The Burkinabé government, through the Faso Véneem Agency and the Burkinabé Agency for Standardization, Metrology and Quality (ABNORM), recently organized a workshop in Bobo-Dioulasso to sensitize the private sector to new national standards for solar mini-grids. The workshop, part of the National Project "Africa Minigrids Program" (PN-AMP), aims to strengthen knowledge and ownership of applicable standards to guarantee the quality, safety and reliability of solar equipment.
The workshop brought together various stakeholders interested in the development of solar energy solutions, including professionals from the energy sector. Its objective is to contribute to the structuring of a credible and sustainable market for solar equipment in Burkina Faso. Participants were given the opportunity to learn about technical and regulatory requirements to facilitate their integration into their activities.
Drissa Coulibaly, Regional Director of Mines and Quarries of Guiriko, attended the workshop and invited participants to make the most of the training. He emphasized that standardization should not be seen as an additional administrative constraint, but rather as a tool for quality, safety, consumer protection and market structuring. Coulibaly stressed that the quality of a mini-grid does not depend on a single stakeholder, but is built throughout the value chain.
The organizers of the workshop highlighted the importance of knowledge and respect for these standards to guarantee the quality, safety and reliability of solar equipment used on the national market. Mahamed Saraba, representative of ABNORM, specified that the workshop is part of the development of 11 new national standards for solar mini-grids. The standards are intended to be used by private actors in the sector.
The development of renewable energies, particularly solar energy, requires equipment that meets quality and safety requirements. The dissemination of national standards appears to be a means of strengthening the capacities of the various actors in the chain. The workshop in Bobo-Dioulasso provided an opportunity for participants to exchange with specialists on the standards applicable to the various components of solar mini-grids.
Roger Ouédraogo, coordinator of the PN-AMP, invited participants to take ownership of these standards to improve consumer confidence and the profitability of their electrical works. Seydou Konaté, manager of Faso Dambé Plein d'Énergie et Services, thanked the organizers for setting up the workshop, which will allow his company to work with greater assurance in the implementation of future projects.
The organizers of the workshop hope that it will lead to a change in mentality through better use of standards, which will ensure the quality of components and the durability of photovoltaic mini-grids. The workshop is part of a series of activities aimed at promoting the use of national standards in the solar energy sector in Burkina Faso.
Key points
- The Burkinabé government is promoting the use of national standards for solar mini-grids to guarantee the quality, safety and reliability of solar equipment.
- The workshop in Bobo-Dioulasso aimed to educate the private sector on new national standards for solar mini-grids.
- The development of renewable energies in Burkina Faso requires equipment that meets quality and safety requirements.
