Solar hot water in Senegal

[Prosoleil]

The first solar water heater company has finally seen the light of day in Senegal.

On the initiative of a Frenchman, drawing on his 25 years of experience in the energy field, and after 3 years of preparation and studies, the company Prosoleil was created.

It produces water heaters locally, from a rigorous selection of materials, both in Senegal and in France.
This makes it possible to offer reliable and quality products, while retaining a cost adapted to local purchasing power, with extremely rapid profitability.

Because with a high cost of electricity, and some of the strongest sunshine in the world, solar in Senegal indeed offers simply exceptional profitability ...

The stakes are many and are as well:

ECONOMIC

Save on your electricity bill, who can refuse?
Especially since Prosoleil is committed to promoting employment and economic development in Senegal by producing locally.

ENVIRONMENTAL

The stated objective of Prosoleil is to allow daily living in harmony with the sun, and thus to protect the environment.
Limiting greenhouse gases and making better use of the electricity produced in Senegal: the beginning of a solution to the frequent power cuts that occur in the country.

SOCIAL

These water heaters are produced in Saint Louis, by Senegalese.
For Senegal, Senegal, and by the Senegalese ...
But more than a simple and mundane business, Prosoleil is committed to providing reliable and suitable products that truly meet local needs.

Prosoleil, a company resolutely turned towards sustainable development ...

For any information, estimate, or to support us, do not hesitate, contact the company Prosoleil by email: prosoleil.sn@laposte.net
or by phone at (00 221) 951 86 56.

With Prosoleil, use the sun intelligently !!!

[Christophe]

Very good initiative ! Are you hiring?

[Prosoleil]

Indeed, we are hiring ...
We still have to recruit at least two skilled workers that we are looking for on the spot, and subsequently, a salesperson also Senegalese, see more workers, depending on the evolution of the activity ...

We are obviously open to any application from abroad, especially from France, such as students wishing to get involved in renewable energy, and to contribute to the development of the company through their internships ...
But the objective, as I remind you, is to promote employment, and the economic and social development of the country.

Sincerely,

The Prosoleil team.

[philflamine]

This is a great initiative !!!! It's fun to read.

I am amazed at the length of preparation, how did these 3 years of study go? What comes out of it?

You talk about power cuts, yet it is solar hot water and not photovoltaic ......?

Last question, how is Senegal supplied with electricity?

[Christophe]

Yes I also did not understand the relationship between electric consumption and solar water heater ... don't tell me that in Senegal there is electric heating?!?

If not for the hiring, I have a mechanical engineer training ... I have a chance or is it too early?

[Prosoleil]

First of all, two elements of answers, with regard to the relationship between power cuts and solar water heaters:

- Know already that most homes with hot water in Senegal, are with electric water heaters ... And so in case of power failure, of course, it is a "hot water cut" who goes with it ...

But also, with regard to the price of electricity here, hot water can therefore appear as a luxury. For individuals, but also for all types of structures such as health centers, where the challenges of having hot water are all the more important. For example, the Saint Louis regional hospital center cannot afford to have electric water heaters (monthly fixed cost much too high), and was therefore equipped until a few years ago with solar water heaters ( unsuitable, but there were, and they are still there to testify).

- These power cuts that we are talking about are due to a supply of electricity lower than demand, which often involves load shedding.
However, by using more solar energy (both to heat water and to generate electricity), this allows on the one hand to be less dependent on the electricity produced by the Senegalese electricity company ( SENELEC), but also and above all, to reduce or at least not to increase the electricity needs, which Senelec is really struggling to cope with. And the situation is not getting better. You have some examples with the links below.

http://fr.allafrica.com/stories/200408021308.html

http://www.walf.sn/economique/suite.php?ru...=3&id_art=11555


As for the "long" preparation, it can be explained in several ways, but essentially by an in-depth study on three levels:

- study the needs of individuals and professionals, which is essential you will agree ...
- design a product that is both adapted to local conditions, and accessible to as many people as possible in relation to Senegalese purchasing power.
- study the "mistakes of the past" to take into account the failures (and there are many) of the establishment of solar water heaters in this country ...

All this has already taken a long time, but has nonetheless formed a solid basis for launching the business ... From the experience that we were able to obtain, without having to live it, which you will recognize , is more than interesting in the context of mistakes made ... Not having to make them yourself ...

But also add to this an equally in-depth market study to validate the viability of the project, the financial package and the establishment of partnerships, in particular with AREED ( http://www.areed.org/ ), without forgetting the essential passage through the "mazes" of the Senegalese administration, and you quickly get 3 years of preparation ...

What comes out of it? Vast question ...
We have seen that various attempts to install thermal solar energy in Senegal (to heat water) have failed.
Why ? Basically because the products were not "thought out" in relation to the specific conditions of this country, which nevertheless has great potential in terms of sunshine. They were imported directly from Europe, but not in the least adapted, either in terms of the materials used, the mounting of the water heaters, and obviously not adapted either in terms of cost (purchasing power in Europe is very different from that in Senegal ...).

But the needs are there, the possibilities to meet those needs as well, but it was still necessary to take the time to take an interest in them. What we have done...


Finally, with regard to the electricity supply of Senegal, it is distributed as follows:

Steam plants: 138 MW
Diesel production: 137 MW
Gas turbine: 92 MW
Other sources: 41 MW

You can find more information if you are interested, on the SENELEC website:

http://www.senelec.sn


For the training of mechanical engineer ... you have a chance, even if it is true that it is still "too early" ...

[philflamine]

Big thank you Prosoleil! B)



Did you receive an encouraging welcome and / or any support from the Senegalese authorities?

How much are you on the initiative of this project? What legal form have you chosen for your company?

What bond "attaches" you to this country - simple curiosity ..... ?

Can we hope to see your project grow and spread to neighboring countries?



I find this project awesome ........

[Prosoleil]

Thank you for these "encouragements" ... Some elements of answers to your questions ...

As for the Senegalese authorities, we received a welcome, as for any foreign company that sets up in a country.
But from there to qualify this welcome as encouraging, or even to speak of "support", we are not there yet ...

We will not "argue" about the difficulties facing the Senegalese administration ... A book in several volumes could be the subject. So let's move on ...
On the other hand, our fight (because it is indeed a fight), is to show all the interest of developing the use of solar thermal energy in Senegal, by pushing the State to set up incentive measures, as is well understood in most of the other neighboring African countries (in Morocco, Mali, Mauritania ...). Because the interest is really for all the actors ...


At the initiative of this project, a man whose courage, skills and perseverance enabled the company to see the light of day. It is Luc Houard, a Frenchman who worked for 25 years in France, in the field of energy. He is the manager of the company, and deals more particularly with the technical and production aspects

Myself, I am the sales / management manager, and I joined Luc in his approach, there are about one and a half ... I was led to meet him a little by chance, but faced with such initiative, such a project, I had no other desire than to give it my full support.
I also work with the association AIDDER (International Association for Sustainable Development and Renewable Energies).


With this association, we are leading several projects in Africa, especially in Morocco (with the construction and establishment of a training center in renewable energy professions, aimed at young people without qualifications), but also in Senegal (with 2 projects: equipping solar hot water at several dispensaries in rural areas, but also setting up solar hot water for the Saint Louis regional hospital center).
These are the links I have personally with this country and more generally Africa: a thirst for learning and a determination to bring.

For his part, Luc fell in love with Senegal the first time he came, and he has lived here for almost 5 years. He thought about how he could make himself useful for this country, which led him to mount this project stone after stone ...

"Can we hope to see your project grow and spread to neighboring countries? "

I will answer this question with two others which seem to me perhaps more relevant:

- Can we hope that Senegal will benefit from solar energy, allowing it to find its right place?

- Is it conceivable for existing companies in other countries (because there are ....), to adopt a similar approach, to associate the development of solar energy, with sustainable economic development?

Take the example of Morocco, where we carried out a project with our association, and where we went to meet the various actors in the field of solar energy.
The political will is there, the organizations active, and the companies numerous. However, no company manufactures solar water heaters itself, while Morocco has ample means to do so (both in terms of skills and materials available on site). So why insist on importing "Western" products, which are not necessarily suitable, rather than thinking and producing locally what can be?

So, in our opinion, it is more of a problem of “approach” put in place, than of a “technical” problem, so that thermal solar finds its proper place in Africa. We hope to lead the way ...

[philflamine]

Many thanks for sharing all of this with us!

If you want to keep a little logbook and share it, I think the site will be all open and we delighted .....