Developing Regional Solar Energy Qualification Frameworks in Africa and the Pacific

The Challenge

The rapid growth of decentralized renewable energy solutions across Africa and the Pacific has created an urgent need for qualified, mobile, and standardized solar energy professionals.
Today, significant barriers still exist:

• Lack of harmonized training standards across countries and regions

• Limited regional recognition of solar certifications and qualifications

• Fragmented approaches to workforce development, slowing the scaling of solar energy access

Without common qualification frameworks, professional mobility is restricted, regional integration is weakened, and the deployment of solar solutions is less efficient.

Recognizing these challenges, UNIDO and the International Solar Alliance (ISA) launched a major initiative, coordinated by the Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE), to create regional qualification frameworks and standardized training programs across:

• The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

• The East African Community (EAC)

• The Pacific Community

The project needed technical partners with deep expertise in solar training, skills certification, and decentralized energy solutions — partners capable of designing frameworks that reflect both global best practices and regional realities.

EnGreen’s Solution

As a key technical partner, EnGreen, together with CREEC, GSES, and 2iE, has delivered a comprehensive, future-proof solution:

• Development of Regional Qualification Frameworks (RQFs)
  EnGreen led the technical design and structuring of qualification frameworks for solar energy practitioners, ensuring alignment with existing national qualification systems and international standards. These frameworks facilitate mutual recognition of solar skills across countries and regions.

• Design of Standardized Solar Training Curricula
  Based on detailed job task analyses — including the design of advanced off-grid (mini-grid) solar PV systems — EnGreen developed modular, competency-based curricula tailored to the needs of local markets and employers.

• Focus on Practical, Market-Driven Skills
  The curricula integrate technical, economic, and safety standards, ensuring that trainees are equipped with real-world skills — from system design and site assessment to installation, maintenance, and hybrid system optimization.

• Regional and Stakeholder Engagement
  Through workshops, consultations, and validation processes, EnGreen ensured that regional institutions, vocational training centers, and private sector actors were actively involved in shaping the frameworks — fostering ownership, adaptability, and relevance.

• Laying the Foundation for Professional Mobility
  By establishing harmonized solar qualifications, EnGreen is helping create an environment where solar technicians, designers, and engineers can work across borders, supporting deeper regional integration and scaling up access to clean energy.

Our Impact

Thanks to this initiative, EnGreen is contributing to building a skilled, mobile, and recognized solar workforce across West Africa, East Africa, and the Pacific.
By strengthening technical education and standardizing qualifications, we are accelerating the professionalization of the sector, boosting investment confidence, and making clean energy more accessible to millions.
This project sets a milestone for regional collaboration in driving the energy transition and economic development across some of the world’s fastest-growing renewable energy markets.