ROGEAP is raising awareness and providing training to national experts in Cotonou on regional standards for off-grid solar photovoltaic systems

From 19 to 21 March 2024, national experts will take part in a capacity-building session on the two regional standards for off-grid solar products with a power rating of 350 Wp or less and their laboratory testing procedures. The workshop, which is taking place in Cotonou, is an initiative of the ECOWAS as part of the ‘ROGEAP’ project, aimed at providing national experts with a better understanding of the two regional standards for off-grid solar products with a power rating of 350 Wp or less, and how they are tested in the laboratory.
Organised by the ECOWAS through the Regional Off-Grid Electricity Access Project (ROGEAP), the workshop specifically aims to explore the quality assurance framework for off-grid solar products, understand the definitions relating to international quality standards and their testing methods for off-grid solar systems, and to understand how to carry out conformity assessment, market surveillance and the application of standards through the presentation of international best practices and case studies. Finally, this session will provide an opportunity to establish a clear strategy and roadmap to facilitate the national implementation of the quality and assurance framework for off-grid solar products. Opening the proceedings, the Deputy Director of the Office of the Minister for Trade, Emilie TIBOUTE SAMA, welcomed the holding of the conference in Cotonou. According to her, this awareness-raising and training seminar on regional standards aims to bring about a change in attitudes and practices in the field of off-grid solar products. “The ‘ROGEAP’ project is a great opportunity for the country’s various stakeholders to equip themselves with essential tools for managing the quality of off-grid solar photovoltaic products,” she said. Representing the Secretary of State for Energy at the meeting, Todéma Assan, Director-General of Energy Planning and Regulation, spoke along the same lines, highlighting the two standards in question. These include ECOSTAND IEC TS62257-9-8:2020 on renewable energy and hybrid systems for rural electrification, and ECOSTAND IEC TS62257-9-5:2018 on recommendations for renewable energy and hybrid systems for rural electrification. He then expressed his conviction that this seminar would be used as an opportunity to apply these standards for the well-being of the population. For his part, Mr Amadou DIONGUE, Resident Representative of the ECOWAS and Ambassador to Benin, thanked the Government of the Republic of Benin, and in particular the Secretary of State for Energy and the Director-General of the ANM, for agreeing to sponsor this first national seminar to raise awareness and build the capacity of all national stakeholders regarding the two regional standards on off-grid solar products with a power rating of 350Wp or less and their laboratory testing methods, as part of the implementation of the Regional Off-Grid Electricity Access Project (ROGEAP). He then outlined the objectives of the Regional Off-Grid Electricity Access Project, which is being implemented by the ECOWAS Commission under Component 1 (Development of a regional off-grid solar photovoltaic market) and by the West African Development Bank (BOAD) under Component 2 (Access to Finance). The project is funded by the World Bank, the Clean Technology Fund (CTF) and the Dutch Government’s Directorate-General for International Cooperation (DGIS), to the tune of US$338.7 million. Finally, this session will provide an opportunity to establish a clear strategy and roadmap to facilitate the national implementation of the quality and assurance framework for off-grid solar products.