Promoting photovoltaic energy in Kenya through training

Abstract

Kenya relies heavily on fossil fuels and yet it is endowed with good climate suitable for solar photovoltaic [PV] applications. The PV market in Kenya has estimated average sales of 20,000-30,000 home systems and 80,000 solar lanterns per year as well as a number of large institutional systems financed by the government.

Once the PV system has been acquired, the installation is very critical and will largely determine the system’s overall performance. For cost effectiveness, efficiency and good operation of the PV system, the installation has to be professionally done. This means that the installation has to be done by a well-trained PV installer. There are approximately 800-1,000 solar PV technicians working in the Kenyan market since the sector was established in the 1980s, but the majority of them are not trained for PV solar installation. Charles Obure (right), one of the trainers, with a group of trainees Charles Obure (right), one of the trainers, with a group of trainees

The number of these technicians is small compared to the demand for installation as observed from the PV system sales. This scenario creates a situation where laymen and semi-skilled people exploit the shortfall of skilled installation professionals and claim to be PV installers. As a result, there are many cases of poor system installation, leading to malfunctions, and even complete breakdowns. The need for training people in PV system installation and maintenance cannot be over emphasized.

The Department of Physics at the University of Nairobi has started a training centre for the education and training of solar PV installers. The training period lasts two weeks for each group. Participants are drawn from diverse backgrounds and areas of practice. Training sessions have attracted participants from Kenya and neighboring countries of Uganda and the South Sudan. In the pioneering year of 2012, a total of about 64 trainees have graduated in two groups.