Tunisia's National Solar Water Heater Promotion Program Achieves Solid Results
Twenty years after its launch, Tunisia's national solar water heater promotion program has shown impressive results. Over 400,000 Tunisian households have benefited from the program between 2005 and December 2025, according to Tarek Barkati, Director of the Solar Water Heater Promotion Program and Grid-Connected Electricity Production at the National Agency for Energy Management (ANME). In a statement to the Tunisian News Agency, he explained that this performance positions the Prosol program as a reference experience in renewable energy in Tunisia.
Key Achievements
- Over 1 million square meters of solar panels installed: The cumulative surface area of solar panels installed in Tunisia exceeds 1 million square meters.
- One in five households uses solar water heaters: Today, one in five Tunisian households covers its hot water needs using solar energy.
Program Mechanism
The program relies on a combination of subsidies and credit. For a 200-liter solar water heater, priced at around 2,100 dinars, the Energy Transition Fund provides a subsidy of 400 dinars, which increases to 700 dinars for models of 300 liters or more. The remaining amount is paid through a loan that can be repaid over a maximum of five years, directly through the electricity bill. This formula reduces the initial burden on households.
Quality Control and Digitalization
- Low complaint rate: The ANME closely monitors installers, suppliers, and equipment, with a post-sales follow-up system in place. With around 12,000 solar water heaters installed each year, complaints do not exceed 150 (and are at least 100), representing a rate of less than 1% of the total volume of panels.
- Digitalization in progress: The program is currently being digitized to optimize the monitoring process and reduce the procedures related to subsidies and controls.
A Signal for Investors
The steady pace of the Prosol program, with around 12,000 installations per year and increasing coverage, creates a stable market for solar water heater manufacturers and installers in Tunisia. The subsidy-credit combination reduces the commercial risk by making household demand more solvent, which can encourage new actors to invest in local solar panel production or installation and maintenance services. The announced digitalization of the program also opens up opportunities for technological solutions dedicated to tracking and managing energy subsidies.
