Sustainable Energy Successees

   

Since the beginning of the nineties, growing use of the Austrian Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Construction System has extended the country's installed collector area by more than 100,000 m² p.a. This growth has drawn attention to the Austrian solar market from western as well as eastern neighbouring countries.
    Interested visitors to Austrian DIY-Construction Groups may attend solar technical and organisational seminars. The seminars offer informative materials and the special "tool kits" needed for collector production, adapted to country-specific circumstances. Through the seminars, workshops, education of trainers, and informational materials, the construction groups disseminate solar know-how across the borders. The mobile "tool kits" are geared to help participants to realise pilot projects and to start production of solar energy systems in their respective local areas.
    Usually, public associations are established in this connection that hereafter offer seminars and organise DIY-Construction Groups in their own countries.
    Some of the current solar projects were started through bilateral cross-border activities of various NGOs, whereas others began as single, specific initiatives, like the Solar-Information Transfer to The Baltic States, funded by the European Union Inco-Copernicus-programme.
    The Austrian Solar DIY-Construction System has led to increasing use of solar energy all over Europe, in Central and Eastern Europe, as follows:

The Czech Republic
Various solar activities, workshops, and training seminars financed by Austrian NGOs and government subsidy, as well as 3 "tool kits" for solar installation and a solar handbook in the Czech language, are now available. From 1993 to 1996, this led to 20 new installations with a total area of 200 m².

Hungary
Professional installers produce solar systems and offer solar installations according to the Austrian DIY Construction System. By the end of 1996, this had led to 100 new installations and to 1,000 m² of solar collectors.

Slovenia
Information campaign financed by a bilateral Austrian-Slovenian project, offering solar information and consulting for solar DIY construction systems by "Bauinstitut" Ljubljana for 3 years, completing 30 to 50 solar installations a year. From 1994 to 1996, this led to 120 new installations with a total collector area of 1,200 m².

The Baltic States In the framework of the EU programme Inco-Copernicus the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Erneuerbare Energie organised the transfer of solar technology to the Baltic States by means of seminars, a practical workshop, organising an industry forum, and a solar demo installation.

The basic equipment for a family household of four people contains 10 m² of solar collector area and a 500-l storage tank. At a solar radiation of 1,100 kWh/m² a year, the system covers fully the hot water supply during the summer season (April - October) and 40% of preheating on clear winter days.