Stakeholders' Workshop on 'Dissemination of Solar Energy Technologies in Kenya for Rural Electrification: Challenges and Opportunities'
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), in collaboration with the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS), Kenya, jointly organized a workshop on 11 June, 2014 at Desmond Tutu Conference Centre in Nairobi, Kenya. The workshop was organized for stakeholders, partners and practitioners to share their views as well as experience on challenges and opportunities in the dissemination of solar energy technologies for rural electrification in Kenya.
The main objective of the workshop was to identify opportunities and challenges affecting diffusion and wider adoption of solar energy technologies for decentralized application and rural electrification in Kenya and explore potential measures for scaling up the dissemination to enhance electricity access. Other specific objectives were: to identify existing gaps in the solar energy arena for rural electrification, to deliberate on the potential of solar energy to address energy poverty in Kenya, and finally to analyse and evaluate government's plan on solar power and strive towards adoption of low carbon technologies.
Dr Ben Muok, Director of Programmes, ACTS, chaired the inaugural session and in his opening remarks envisaged that DFID India is supporting the research activities pertaining to the improved clean technologies as well as their private sector-led business models. He also mentioned that these innovative research activities were found to be very effective in increasing community awareness, generating demand, in enabling provisions for development of appropriate products and services and thereby in promotion of solar lighting solutions on a much wider scale. Dr Cosmas Ochieng, Executive Director of ACTS, in his inaugural address said that sustainable energy is a fundamental challenge in Sub-Saharan Africa. He stated that we are never going to run out of sunshine; but the challenge lies in making solar power affordable and accessible to the poor people.
Mr Debajit Palit, Associate Director, TERI, gave a brief background of TERI and shared the different programmes TERI is implementing, especially in Africa. In his address, he deliberated on how the TERI-ACTS initiative, supported by DFID India, is attempting to create easy access to finance, technology and services through demonstration of techno-social viability of the decentralised solar energy applications and improved biomass cookstoves through innovative business models and financing options. In addition to the demonstration projects, the project is also supporting capacity development of stakeholders through training programmes, workshops and exchange visits for cross learning.
The session concluded with a presentation by Er. Sam Kasanga, Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, Government of Kenya. He talked about the Government's strategy towards solar energy harnessing and adoption in Kenya, both through grid connected and off-grid options.
The pre-lunch session was chaired by Mr Wycliffe Amakobe. Er. Henry Gichungi from Kenya Power focused on Solar Diesel Hybrid Mini-grids in Kenya-A case study by Kenya Power. Er. Gichungi shared how the solar diesel hybrid systems are helping Kenya Power to reduce their fuel cost. Currently they have implemented around 6 such solar-diesel hybrid systems and plan to convert atleast 50 additional diesel based generator to hybrid systems within the next few years. Thereafter, Dr. Nicholas Ozor from African Technology and Policy Studies Networks spoke on the marketing perspective for solar home systems in Kenya. Mr Willis Makokha from Kenya Industrial Research Development Institute thereafter deliberated on the importance of developing innovations towards region-specific technologies for solar lighting and cookstove solutions in Kenya.
The post lunch session started off by Eng. Lukorito Zachary from Kenya Bureau of Standards highlighting the various standards and benchmarks to ensure quality of the cookstove and lighting solutions. Thereafter, Mr Michael Ojudi from Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis discussed the various Acts and policies in the solar energy sector in Kenya and suggested concrete recommendations that are required in the policy space in the sector. Ms Faustine Odaba made a final presentation on the barriers and opportunities in the solar energy sector for rural electrification in Kenya. The workshop was concluded with an open discussion on the way forward to overcome the barriers and capitalize on opportunities.