Arab States: Egypt-3
Solar Energy for Heating Water in
Urban/Peri-Urban Areas, Egypt
Themes
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Renewable energy
Financing mechanisms and private sector involvement
Technical capacity development
Poverty alleviation (MDG 1)
BASIC INFORMATION
Name: Renewable Energy for Daily Life: Solar Water Heating
in El Menia
Implementing Organizations: Society for Community Welfare
in Kom El Aghdar-Maghagha, CBO (2 projects), and Coptic
Evangelical Organization for Social Services, NGO (1 project)
Location: urban and peri-urban areas, Egypt
SGP contribution: 3 grants, totaling $65,835: $11,184 (June
1998-June 1999); $26,527 (June 1998 – June 2000), and
$28,124 (November 2000 – November 2001); $211,166 for
all eight SGP solar water heater grants in Egypt
Start Date: June 1998 (2 projects), and November 2000
(1 project)
ENERGY OVERVIEW
Energy Resource: solar energy
Technology: solar water heaters
Application: water heating
Sector: domestic
Water Heater Capacity: 150 liters
Number Served: 164 solar water heaters (total for all three
projects); 429 solar water heaters installed by 8 SGP-funded
projects in Egypt, reaching 3,790 people
BACKGROUND
Hot water is critical to maintaining adequate sanitation and
health. Often, water must be boiled in order to make it safe to
drink. In poor communities in Egypt, water is normally heated
using agricultural residues in a kanoun, which produces smoke
and is generally unsafe. In more well- off communities, electric
or gas water heaters are used, but there may be shortages of
gas cylinders, or electricity costs may be high. Egypt is well
endowed with solar energy, so solar water heating is a viable
option; on average, the sun is shining for 9-11 hours per day,
with an average insolation of 1900-2600 kWh/m2. These solar
water heater projects took place in poor villages and neigh-
borhoods surrounding El Menia, a city in Upper Egypt.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Overview
These three projects introduced the use of solar energy to
heat water, and raised a