Potential for solar thermal heating in South African hospitals

This report evaluates the potential for solar thermal heating in South African hospitals to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and electricity. While the current adoption is very low (less than 0.5% of thermal demand), the study finds that 20-40% of the 370 GWh annual thermal energy requirement could be met by solar thermal systems. A case study at Paarl Provincial Hospital demonstrates that such systems can be financially viable, achieving a 10% internal rate of return and a levelised cost of heat (LCOH) of R0,62/kWh, even when competing with energy-efficient heat pumps. However, widespread adoption is hindered by high upfront costs, outdated infrastructure, asbestos roofing, and a preference for solar PV systems.

• South African hospitals have a total estimated thermal energy demand of approximately 370 GWh per year for producing domestic hot water. Currently, solar thermal systems contribute less than 0.5% of this demand, with only 23 systems identified across the country, totaling an installed collector area of 1,333 m².
• The study identifies a significant potential for hospitals to meet 20% to 40% of their annual thermal energy needs through solar thermal capacity. Achieving this would require installing between 73,972 m² and 147,944 m² of collector area across the 696 identified hospitals.

APA

Buckley, A., Fitzgerald, D., Terblanche, U., & Kritzinger, K. (2018). Potential for solar thermal heating in South African hospitals. WWF South Africa. https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/wwf_2018_potential_for_solar_thermal_heating_in_south_african_hospitals.pdf

Chicago

Buckley, Angelo, Donald Fitzgerald, Ulrich Terblanche, and Karin Kritzinger. Potential for solar thermal heating in South African hospitals. WWF South Africa, 2018. https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/wwf_2018_potential_for_solar_thermal_heating_in_south_african_hospitals.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Buckley |first1=Angelo |last2=Fitzgerald |first2=Donald |last3=Terblanche |first3=Ulrich |last4=Kritzinger |first4=Karin |title=Potential for solar thermal heating in South African hospitals |publisher=WWF South Africa |date=2018 |url=https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/wwf_2018_potential_for_solar_thermal_heating_in_south_african_hospitals.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{buckley2018potential, author = {Buckley, Angelo and Fitzgerald, Donald and Terblanche, Ulrich and Kritzinger, Karin}, title = {{Potential for solar thermal heating in South African hospitals}}, institution = {WWF South Africa}, year = {2018}, url = {https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/wwf_2018_potential_for_solar_thermal_heating_in_south_african_hospitals.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }