State-owned power utility Eskom is confident about the second phase of the solar water heating (SWH) programme. Lack of awareness and knowledge are not a challenge, says Eskom renewable portfolio manager Cedric Worthmann.

He says that Eskom has driven the solar programme, together with the advertising and promotion efforts of 150 suppliers, since 2008, which affirms its view that consumer knowledge has improved. There have been awareness programmes through different media, such as print, radio and Internet advertising, adver- torials on solar education and editorials for the consumer, financial and business print media.

The sales for solar water heaters are gradually picking up in residential areas and, since the end of March, the statistics have shown a positive increase. Amid speculation that there is a lack of information available to the consumers from the utility provider, Worthmann says: “There is no problem with the current Eskom SWH programme roll-out – there is simply a slower uptake of solar buying in South Africa than hoped for.”

Solar water heater supplier and installa- tion company Gener8 MD Brandon October says that South African consumers follow an average consumer trend: they do not want to remove an item from their homes that is working perfectly, for example, the electric geyser. Further, the financial cost of a high-quality SWH system is also a barrier to most South African households, which survive on a minimum wage.

However, the new rebate that Eskom has instituted since January has brought the payback period for SWH down to five years. As of March 2010, Eskom has seen a significant increase in the volume of claims. The paid rebates for the last six months was 1 386 compared with 732 in the previous six months, resulting in an sizeable increase, says Worthmann.

A total of 2 998 rebates had been paid by end of February, and, of these rebates, 483 were paid during the month of February. The company believes that the new rebate offer is creating the momentum on the sales figures. From the end of March, 3 445 systems were installed on the Eskom programme, he adds.

The target is calculated over a five-year period and Eskom hopes to achieve a 578-MW savings target, or the equivalent of 925 000 units to be installed by 2013.