Ramsco's Women Empowerment Initiative Recognized Among Top BRICS Businesswomen Practices for 2025    Egypt, Elsewedy review progress on Ain Sokhna phosphate complex    Gold prices end July with modest gains    Pakistan says successfully concluded 'landmark trade deal' with US    Egypt's FM, US envoy discuss Gaza ceasefire, Iran nuclear talks    Modon Holding posts AED 2.1bn net profit in H1 2025    Egypt's Electricity Ministry says new power cable for Giza area operational    Egypt's Al-Sisi, Italian defence minister discuss Gaza, security cooperation    Egypt's FM discusses Gaza, Nile dam with US senators    Aid airdrops intensify as famine deepens in Gaza amid mounting international criticism    Health minister showcases AI's impact on healthcare at Huawei Cloud Summit    On anti-trafficking day, Egypt's PM calls fight a 'moral and humanitarian duty'    Federal Reserve maintains interest rates    Egypt strengthens healthcare partnerships to enhance maternity, multiple sclerosis, and stroke care    Egypt keeps Gaza aid flowing, total tops 533,000 tons: minister    Indian Embassy to launch cultural festival in Assiut, film fest in Cairo    Egyptian aid convoy heads toward Gaza as humanitarian crisis deepens    Culture minister launches national plan to revive film industry, modernise cinematic assets    Rafah Crossing 'never been closed for one day' from Egypt: PM    I won't trade my identity to please market: Douzi    Two militants killed in foiled plot to revive 'Hasm' operations: Interior ministry    Egypt's EHA, Huawei discuss enhanced digital health    Egypt, Oman discuss environmental cooperation    Egypt's EDA explores pharma cooperation with Belarus    Foreign, housing ministers discuss Egypt's role in African development push    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Three ancient rock-cut tombs discovered in Aswan    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Egypt's Irrigation Minister urges scientific cooperation to tackle water scarcity    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



FOSTEr-ing solar technology in the Mediterranean area: an EU success story completed in Egypt through the FOSTEr in MED Project
Chamber of Commerce in Alexandria launches solar plant that produces 20,000 kWh annually
Published in Daily News Egypt on 26 - 07 - 2016

The project for foresting solar technology in the Mediterranean region, FOSTEr in MED, was completed at a cost of €4.5m, and financed by the European Union (EU) through the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument – Cross Border Cooperation Programme (ENPI CBC MED).
In 2007, the European Council adopted ambitious targets to shift climate and energy sources by 2020. This comes as part of a strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20%─or even 30%, if conditions are favorable─, increase renewable energy production to 20%, and improve energy efficiency by 20%.
The FOSTEr in MED project aims to find solutions between theories and practices in the solar energy sector, transferring the accumulated experiences through training, and distributing specialised architectural integration instructions.
The programme worked on bridging the gap between theory and practice in the solar energy field by transferring competencies and providing training. The support includes setting guidelines to achieve the architectural integration of solar energy technologies and the implementation of pilot projects within the framework of best practices. The programme helped in preparing a common theoretical approach in the field of renewable energy, and in the establishment and development of local communities, including local authorities, universities, research centres, commerce chambers, and representatives of SMEs.
FOSTEr in MED encouraged the promotion of innovative solar photovoltaic (PV) technologies in the Mediterranean region. This project embraces a multi-layered strategic approach through the participation of local stakeholders, so as to ensure a multiplier effect (in terms of results) of the project's activities in the Mediterranean Sea region, and then publish and transfer these results both outside the boundaries of the partnerships and after the project is completed.
The project is characterised by a strategic approach that aims to influence the different layers of civil society. It also has a committee of experts and a Technical Scientific Committee (TSC) that consist of individuals and experts from the Mediterranean countries, coming from universities, research centres, the private sector, and institutional sectors.
Salma El-Sahhar, the project manager of the FOSTEr in MED project at the Confederation of Egyptian European Business Associations (CEEBA), said that in the course of the past three years, the project has promoted the adoption of innovative solar PV technologies in the Mediterranean area and exploited the potential of solar technologies through the transfer of technical knowhow to those involved in the sector (small- and medium-sized enterprises, engineers, students). It also identified the best practices in the policy and regulatory fields, and the implemented five pilot projects aiming to equip public buildings with innovative solar PV plants. One of these buildings is that of the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce, the first .
The Alexandria Chamber of Commerce in Alexandria is one of the five public buildings and the first Mediterranean chamber to be solar-equipped, hosting the innovative solar PV plants, and testing different technological solutions and architectural integrations. The other buildings selected to be part of the project are: Balqa college in Aqaba, Jordan; the Lebanese University Campus in Hadat in Beirut, Lebanon; the Centre National de Formation de Formateurs et d'Ingénierie de Formation (CENAFFIF) in Tunis, Tunisia; and the Regional Agency for the housing construction industry (AREA) in Cagliari, Italy.
El-Sahhar added that Onera Systems has completed the installation of a solar power plant at the Chamber of Commerce in Alexandria through the FOSTEr in MED project with a total peak power capacity of 13.72 kWp, a yearly energy yield of 19,813 kWh, and an annual CO2 emission reduction of 11 tonnes.
The PV is integrated in the building, intercepting the direct heat radiation on the roof where 56 coloured modules have been installed to match the building's architectural design.
The Alexandria Chamber of Commerce in Alexandria is one of the five public buildings and the first Mediterranean chamber to be solar-equipped
(Photo Handout to DNE)
She further added that the funding of the FOSTEr in MED project, which aims to promote solar technology in the Mediterranean region, came within the first call to establish strategic projects and promote environmental sustainability. The project aims to contribute to transferring knowledge and technology in the field of solar energy to the Mediterranean region through cross-border cooperation.
The project educated at least 3,500 students from 60 schools, and 350 citizens about solar energy technologies, prepared at least six sheets of public policy proposal, and implemented five projects with a capacity of 85 kW (about 17 kW per station).
Kamelia Youssef, the technical expert of FOSTEr in MED, said that the project aims to educate and apply. The educational side includes educating school and university students about the integration architecture of solar energy, while the application side comes through implementing a project to identify the importance of solar energy more clearly.
She stated that solar panels can be installed on buildings' windows in order to produce electricity and protect buildings from high temperatures.
According to Youssef, three training sessions were held. The first session trained graduate students of engineering colleges and institutes from Cairo, Tanta, and Alexandria about the architectural integration of solar energy. It lasted for six days. The second session taught technicians and workers how to install, operate, and maintain solar plants throughout six days. The third session trained designers on solar energy programmes.
Youssef said that the application side of FOSTEr in MED included the launch of a solar energy plant project with a capacity of 13.7 kW, producing 20,000 kWh annually at the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce building.
The partnership project is composed of different research institutions, public administration, and representatives of private sector, including the University of Cagliari in Italy, the Association of the Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASCAME) in Spain, the Promotional Services Centre for enterprises (CSPI) in Italy, the Confederation of Egyptian European Business Associations (CEEBA) in Egypt, the Industrial Research Institute (IRI) in Lebanon, the Royal Scientific Society (RSS) in Jordan, and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Tunis (CCI Tunis) in Tunisia.


Clic here to read the story from its source.