Sustainable Energy Successees

   

Two Solar Collectors of 2 m², Mounted on the Roof of a  House in Bucharest
A new solar company has appeared in Bucharest, the S.C. SOLARTERM S.R.L. It is the first Romanian company producing solar collectors. An interesting feature of this company is that it is created by 2 former NGO members from two environmental groups in Bucharest, both of them being also former members in the Romanian Energy Working Group of environmental organisations.

The price for the new Romanian collectors  is about a half of the price of Western collectors per square meter, or about 200 EUR/m². Storage tanks (300 ltr for the system on the above picture) is provided by the Romanian company ICMA in Bucharest and pumps and controls are imported from Germany.

SOLARTERM has also been involved in a spectacular solar demonstration project. The project is situated on a building from the Valahia University in Targoviste, around 150 Km NW of Bucharest, and it  is part of an European program ICOP. A Solar amphitheatre is provided with PV panels. The access to this large space is covered with solar collectors. The solar collectors have a slope of 45 degrees on the south side.

Demonstration Project at the Valahia University to Compare Romanian and German Solar Collectors.
The project compares two solar heating systems: a German one and a Romanian one. The company Wagner&Co had provided the German solar collectors (16 m²) and the other components of the installation (controls, automation, monitoring, including software, and 2 boilers of 500 liter each). SOLARTERM installed the other 16 locally produced solar SOLARTERM collectors. The system will provide hot water to 7 flats, where teachers of the university are living.

While it is hard to change the peoples mentality concerning environment and energy saving, and get interest in technologies such as solar heating, the gradual increase of the energy prices could help companies as SOLARTERM to promote the renewable energy in Romania. In the company, they hope to develop the sector in Romania, also with collaboration and partnerships with other companies.