In Morocco, a country that is almost entirely dependent upon energy imports, photovoltaic energy has a key role both in the efficient, low-resource and independent generation of electricity, and in the reduction of continually rising energy prices. Aside from the large, commercial solar power plants that are currently being built in the south of the country, many private and commercial energy consumers throughout the country are expecting to see a reduction in their monthly energy bills with the help of smaller photovoltaic systems.

As a pilot project, as part of the worldwide dena Renewable Energy Solutions Programme coordinated by Deutsche Energie-Agentur GmbH (dena) - the German Energy Agency - and co-financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) within the initiative "renewables – Made in Germany", SOLAR23 planned and installed a photovoltaic system with an output of 25 kWp on the roof of the newly constructed headquarters of COPAG in Taroudant, in southern Morocco. Thanks to the support from COPAG and a collaboration with alto-solution, a Moroccan energy company, the installation was completed within the shortest possible time at the beginning of December.

In spite of the unusually heavy rainfall and flooding in the south of the country, it was possible after just 10 days of installation to put the facility into operation and make the first savings. In accordance with SOLAR23's quality standards, only high-quality components designed to work together were used for this project. The main components all have a product guarantee of at least 10 years, further ensuring the long service life and cost effectiveness of the facility. Alongside the photovoltaic modules from SOLARWORLD and inverters from SMA, the system was also equipped with state-of-the-art measuring instrumentation and communication equipment. The latter serves to provide substantiated information about solar radiation and power generation, therefore highlighting the effectiveness of a photovoltaic system and helping to increase confidence in photovoltaic power.

The use of science to ensure the sustainability of the project is a key component of the dena-RES programme strategy. In light of this and as part of the installation process, solar energy specialists from the local region took part in an eight-day intensive training course where they were taught about system design, product expertise and installation techniques. Here, the main focus was placed on the high quality standards of SOLAR23 for implementing further photovoltaic system installations in the future. There were also two further training sessions on photovoltaic and solar pump systems connected to the grid, which aimed to deliver well-founded expertise about the technical and commercial possibilities and advantages of photovoltaic energy to an even wider target audience. At the end of the training session, there was a field trip to the installed facility to demonstrate the practical application of the theory. The course participants fell into two groups. There were firstly stakeholders and companies from the Souss-Mass-Drâa region already active in the solar energy industry, whose everyday work as solar panel installers was supported by the training session. Secondly, other important multipliers as well as stakeholders and members of the COPAG agricultural cooperative received training. The course participants welcomed the application-orientated content of the training sessions, which gave them confidence in the practical use of solar technology.

The ceremonial launch of the photovoltaic facility on the roof of the COPAG offices is planned for April 2015, when representatives from political sphere, the scientific community and the agricultural sector are expected to attend.

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