East African Regional Training Course on Mini-Grids: Rural Community Needs & Demand Assessment and Basic Components of Decentralized Energy Systems - Nairobi

East African Regional Training Course on Mini-Grids: Rural Community Needs & Demand Assessment and Basic components of Decentralized Energy Systems

The East African Centre of Excellence for Renewable Energy and Efficiency (EACREEE) in collaboration with Renewable Energy Solution for Africa (RES4AFRICA), AVSI Foundation, Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC), Strathmore University, St. Kizito Vocational Training Institute and supported by Enel Foundation is organizing ‘East African Regional Training Course on Mini-Grids: East African Regional Training Course on Mini-Grids: Rural Community Needs & Demand Assessment and Basic components of Decentralized Energy Systems’ scheduled to take place in Nairobi, Kenya 20-24 January 2020.

Purpose:

The Micro-Grid Academy (MGA) was launched in January 2018 and reached, in its pilot year of training activities, more than 200 people coming from all the East-African countries and beyond.

The specific objective of the MGA is to conduct capacity building activities upon energy access and decentralized renewable energy solutions directed towards East-African young technicians, managers and engineers, supported by a real 20-40 kW mini-grid system installed on-site. This will contribute to enhancement of access to energy in rural communities and foster local enterprise and job creation.

 Course Content

This session will focus on Rural Community Needs & Demand Assessment and Basic components of Decentralized Energy Systems. The programme will be based on a new curriculum developed in collaboration with Strathmore University and will provide a general overview of the whole mini-grids’ value chain for rural electrification, hands-on learning in labs about renewable energy technology. It will include a site visit to a community mini-grid at Talek.

The topics to be covered include:

• Micro-grids Rural Community needs and Demand Assessment

• Basic components of Decentralized Energy Systems (Energy Engineering)

• Renewable and non-renewable sources, Mini-grid design and development

• Safety in O&M of small-scale renewable energy systems

• Operation and maintenance of micro-grids

• Micro-grids Engineering, Procurement and construction

• Economics on mini-grid, business models and micro project financing, policy and regulatory framework 

Participants Qualification and Preparation 

• The course is open to a maximum of 50 participants from the EAC Partner States.

• The participants should be technicians, operators or entrepreneurs dealing with micro-grid applications.

• Applicants must be able to speak and read English.

• Applicants from all countries can apply to participate to the MGA. However, applicants from East African Community (EAC) will be given priority.

• Applicants up to 30 years old and women (of any age) will be given priority.

  Application Process:

  Applicants should complete the online application form and ALSO send their CV using this  Nomination Form by e-mail to info@microgridacademy.org and copy info@eacreee.org by 29^th December 2019 . The applications must be endorsed by the employer. Nominations received after deadline will not be considered.

  Financial Arrangements:

  There will be no tuition fees charged. However, the costs of travel and accommodation during the training course will be covered by each participant or their employers. The organizers will provide course materials, modest lunch and coffee breaks during the course.

  It will be the responsibility of each participant to make his/her own reservation and arrangements for commuting between the hotel and the venue. The participants should get in touch with the local organizer, Carol Mwendwa (mwendwacarol.avsi@gmail.com), for assistance in booking the accommodation.

  Liabilities of Damages

  The organizers of the course do not accept liability for the payment of any cost or compensation that may arise from damage to or loss of personal property, or from illness, injury, disability or death of a participant while he/she is traveling to and from the course, and it is clearly understood that each participants (or sponsor), undertakes responsibility for such coverage. The participants would be well advised to take out insurance against these risks.

  Download from here full Concept Note and Agenda

  Contact Persons:

  Local Organizer (Contact Person) is:

  Carol Mwendwa

  AVSI Foundation

  E-mail: mwendwacarol.avsi@gmail.com

  Tel: +254 721 851 957

   

  Alternative contact person is:

  Prof. Andrea Micangeli

  RES4Africa

  E-mail: andrea.micangeli@uniroma1.it

  Tel: +39 338 815 3787

  Mr. Michael Kiza

  EACREEE

  m.kiza@eacreee.org

  Tel: +256752738990