By Ndubuisi Michael Obineme
Douala – Labacorp Energy, a Cameroonian indigenous company, has announced that it will open a new solar academy in Kenya to support the government objectives towards a sustainable source of power in the country’s energy sector by grooming more solar skilled workers.
Labacorp will work with its joint venture partner, Mission Excellence Kenya, to establish the solar academy in the country’s capital city in Nairobi. The project will be completed within the year 2021, with development plans to expand the solar academy across emerging and frontier solar markets in the African continent.
Kenya has one of the most developed power sectors in sub-Saharan Africa, has opened its market to Independent Power Producers (IPPs) in the mid-1990s. Kenya benefits from factors including an active private sector; Kenya Power’s long track record as a creditworthy off-taker; and abundant renewable energy resources, especially geothermal, wind and solar.
Though limited and ageing distribution infrastructure, high technical and commercial losses, opaque procurement processes, right of way disputes, PPA inconsistencies, and other challenges affect sector growth.
Labacorp Energy CEO, Bako Ambianda said that the Solar Academy will offer three main solar training programs namely, Basic Solar Training, Advance Solar Training, and Solar Entrepreneurship Training to further enhance the growth and development of Kenya’s energy sector.
In his words, “We strive to support the objectives for the growth of Kenya’s solar power sector, as our solar training add dramatically to the growing trend of solar energy, create jobs, build entrepreneurs, and boost local economies.
“Solar power is now economically viable across most countries around the world, thanks to several factors, notably falling cost of solar panels, the rising cost of fuels used in conventional power generation, and excellent fit to demand patterns.
“We also have a network of professional licensed solar instructors from the U.S, Canada, U.K., Germany, Turkey, India, and France. The academy will be equipped with interactive training simulation tools for solar installers, trainers, solar employees, and solar entrepreneurs, among others.”
Labacorp Solar Academy (LSA) is a professional solar training institution that provides online and on-site solar training courses and certification. Through our programs, we help create more demand for solar energy, increase solar jobs, train, and mentor solar entrepreneurs, improve workforce productivity and groom more solar skilled workers, technicians, and engineers.