REPIC Cuenca – Solindustrias: Solar Process Heat in Cuenca

Solindustrias is the first project to use solar thermal energy for heating industrial processes in Ecuador. The project’s motivation was to reduce emissions in Cuenca’s industrial sector and to transfer technology and knowledge about solar thermal energy through seminars and training sessions for various target groups, such as engineering students, installers, and technicians.

The project’s overall goal is to decarbonise Cuenca’s economy.  For this purpose, it is planned in the future to provide part of the required process heat in a food processing company by means of a solar thermal system and thus reduce the use of fossil fuels. This pilot project is intended to demonstrate both its technical feasibility and financial advantages. In parallel, a know-how transfer between the SPF and the University of Cuenca is ongoing. There, training and further education courses on all aspects of solar thermal energy, i.e. system design, installation and operation & maintenance are to be set up. As a final step, the public sector is to be supported in creating suitable market incentives.

The detailed planning of the solar thermal system took place in the first half of 2023. The system was then installed with a total of 58 collectors and 3 storage tanks connected in parallel with a volume of 3,000 liters each from July to September 2023. At the same time, the first  training courses were prepared and successfully carried out. The three different courses are aimed at the general public, students from technical courses and technical staff from the food and beverage industry, i.e. the potential owners or operators of such systems. The high level of interest is reflected in the high number of participants in the three courses (67, 78 and 22 respectively).

The installed solar thermal system has an output of 105 kWth, producing around 72,000 kWh of heat. Compared to gas-based production, this saves around 18 tons of CO2 emissions annually. Thanks to close cooperation between the local university and technical staff, 167 people have benefited from the transfer of expertise from Switzerland and acquired knowledge in the field of solar thermal energy.

Contact: Andreas Häberle

Final report (PDF)