SA to install 200 000 solar water heaters by March

to increase the standard of living of people in low-income areas.

the department of energy plans to install about 200 000 solar water heaters on low-income housing units before the end of the financial year in march.

the service providers for the project were approved in july, ompi aphane, deputy director general for electricity, nuclear and clean energy, said at a budget review meeting in cape town yesterday.

the initiative forms part of the government's plan to install one million solar water heaters by 2013 to reduce electricity usage and increase the standard of living of people in low-income areas.

money for the installations is coming from the fiscal budget for demand side management initiatives for 2010, the state utility's recent 25% tariff increase and loans, aphane said.

about r110m has been spent on the solar water heater programme this year. the department was unable to say exactly how many systems had been installed as a result.

an additional r220m left in the budget will go toward achieving the march target, aphane said.

the price of each unit is around r5 000. the solar geyser is provided free of charge to households who must only pay a r100 connection fee, he said.