status of solar thermal in nepal , p

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System being used in Nepal Stationary Flat Plate Collector As the name suggests, it is just a stationary flat plate seen around the town in use with SHWs. The essential components of this are: solar radiation absorbing surface (black painted sheet) with the means for transferring the absorbed energy to fluid, fluid conduit, glazing, insulation and the casing (collector box). The collector forms a major component of a system consisting of an insulated tank, water feed system, stand, pipe work, valves and an auxiliary heater as optional items. This collector remains fixed to the initially installed direction and angles and obviously cannot track the sun for having the best angle for direct solar radiation. The advantage of this type of collector is the low cost and ease of maintenance and the disadvantage is the low efficiency compared to the other types of the collectors. Even after introducing SWHs before 30 years ago no major change has been introduced to date in the SHWs. The tracking system which tracks the Sun from the morning to evening to receive the direct radiation at the best angle to its surface was also unsuccessful due to its high cost. Instead auxiliary systems like electric heaters have been incorporated in many SWHs. Institutional Status • First of all there is no formally registered Association of Manufacturers of SWHs in Nepal which could really contribute to the healthy growth of this industry. • No government or semi government institution is looking after the development of SWHs. • No specific policy and program of HMG of Nepal exists for development and promotion of SWH technology. • Various INGOs, NGOs and lodge owners are disseminating this technology specially for heating water for tourist showers. • High initial cost. The current models are favorable to high-income households thereby limiting its adaptation by poor/disadvantage households. • Lack of awareness and knowledge about the applications and benefits of SWHs. • Lack of standard for quality control and recommended practices for SWHs. • Lack of subsidy as well as financial incentives to the users/manufacturers of SWHs. • Use of subsidized kerosene for firing boilers by hotels and other industries has not been prohibited by HMG of Nepal. • Lack of R&D and HRD activities for SWH technology. • Lack of technical manpower. • Lack of proper monitoring and evaluation work. Future Strategy • R&D activities should be conducted by various institutions to develop low cost SWH using locally available materials thereby helping its adaptation by poor households and also for use in tourist areas with winter freezing temperatures. • Introduction of proven technology like selective coating and copper absorber pipes should be introduced. • Proper mass awareness campaign and dissemination program should be launched for use and maintenance of SWH giving emphasis to the energy saving aspect of this device. • HMG of Nepal should morally and financially support institutions working on the promotion and development of SWH technology. • Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology should develop relevant standards/recommended practices for SWH technology. • Legal provision to provide tax and fiscal incentives for the user of SWH e.g. rebate in property tax and fee for constructing new homes would greatly accelerate installation of SWHs. Financial Mechanism There is no subsidy from the government or loan facility from the banks to the users or manufacturers of SWH. However, without any subsidy or support from the government this technology grew relatively fast and deeply penetrated into the private sector. Human Resource Development Balaju Technical Training Centre, Kathmandu provides trainings on SWH. Various local manufacturers also provide repair and maintenance trainings to the users basically through the NGOs. Barriers in Promotion The main barriers for commercialization of SWH technology are the following: Solar Water Heater in Kagbeni, Mustang.
5. Centre for Rural Technology Nepal (CRT/N) and its Solar Thermal Activities CRT/N is a professional non-government organization engaged in developing and promoting appropriate technologies effective in meeting the basic needs of the rural mass and improving their life support systems. Initially it was established in August 1989 under the Company Act. It has now been registered with HMG/N under the Society Registration Act from October 1998 as a non-government organization. CRT/N adopts a participatory technology development approach whereby the users, community leaders, entrepreneurs and promoters work together and share ideas, experiences and views regarding the technology in concern. CRT/N had been disseminating solar thermal technologies especially cookers and dryers for number of years. The activities undertaken by CRT are: • Fabrication and testing of solar cookers and dryers made from different locally available materials • Organize several public demonstrations in order to create mass awareness among the urban and rural communities in collaboration with donor and line agencies. • Conduct training for manufacturers, promoters, community workers and community members about the advantages, fabrication and use of solar dryers and cookers. • Publication of various promotional materials and training manuals on solar cookers and dryers. • R&D work in collaboration with solar expert from Solar Barbeque, Australia. • Orientation/Demonstration of Solar Cooking Technology for School Students of Kathmandu Valley with funding support of LHWfN e.v. • Promotion of Solar Dryer in Everest region with funding support of WWF-Nepal. • Promotion of solar cooking activities in Bhutanese Refugee Camp in collaboration with Vajra Foundation - The Netherland. 6. Few Case Stories Case Stories 1 Mrs. Ratna Lama, a housewife, from Chandralalpur VDC, ward no 7 in Siraha district lives with two children and her husband. Her main occupation is farming and was thinking of some other extra business to support her family. With this view, she contacted Save the Children/US (SC/US) at Golbazar near her village. SC/US gave her the suggestion to keep a solar dryer to dry vegetables and fruits, which can be used during off-season. For that, she needs training on the solar drying technology. She decided to form a committee of ten women; which had the chance to take the training on operation, use and fabrication of solar dryer in January 1995. After this training, her group contributed Rs. 200 each to keep a solar dryer. The committee members are running this project very smoothly. The group has expanded their projects in later stage by adding other forms of cottage industry like preparing mattress, cap and bags from a grass called vetiver. For their investments they used the profit made during their solar dryer activities. By the success of this group 6 more such groups were formed. Women groups were fully satisfied by this technology because they are producing the dried vegetable for off season use as well as sales in the market. When they are busy in planting rice they have to hire labor and for them they have to serve food and money i.e. up to Rs. 75 per day. Since at that time the price vegetables is high, they can save money by using their own dried vegetables. Use they sell 25 percent of the dried product in the local market as well as send to Women Entrepreneurs Association Nepal (WEAN) cooperative that sells the product for them. (Ms. Karuna Bajracharya, 1997. 'A case study on the application of an Environmentally Sound Technology (EST) at small scale enterprises in Nepal') Case Stories 2 Chadani Rajbhandari, resident of Devpatan, Kathmandu, bought a parabolic cooker (SK-14) on April 1998 after she realized its advantages. She had seen the cooker being used so well in her relative. Chadani uses solar cooker every day for boiling water. On weekends she uses it to cook rice, dal, meat curry, vegetables and to boil eggs. Now she is happy because it takes about 45 minutes (in average) to boil 10 liters of water in sunny days from which she is saving fuel (LPG). Before, one cylinder of LPG used to run only for about 21 days but after bringing parabolic cooker in use it is sufficient for about 31 days. This shows that the gas could be used for extra 10 days. In terms of LP Gas cylinder she needs about 1.43 cylinder of gas per month that cost around Rs 664.95 per month and now she needs only 0.97 cylinder of gas per month which cost only Rs. 451.05 per month after using solar cooker. Chadani also owns a sweet shop. In order to prepare the sweets she used to need about 8 liters of kerosene every week. But now after using the solar parabolic cooker she saves about 2 liters. The cooker is also used to boil water and melt ghee required for the shop. She says that the solar cooked food is tasty. She also says that she is suggesting her neighbors and friends to use solar cooker to save fuel and money. (Ms. Sama Shrestha, 1999. 'Teaching and Training Communities of Kathmandu Valley in the use of Solar Parabolic Cookers'.)
Page 1 and 2: STATUS OF SOLAR THERMAL IN NEPAL IT
Page 3 and 4: 4. Solar Thermal Activities in Nepa
Page 5: • Poor monitoring and evaluation

status of solar thermal in nepal , p

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