The Solar Academy of Sub-Saharan Africa (SASSA/Tasol) is a renewable-energy company based in Alrode, east of Johannesburg, focusing on thermal technology, such as solar geysers and heat pumps; photovoltaic systems (power generation); solar pumps and various energy efficiency products.

The company established a nonpressurised solar water heating manufacturing plant in June 2011. The R4.5-million-a-month turnover manufacturing plant is to be expanded soon to include the manufacturing of high-pressure solar water heating system components, to complement its current South African Bureau of Standards-approved nonpressurised solar water heating production line.

The Tasol manufacturing plant has over 52 employees working on a two-shift structure. The company has also created over 700 jobs through the company’s nonpressurised installation projects across South Africa, with a 10% average retention rate over a ten-year maintenance period.

The factory forms part of the warehouse and office complex called Tasol Park, situated at 12 Combrink road, in Alrode, Alberton. It is equipped with line welders, presses, socket welders, rigid-foaming machines and sheet-forming machines. The key input materials used are stainless-steel and chromadek sheets, as well as rigid-foaming chemicals.

Over the last 12 months, the company was awarded contracts to deliver low- and high-pressure solar water heating systems for various municipal, provincial and private housing developments across the country. Tasol, as a leading role-player in the roll-out of nonpressurised solar water heating systems, was able to register the first-of-its kind solar water heating carbon trading programme under the Clean Development Mechanism with the United Nations in 2011. Tasol supplied industrial heat pumps to power utility Eskom’s Victoria Lake Inn, 340 high-pressure collectors to the University of Fort Hare and implemented various industrial-size rooftop photovoltaic projects.