13 March 2023, Brussels, Belgium - Today, SESA - Smart Energy Solutions for Africa launched a capacity building programme that aims to close the knowledge gap on renewable and smart energy solution technologies. 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. 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,” shares Silvia Assalini, Officer for Sustainable Resources, Climate, and Resilience at ICLEI Europe.

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 microgrid 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.

To learn more about the SESA Project, click here. To register for SESA’s Capacity Building Programme, click here.

About SESA

SESA - Smart Energy Solutions for Africa is a collaborative project between the European Union and nine African countries (Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, Malawi, Morocco, Namibia, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Nigeria) that aims at providing energy access technologies and business models that are easily replicable and generate local opportunities for economic development and social cohesion in Africa. 

Through several local living labs, the project will facilitate the co-development of scalable and replicable energy access innovations, to be tested, validated, and later replicated throughout the African continent. These solutions will include decentralised renewables (solar photovoltaics), innovative energy storage systems including the use of second-life electric vehicle batteries, smart microgrids, waste-to-energy systems (biomass to biogas), climate-proofing, resilience and adaptation, and rural internet access.

About ICLEI Europe

ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability is a global network of more than 2,500 local and regional governments committed to sustainable urban development. Active in 125 countries, we influence sustainability policy and drive local action for low emission, nature-based, equitable, resilient and circular development. ICLEI Europe provides members in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and West Asia with a voice on European and international stages, a platform to connect with peers, and tools to drive positive environmental, economic and social change. ICLEI Europe works closely with an extended network of local and regional governments and partners on a broad range of topics.

Press Contact

Valeria Eirin

Senior Officer, Communications and Member Relations

ICLEI European Secretariat

valeria.eirin@iclei.org