MRDP Sunwater

Supplies solar water heating through black PVC pipe systems.
2013 SEED South Africa Award; European Union
Clean Energy
Skuinsdrift
South Africa

MRDP Sunwater promotes an efficient, easy-to-handle, low-maintenance passive water-heating system through various marketing channels. It also uses feedback on pilot systems from community members to identify potential entrepreneurs who can promote the concept. In addition, MRDP provides support, training and assistance to these entrepreneurs, encouraging them to set up their own businesses. This includes providing practical exercises in business management, training in bookkeeping, technical training, planning and monitoring, and all other aspects of project-cycle management.

Eco-Inclusive Impacts
MRDP Sunwater allows communities and especially women and children to save time, money and trees thereby helping the community to manage their natural resources sustainably.
  • Women and girls are usually responsible for collecting wood. They benefit enormously from the product as it gives them more free time to spend on other social and economic activities.
  • Training is provided to women from the communities to help them advance in the public domain or workplace.
  • Local biodiversity and ecosystems are protected as fewer trees are cut down to heat water.
  • Less firewood burned for water-heating purposes reduce smoke pollution, which improves household air quality.
  • Helping with community environmental education and awareness-raising helps reduce the use of firewood, which in turn leads to fewer GHG emissions.
  • 150 households in two villages acquired a Sunwater system in the first year. Each is now spending significantly less on fuel for heating.
  • The enterprise generates annual incomes of ZAR 5,000 for its employees.
  • Monthly household spending on firewood can be reduced by up to ZAR 400.

Partners

MRDP Sunwater aims to supply solar water heating through black PVC pipe systems allowing communities and especially women and children to save time, money and trees. This sunwater heating system is well accepted in the community and easy to maintain. By reducing the need to gather firewood to heat water, MRDP Sunwater helps the community to manage their natural resources sustainably.

Madikwe Rural Development Programme (MRDP) funded the pilot systems, conducts practical feasibility and technical research, supplies training and skills transfer, and provides support on the technical design.

Skuinsdrift Development Committee are users of the product and members of the local community. They help with needs assessment, monitoring and evaluation. 

Ikagisano ELC are users of the product. They provide voluntary support and assist with the monitoring and evaluation of the system.

Thuto Motheo DCC are users of the product. They provide voluntary support and assist with the monitoring and evaluation of the system.