fclmmry

2002

RE

www.rr-focus.nct

33

,,’ - -.

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<

FEATURE

-

NEPAL’S

adopted only

SOLAR

solar technology,

luke-warm

drained

and

WATER

but water

collectors

Expanding

the

thermal

is often

have

solar

to be

thermal

ahead

will

make

a quantum

stagnant

users.

market

Staff

of MW

Consultants

Systems

for

of Germany

have

first attempt

to introduce

ed

In

designs.

a 5-day

course,

co-financed

Energy

Promotion

Centre,

ported

Rural

Energy

Progtamme,

common

rate

new

materials.

have

had

the development

little

ing imported

- a well-established

industry,

a stable

demand,

rience

- all it might

recipes

and a more

rake

organized

Aluminium

for Solar

might

- such as the

Consulrants

to parts

manufacturing of expe-

is a couple approach

Cornelius

Contirct:

Nepal’s

& Engineers

and

Almaty

Branch,

c/o

Abylay

Khan

Kaznipienergoprom

480004,

Almaty,

Kazakhsran.

Tel/Fax:

+7 3272

506 257; ‘I>[: t7 .327?

Ave.

338 332 (t5 hours

of

MVV

Gmbh,

58-a.

to Central

Inst., Room

Europe);

[email protected]

Collectors

mm width, 0.3 - 0.8 mm thick-

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.

New Reader Enquiry Service No. 211. Go to www.re-focus.net 34

January/February 2002

RE‘

~mn~&-

Suchy,

=squence is applied.

MIRO-THERM.

make build-

turers of solar hot water systems.

Anodized aluminium coils are used as base materials (1250 .

the

ro the

a local industr);

MIRO-THERM Absorbing

from

opportunities

solar home systems

ing on local materials

the

chance

in other

decades

new

Apart

itself will have to

Seen in this light, support-

less sense than boosting

local

most of the ‘ingredients‘

available

offering

alleviate

but is unlikely

itself.

the economy

generation.

can

and reduce financial

Having

manufacturers

With

young

from. Being a ser-

budget,

the economy

divers+,

sup-

European

for the last 30 years,

about

to boost

flaws and incorpo-

and

on the national

the recent

and educated,

supply

from households

energy supply,

Development

how to avoid

renewable

strain

training

been left alone

of the world.

made

burdens

Programme,

technical

designs

Energy

energy

the UNDP

were taught

most

supporters

a

that

draws young

but unemployed

Alternative

the

Ecobest

manufacturers

intense

resolve Nepal’s widespread

of the sources

vice,

the

sophisticat-

by Nepal’s

and

Commission’s

recently

one

Maoisr insurgence

&

and

Solar

more

poverty,

of poten-

AG,

Institute

solar

diversified

to the needs

Solarpraxis

Fraunhofer

for

calls for a more

adapted

Engineers,

Selectively

leap

in Nepal.

Diversify thyself Allof this will not

the market

systems

technology,

learn

SCENE

every evening.

Boosting

tial

HOT

wvwrr-focus.net

to make your enquiry

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