Contribution of solar applications towards achieving a renewable energy target for Malta

Abstract

Based on applied research and demonstration activities carried out during the past decade at the Institute for Energy Technology, solar photovoltaic applications offer a good prospective towards achieving a significant percentage of Malta’s electricity needs. This paper summarises the most important conclusions reached, describes the current installed systems in Malta, sets the achievable targets and discusses the challenges that face the widespread applications of this technology. Moreover, consideration is given to the widespread applications of solar water heating systems and their contribution towards lowering electricity consumption.