Maltese-American joint venture set to start making solar panels here [in Malta] in August

James Calvert
 

“James Horgen and Eng. Norman Abela inspecting their Office PV Power System” Times of Malta 1996

Households in Malta could make substantial long-term savings by turning to the sun for their energy needs, according to experts in the field.
Unlike other European countries Malta enjoys relatively high amounts of annual sunshine which make the use of solar power an enticing prospect.
With the Mediterranean Solar Council due to meet in Malta later this month the whole solar power issue is being brought into focus.
Last week local company Panta Lesco hosted a seminar on solar energy which brought together a number of Maltese and foreign experts in the field
Among those was Dr Faramarz Mahdjuri, managing director of British group Thermomax, who highlighted the long-term financial and environmental benefits of harnessing the sun's energy.

Speaking to The Times, Dr Mahdjuri said solar energy is the most manageable form of free energy, more than wind or wave power.
"Using solar energy is not just about financial savings but also about making a contribution towards protecting the environment," he said.

Increased use of solar power is helping reduce the overall global output of carbon dioxide and especially in northern European countries this is one of the prime considerations when buying a solar-powered system."
Thermomax makes high-tech solar-energy devices that are used mainly for heating water although they also have other applications.

Dr Mahdjuri believes Malta has ideal conditions for solar power and its increased use would benefit the country as a whole.
"Using solar power gives the country greater independence and reduces the amount of funds that leave the country to pay for the fuel used in generating power," he said.

Households are an important sector for solar power but tourism also offers another vast market. "Savings that can be made through solar power are consider-able when you take into consideration that hotels in Malta run at capacity during the summer when there is the most sunshine," he said.

"In some countries hotels are actually advertising themselves as being environmentally friendly because they use solar power."
Due to the relatively inexpensive electricity rates in Malta persuading people to take the plunge into solar power is not that way and Dr Mahdjuri called for more government incentives.

"By 2010 the European Union wants 16 per cent of all energy produced to come from renewable sources and in order to help towards this many European governments are giving subsidies on alternatives like solar energy," Dr Mahdjuri said.
"With the climate here the situation is ideal for its introduction and the government should offer some sort of subsidy to promote its use"

Although Thermomax s vacuum tubes are currently used mainly for water heating, refrigeration is another potential use.
"The technology is already avail-able but it is only viable on a large scale. We are currently working on a unit for domestic use which would supply heating in winter and air conditioning in summer," he said.

"Hopefully it will be available to the public in four or five years." Meanwhile, local company Solar Power Limited, a Maltese-American joint venture, is set to start making solar panels here in August when its production line is up and running.
The company, setup a year ago, does not compete with Thermomax as it produces solar panels which generate electricity rather than heat.
 
Director James Horgen explained the panels they will be manufacturing were first developed for use on satellites.

'They reliably provide electricity, require no refueling and only the very minimal of maintenance," he said.

The panels produced by the Qormi-based company work in con-junction with those produced by Thermomax.
Any house which is based on solar energy would ideally have a combination of the two. Our panels generate electricity to run electrical items like fridges, lights and television sets while the other generates heat for water," he said.

Solar Power Limited's own offices are powered by solar energy including the lighting, computer and a fridge.
Energy generated by the system is stored in a battery pack which guarantees a supply of electricity for up to three days even without sunshine.

However the company is not looking purely at the local market but more towards selling solar power to European countries, Africa and the Middle East.

"Worldwide demand for solar power has been on the increase since 1990 and it is estimated that demand will have quadrupled by the year 2000," he said.

The panels produced by Solar Power Limited can be used for a wide variety of applications apart from homes including street lighting and water pumping both of interest to Malta.
"Apart from the obvious savings on electricity there are the benefits of not having trenching works and low maintenance costs, Mr. Horgen added.
Both Thermomax and Solar Power Limited appear to be key players in the future of solar energy in Malta and as such are showing a united front.