Hi Grace,

There is a type approval and a register of practitioners on the EPRA website https://www.epra.go.ke/services/renewable-energy-2/energy-audit-firm-register/
______________________
Mwendwa Kivuva, Nairobi, Kenya
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mwendwa-kivuva


On Mon, 30 Nov 2020 at 13:55, Grace Mutung'u <nmutungu@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi Kivuva, Beryl,
I am curious about the rationale for regulation. Have you come across any info on the safety issues (if safety is the issue)? Also, what is the level of penetration of solar in the country?
Why also can't we adopt the type approval way as is done with communications equipment? I am thinking that this would make regulation technology agnostic, such that if the government (EPRA) assures us of the quality of equipment being manufactured/imported, then consumers can seek services of existing electricians.
Otherwise, if we regulate solar 'practitioners', do we also need to regulate biogas and wind and future energy sources 'practitioners'?

GB


On Mon, 30 Nov 2020 at 13:40, Mwendwa Kivuva via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
Great conversations here.

If we were to engage The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), what would be our recommendations? 

We cannot escape regulations on the energy sector. Perhaps a good start would be to put less barriers. For example, if I am qualified as a solar technician, why punish me with exorbitant licenses instead of supporting me to help connect more households and businesses to the grid? The benefits for the government where electricity is inexpensive far outway the stifling measures EPRA is recommending. Such benefits include less funding to the grid by the public, more tax revenue from more industries and businesses established, better educated population (electricity is now an important component for education), ... The spiral effect of affordable energy would touch every sector of our economy

I

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On Mon, 30 Nov 2020 at 09:24, Kelvin Kariuki via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
I cannot overemphasize what Barrack and Keith have stated above. I teach online classes at a public university and I have observed, together with some colleagues, that we get a slightly less than 50% turnout per session with students claiming challenges ranging from:
1. Lack of Device
2. Lack of Electricity
3. Power Loss
4. Lack of Network/Internet Connection

A sustainable digital economy can only be powered with green energy! With striffling green energy, we will continue to struggle to give life to the futuristic "Silicon Savannah"! 

On Mon, Nov 30, 2020 at 6:42 AM Beryl Aidi via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
This is hardly surprising after Kenya Power recently raised alarm over the rising switch to solar energy according to this report.  https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/bd/corporate/companies/kenya-power-raises-alarm-over-clients-solar-switch--3204410 
While the growth of the sector is good given the advantages of solar energy and even the fact that Kenya is right on the Equator so we get a good amount of solar exposure, some regulation is necessary to ensure safety standards. However it is appalling that the proposed measures are stifling and seem geared toward keeping the monopoly of KPLC. It's a shame and really uncalled for, if not absolutely absurd given the inefficiency of KPLC. The government should be encouraging growth in the energy sector rather than stifling it. 

Beryl Aidi

On Sun, Nov 29, 2020 at 10:58 PM Keith Andere via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
Listers,

I do agree with you Barrack that the time is ripe. During Kenya IGF as well as the recently concluded African IGF, Unreliable/Expensive/unconnected Electricity at last mile came out as a consistent enabler for powering digital inclusion and by extension digital transformation.

This therefore, is an opportunity to move forward with speed.

Regards 
Keith.

On Sun, 29 Nov 2020 at 20:22, Barrack Otieno via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
Flipping the coin and looking at the role Solar can play in powering Community Networks, looks like an opportunity is ripe for engaging EPRA, Senate and Parliament. This is a key infrastructure issue that can affect the cost of deploying critical infrastructure @Mwendwa Kivuva 

Regards

On Sun, 29 Nov 2020, 11:43 am John R. Gicharu via kictanet, <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
The chances are that if nobody rigorously campaigns/ lobbies against these regulations, parliament will pass them as gazzetted by EPRA.

Regards, John Gicharu


On Sunday, November 29, 2020, 08:20:45 AM GMT+3, John Kariuki via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:


There is no technical or legal Justification for discriminating one electrical technician from another. The regulations should therefore not be substantially different from the existing ones. I am not aware of any university which trains technicians per se. That requirement is therefore superfluous. Fortunately, regulations these days require approval of Parliament and these ones should be considered "dead on arrival". 

John Kariuki 

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

On Sun, Nov 29, 2020 at 0:14, Alice Munyua via kictanet
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