ASU, IRENA to work on PV technician certification scheme for West Africa

Mar 12, 2014 - The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and Arizona State University (ASU) on Monday agreed to jointly formulate certification standards for solar system technicians in West Africa.

The partners aim to create “harmonised certification programs” for technicians working on both off-grid and on-grid photovoltaic (PV) systems in the region. IRENA and ASU believe that having in place a certification scheme for the different levels of technicians will boost consumer confidence in renewable energy technologies.

The two organisations plan to hold one- or two-day workshops in certain countries in West Africa to meet with key stakeholders such as certifying agencies, national and regional training institutions, government agencies, utility firms and regulatory authorities. The plan also envisages the establishment of national and regional technical committees to direct and oversee the development of technical competency standards for solar certification training courses.

“West Africa needs more skilled technicians to accelerate the deployment of solar PV, and it is part of IRENA’s mission to support this through knowledge sharing, provision of expertise and international cooperation,” said Gauri Singh, head of IRENA’s country support and partnerships arm.

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