Executive Summary
This paper summarizes the results of comparing the situation of the Solar Water Heaters industry in six countries. Although the potential for solar thermal applications in various fields is huge (e.g. for heating water in residential buildings but also for industrial processes) the expansion of this technology is limited in the region due to political, social and economic barriers. The use of the Solar Water Heater (SWH) technology varies very much in these countries, mainly depending on the prices for energy the end user has to pay. The higher the price for energy (electricity, gas), the higher the market share of SWH is and can reach (in 2008) more than 50% of the marketable potential of this technology (Palestinian Territories). The major characteristics of SWH in these countries are:
SWH systems are available in these markets.
SWH are not affordable compared to the consumer’s purchasing powers.
SWH systems prices are not competitive (except for those imported from China)
there exist no incentives for consumers to install SWH systems (except for Tunisia which serves as a successful example)
there are no incentives for suppliers (except for Tunisia)
Various
impediments for the full adoption of the SWH systems exist though the potential
is high. We can sum up the barriers in the different countries in the following:
