Qualification procedure for solar heater providers

Market is witnessing growth for fifth year in a row

The Lebanese Center for Energy Conservation (LCEC) is launching a new evaluation procedure for the local solar water heater (SWH) companies. Pierre Khoury, Director of LCEC, said: “In the past, companies that used to achieve a low score were disqualified, but with this new evaluation procedure, they are given a chance to re-apply in the future after doing improvements.”

The SWH market is witnessing continuous growth for the fifth year in a row. More than 65,000 square meters of SWH systems were installed in 2013, a 15 percent increase year-on-year.

There are three categories of qualified companies. The lowest category which receives between 500 and 700 points in the evaluation is given basic qualification to operate in the market. Companies receiving between 700 and 800 points are given a $200 support from the Ministry of Energy and Water for each solar water heater client. If their score goes beyond 800, they are given a ‘three star’ label.

“The score which each company is given depends on its capital, reputation, quality of products and also their list of references,” said Khoury. “We may also be calling their reference list to check if they had a good experience,” he said.

All qualified companies will be listed on the LCEC website and are allowed to join the World Energy Council. “This would help in creating a national database of trusted providers,” said Khoury. This would also increase the awareness among clients regarding which companies to trust, and would create a momentum in the market. This is the third update which LCEC makes on this evaluation procedure in four years.