Nazarbayev University has launched a campus project that integrates solar thermal collectors into the central heating system of residential buildings, DKNews.kz reports.
For the first time in Kazakhstan, solar energy is being used not as a stand-alone or pilot solution, but as part of an operating centralized heat supply network.
The system serves 10 duplex residential townhouses and has an installed thermal capacity of about 50 kilowatts. Annual heat generation is estimated at approximately 46 gigacalories, covering about one-third of the buildings’ energy demand. The project reduces natural gas consumption, lower operating costs, and cuts carbon emissions.
From May through October, the collectors fully meet hot water demand, allowing gas boilers to be largely switched off. During the shoulder seasons, the system offsets up to 30% of heating demand, easing peak loads and improving overall energy efficiency.
The project was developed by the design, engineering, and research teams from the Private Institution NURA (LLP NURIS Enterprise) with the support of the German company GIZ. Designed for the climate of northern Kazakhstan, it is already being considered as a scalable model for residential districts, campuses, and social facilities, without requiring major modifications to existing heat networks.
The team is now preparing a grant application to expand the project. University officials say the system’s primary value lies less in technological novelty than in its ability to reduce the campus’s carbon footprint and dependence on natural gas, strengthening the resilience of its thermal energy infrastructure.
