Nexgen Energy has organized a solar energy installation training for members of the Nigerian Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineers (NIEEE), Ibadan Chapter. The training, which had 25 participants including three women, was held recently at the Nexgen Energy Hub located in Bodija, Ibadan.
Some of the participants were serving engineers with notable institutions like the Ibadan Energy Distribution Company (IBEDC), Oyo State Rural Electrification Agency, Oyo State Road Maintenance Agency, University of Ibadan and Oyo State Water Works.
The workshop took the participants through the practical essentials of mini-grid development for a solar energy system as it relates to site development, technical design and project operations.
The Managing Director of Nexgen Energy, Engr Uka Ibe, explained that the company in conjunction with NIEEE organized the event for practitioners in the electronic and electrical engineering field to prepare them for the fast-expanding market of solar energy systems installation for residential and commercial purposes.
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“More and more people are realizing that solar energy is the way out of the electricity crisis in the country and they are buying solar energy systems and needing installers,” he noted. “At Nexgen Energy, we don’t just sell solar energy systems; we organize trainings as part of our contribution to the development of the sector. The participants at the training today were not only practising professionals. We also had some youth corps members, students, job seekers and even retirees.”
Engr Sodiq Rasheed, a metering engineer with IBEDC expressed thanks to Nexgen Energy and NIEEE for organizing the training, saying “every second spent in the class was meaningful and inspiring.”
Speaking at the end of the workshop, the Ibadan chapter Chairman of NIEEE, Engr. Olayiwola Oyelade, described the training as highly informative. “The training was fantastic and highly informative,” he said. It explained things that I used to be confused about in my own solar energy set up at home.”
Oyelade encouraged Nigerians to switch to solar energy to deal with the problem of erratic public electricity supply and the high cost of fueling generators.
His words: “What many people don’t realize is that it is much cheaper to use solar. Before I switched to solar, I was spending at least N20,000 every other day to fuel two generators, a 28KVA on diesel and a 6 KVA on petrol. But now, that cost has gone down drastically, and I have light 24 hours. Occasionally when the sun is down, I just charge with fuel of about N2000.
The Nexgen Energy Hub where the training held is an ultra-modern facility where the company’s end-users and network of over 150 distributors access robust after-sales services. It also houses a digitized showroom of some of the best and most efficient renewable energy solutions.
