The central region of Argentina, the Province of San Luis, will implement a plan for households to install solar thermal, a technology that harnesses the sun’s energy for hot water or heating. They will begin in the city of La Carolina, to make this mountain town the Province’s third in installed solar thermal capacity after La Calera and Batavia.
The Argentine Ministry of the Environment has adopted an energy plan that includes actions to change the energy matrix, to switch from using non-renewable energies to clean ones, and the Solar Thermal Plan is part of it.
Change in technology
The province of San Luis has developed its own Strategic Energy Plan 2012-2025 which includes the replacement of technology in homes in the town of La Carolina, of barely a hundred inhabitants, where solar thermal equipment will be installed making this mountain town the Province’s third with the most solar thermal capacity installed after La Calera and Batavia.
The works being carried out in conjunction with the municipality consist of exploring the town to get to know the infrastructure of each of the houses and the formation of family groups to define the requirements of the equipment to be installed.
“Once we finish this survey we will know how many homes need to be incorporated into the Provincial Solar Thermal Plan,” said the head of Sub Program of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, from Ministry of Environment of Argentina, Yanina Miranda.
Previous experiences
The proposed installation of solar thermal equipment in La Carolina, grew out of the success of La Calera. There, thanks to these equipments, 63% of the families ceased using electricity, 23% ceased using wood and 14% stopped using packaged natural gas to heat sanitary water.
“Besides adding quality of life to the residents, the Plan promotes energy efficiency awareness, giving residents the opportunity to access a clean, economical and sustainable means to heat water. The solar thermal system installed by the government solves the problem that neighbors face when heating their water, replacing wood or gas for a cleaner, safer and environmentally friendly system” stated the Minister of the Environment, Daiana Hissa.
Strategic Plan of San Luis
The goals set out in this plan are the analysis of fuels availability in the province, the assessment of natural gas in the provincial energy supply and expansion of infrastructure in the high-pressure transport as well as in the distribution in urban networks.
One of the plans aims to address specific energy needs of households that are isolated from urban centers. As stated in the document ” heat energy needs (cooking, water heating and air conditioning among other environments), and electrical energy for lighting, radio, TV, communication and in general for all the appliances and tools that require electricity to operate need to be catered for. ”
In the province of San Luis the initiative has been going on for some time to contribute to the development of isolated areas, mainly rural, not only as an act of social equality but also to provide a better standard of living in order to prevent the migration of families to main towns, achieving social inclusion and improving their standard of living.
