How Cyprus Became a World Leader In Solar Heating

The republic of Cyprus 'has outstripped all other EU member states in embracing hot-water solar systems,' reports the Guardian, 'with an estimated 93.5 % of households exploiting the alternative energy form for domestic needs.'

EU figures show the eastern Mediterranean island exceeding renewable energy targets set in the heating and cooling of buildings thanks to the widespread use of the solar thermal technology... [First introduced in the late 1960s], the solar thermal systems not only collected solar energy as heat — usually generated through electricity and the burning of fossil fuels — they were extremely cost-effective and had helped spawn an entire industry [says Charalampos Theopemptou, the island's first environment commissioner and the head of the Cypriot parliament's environment committee].

'It's been great for low-income families and then there's the jobs: so many have been generated,' the MP says. 'There are the local manufacturers who produce the parts and then all the people who are trained to install them. It's big business.' In his role as environment commissioner, Theopemptou pushed hard to make the solar systems obligatory on all newly constructed residential and commercial buildings... The popularity of the water heaters is such that a union of local solar thermal industrialists was established in 1977. Since then, more than 962,564 square cubic metres of 'solar [panel] collectors' have been installed, the union says. Increasingly, the country's vibrant tourist industry has also resorted to the green solution with solar-powered hot water systems deployed in, they say, close to 100% of hotels...

For Demetra Asprou, a retired engineer, it's obvious that a region blessed with more than 300 days of sunshine a year should embrace solar energy. 'It reduces electricity costs, increases the efficiency with which hot water is provided and is kind to the environment,' she says. 'Why would anyone use other, more traditional means to heat up water when only a few hours of sunlight, between 11am and 2pm, is enough for a 200-litre [44-gallon] tank to be filled with warm water that will last 48 hours? On days when there is no sunlight, which is rare, you always have electricity as a backup if necessary... Installation costs may be three times higher today, but there are EU-funded grants that the government hands out and within a year it's all paid off,' she says. 'After that, you basically have free hot water and see your electricity bills greatly reduced. In a country like Cyprus, it's a no-brainer.'
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