Together with SophiA partners 2iE, Raach Solar and Simply Solar, SPF has prepared three inspiring days for the future SophiA trainers on solar technologies. Professors from the OST – Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences, study program in Renewable Energies and Environmental Engineering were also involved in this unique initiative aiming to empower future trainers for SophiA and solar technologies in Africa. Involved in both theoretical and hand on activities, participants from Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Germany and Uganda considered this Train the Trainer course an enriching experience, providing them with a wealth of useful information to use in further training activities. The participants asked many insightful questions, which made the sessions very interactive.
Day 1 – Solar PV, SCADA, and PVMedPort
- Solar PV and PVMedport – an innovative solar pavilion developed by the SophiA Simply Solar partner, boasting over 30 years of solar expertise. In African countries, the daily energy yield using a standard PVMedPort exceeds 8 kWh/day.
- SophiA Solar-Battery, with insights from leading battery provider Cegasa, a manufacturer specialising in electrochemical energy storage solutions, with a rich history dating back to 1934.
- SophiA Energy System and SCADA, including a visit to the lab prototype developed by SPF.
Day 2 – Solar thermal, solar process heat and thermal energy storage
- Solar Thermal and Long-term Experience:
- Thermosyphon X-Sol system developed by SophiA partner Simply Solar.
- SOLKIT forced circulation system developed by SPF in the 90s and still in use after 30 years – an efficient system installable by two people within two days, ideal for a typical household of four people.
- Overview of Solar Thermal Collectors and Systems in Africa
- Testing and Certification of Solar Thermal Collectors and Systems: covering testing procedures, pass/fail criteria, European Solar Keymark certificate, and measurements according to international standards ISO 9806 and EN 12975.
- Scheffler reflectors and solar process heat
- High temperature thermal energy storage – PVSteamCube (patent application submitted by SophiA partner Simply Solar)
Day 3 was dedicated to laboratory activities on solar energy materials, building solar thermal collectors and measuring the efficiency of PV modules.
Meet our SophiA Trainers for Solar Technologies and get their feedback:
- Nicholas KIGGUNDU, Senior Lecturer at Makerere University, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering:
“High-level training that can well be used in Uganda”.
- Edem N’TSOUKPOE, Associate Professor, International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering (2iE), Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
“Many interesting conversations in Rapperswill with a lot of experts willing to share their experience. We are in the process of establishing a testing centre solar thermal technology at 2iE.”
- Peter TUMUTEGYEREIZE, Senior Lecturer at Makerere University, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering:
“A lot of knowledge on solar PV and solar thermal for further training in Uganda.
- Benoît Ndzana, Head of the Renewable Energy Department, National Advanced School of Engineering, Yaoundé.
“An enriching experience, I have learned a lot about SophiA technologies, and we will be happy to implement learnings at home in Cameroon.”
A parallel Train the Trainer event took place at the Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences HKA, with focus on sustainable refrigeration, natural refrigerant safety and water treatment technologies.
SophiA in a nutshell:
SophiA aims to locally develop and manufacture innovative, modular, affordable, and efficient solar-powered systems for medical health care centres in Africa to provide:
- Safe, clean drinking water and deionised water for medical purposes.
- Hot water and steam production to meet hospitals’ thermal requirements.
- Cooling of medicines and food at +5°C.
- Low-temperature storage of blood plasma at -30°C.
- Ultra-low temperature storage of sensitive medications (e.g., some Covid-19 vaccines) at -70°C.
More info: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7166736161174941698/
Train the Trainer session participants visiting the SPF outdoor solar testing laboratory
Caption: Train the Trainer session participants visiting the SPF outdoor solar testing laboratory
Photo copyright: Willi Meissner, OST
Train the Trainer session participants and the Scheffler reflector used in SophiA for solar disinfection in hospitals and solar cooking
Caption: Train the Trainer session participants and the Scheffler reflector used in SophiA for solar disinfection in hospitals and solar cooking
Photo copyright: Willi Meissner, OST
