The project, coordinated by ICLEI Europe, is currently underway in Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa and Tanzania, but the capacity building programme is open to all.
The first course in the programme is now available through the NUA Campus platform. The course covers the production of electricity and energy by solar irradiation, current technological options and key elements to consider when setting-up a solar energy installation.
“The Capacity Building Programme has been designed with insight from technical experts within the SESA project with the objective to fill the knowledge gaps identified with local representatives in the partner countries” said Silvia Assalini, Officer for Sustainable Resources, Climate, and Resilience at ICLEI Europe. “Through the opportunity to explore different technologies at their own pace, test their understanding, and get clarifications by experts, participants will leave with a deeper understanding of how such technologies work, how they can be implemented and, most importantly, how their deployment can benefit their communities.”
In the coming months, subsequent courses will be added to the programme and will include a range of technologies covered within the scope of the SESA project, including clean cooking, waste to energy, electric mobility, second-life electric vehicle batteries, smart micro-grid and system integration, and rural internet access.
The Capacity Building Programme is one of several capacity building activities within the SESA project, including a peer-to-peer exchange between representatives from the project’s living labs and several European cities. As part of an upcoming exchange in May, SESA is organising a study tour for a delegation from the African living labs to ICLEI Europe members Barcelona (Spain), Cascais (Portugal) and Gothenburg (Sweden).
The objective for participants will be to learn more about smart energy solution technologies and their deployment in Europe as well as an exchange with European cities and businesses on creating cooperation with additional stakeholders, including private sector, public sector, academia and local communities. Later on, experts from European cities will be invited to the living labs to further exchange on local implementation and new approaches to common challenges.
