CREEC SHARES KNOWLEDGE ON ENERGY AND ENERGY CONSERVATION WITH WWF.
Invited guests pose for a photo in front of the CREEC solar Kiosk at Lulagwe
Starting 5th-6th September 2017, CREEC together with WWF embarked on a journey on knowledge sharing in energy and energy conservation. This was in a three day training that was hosted by CREEC for invited guests from countries like Tanzania, Kenya and Zambia who had a keen interest in the activities carried out at the centre and also to pick lessons in the areas of Applied Research that they could take back home and implement in their own renewable energy initiatives back home.
This started off with started off with a meeting at the CREEC offices where the guests were treated to different presentations on the past and ongoing projects and initiatives that have been carried out by the centre and her partners. These included presentations on testing both improved cook stoves and solar PV products, training and also projects under different technologies like solar, hydro power, gasification and biogas. This was followed by an exclusive visit to CREEC’S state of the art testing laboratories which have recently been recognized under the UNBS laboratory quality management system in accordance with ISO IEC 17025:2005. Guests had the opportunity to be taken through the procedure taken right from when a product has been delivered for testing to how recommendations are made to help manufacturers make improvements to there products.
On 6th September 2017, CREEC shared more knowledge with the WWF in a field trip to Lulagwe were they visited one of the solar kiosks set up by CREEC. The solar kiosks are shops set up by CREEC in off-grid areas to provide solar energy as alternative source of energy for these communities which usually use tadoobas for lighting. The communities are given an alternative where instead of buying kerosene for their lamps they can use the same money to borrow a fully charged solar lamp for a night for a price of 500shs. These kiosks also offer phone charging, computer services and many more operated using Solar Energy. The kiosks are not only field laboratories for CREEC but they are also a way of helping communities to appreciate the solar technology first hand which eventually results into people purchasing solar systems for their homes because of the confidence gained from using the technology.
Guests from Kenya, Tanzania and Zimbabwe at Sekanyonyi
Later that day, a trip was made to Sekanyonyi, one of the villages that have achieved a lot from solar energy and Biomass gasification which provide energy for productive use in this village. The Chief Executive Officer of Pamoja, Mr Nicolas Fouassier, explained to the guests how the Pamoja project in Sekanyonyi has helped to provide affordable and clean energy for the community. It should be noted that Pamoja ensures electricity generation with production of briquettes and Pellets. By the end of the two days visit, the guests had ample knowledge on renewable energy and energy conservation initiatives with exposure to the practical work that is invested to make the projects sustainable for rural communities.