Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) has received electrical testing laboratory equipment that conducts tests on solar Photovoltaic (PV) equipment.
The donation was received from the Department for International Development (DFID) through the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF).
This is part of the activities where UNCDF contracted CREEC in partnership with Energy Without Borders to implement a Consumer Protection and Awareness campaign on behalf of the Uganda Solar Energy Association [USEA] for off-grid solar in support of the priority actions outlined in the Energy Africa Compact with support from the Department for International Development (DFID).
As part of the program, several activities have been carried out namely; developing a quality assurance framework for the solar sector, awareness campaigns and solar technician trainings conducted both in West Nile and the Eastern region and a capacity building training for both UNBS and URA market surveillance team.
The two laboratory testing equipment- the Cadex C8000 battery testing system and the Seaward PV200 solar panel tester were received by the Acting Executive Director Ms. Patricia Ejalu.
While handing over the equipment, the UNCDF representative noted that local development is about improving quality of life at the grassroots level.
“Increasing the capacity and fiscal space of authorities such as UNBS can empower secondary cities, towns, and rural areas to contribute in important ways to national social and economic development goals. This calls for an approach that mobilizes public and private resources, especially at the domestic level, for investment in resilient local economies and societies,” he said.
Speaking at the handover ceremony held at UNBS headquarters, Ms Ejalu thanked UNCDF, CREEC and DFID for the much needed support saying it goes a long way in ensuring that the solar equipment market is able to rely on UNBS test methods to ensure safe and long lasting products.
“As the standards body charged with the mandate of ensuring that products on the market are safe, we are continually trying to deliver on our mission with limited budgets. As a result, essential equipment for testing is often too costly and inaccessible and yet the industry is growing. We are grateful to our partners and donors for this generous donation to help in this regard,” she said.
This equipment will go a long way in building the capacity of UNBS and increase the quality of solar panels and batteries on the Ugandan market.
The handover was officiated by top officials from DFID Uganda, UNCDF, USEA, and CREEC.
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