Solar panels heat up in Afghanistan

Dec 04 , 2012 - Kizzi Nkwocha - pv-tech.org

German collector manufacturer REM GmbH has just delivered the first solar thermal system to a block of flats in Kabul. Afghanistan.

Sunnyside hears that the delivery is the first of a series of 21 installations which will be set up in and around the capital. The private customer is using solar thermal technology to ensure a primary heat supply for his buildings.

The project is believed to have been carried out without support by governmental agencies or the help of subsidies.
The solar system, which has been designed and constructed by German Solar Sky GmbH, consists of 20 solar collectors and a 3,000 litre storage tank.

"There are no actual heating systems in Afghanistan. Because the electricity goes out repeatedly, it is very difficult to maintain a reliable heating supply in buildings," says Assghar Mahmoudi from Solar Sky..
According to the German Meteorological Service, the average irradiation in Kabul is 2,000 kWh/m². In comparison, Germany’s irradiation is about 1,000 to 1,300 kWh/m².