RENAC – Capacity building on PV-diesel-hybrid mini-grids (Kenya)

This case study describes a 2013 capacity-building initiative led by the Renewables Academy AG (RENAC) in Kenya to train state utilities on the design and implementation of PV-diesel-hybrid mini-grids to reduce reliance on expensive and polluting diesel generators in rural areas.

• In 2013, rural electrification in Kenya was only 5%, with electricity often provided by diesel generator mini-grids that faced risks including high fuel prices, limited spare parts, and environmental threats such as carbon emissions and noise pollution.
• To scale up electrification and reduce diesel costs, RENAC conducted a 3-day training session in Nairobi in November 2013 for Kenya Power and the Rural Electrification Authority (REA). The training focused on designing tenders for solar PV integration into diesel mini-grids and covered topics such as energy audits, system engineering, load profile recording, and operation and maintenance.
• The training was supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH under the Project Development Program (PDP) Sub-Saharan Africa and the Renewable Energies Export Initiative (EEE) of the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology. Participants included representatives from Kenya Power, REA, the Department of Energy, UNIDO, GIZ, and Strathmore Business School.

APA

Alliance for Renewable Electrification (2016). RENAC – Capacity building on PV-diesel-hybrid mini-grids (Kenya). https://renewelec.org/case-study/renac-capacity-building-pv-diesel-hybrid-mini-grids-kenya/

Chicago

Alliance for Renewable Electrification. RENAC – Capacity building on PV-diesel-hybrid mini-grids (Kenya). 2016. https://renewelec.org/case-study/renac-capacity-building-pv-diesel-hybrid-mini-grids-kenya/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Alliance for Renewable Electrification |title=RENAC – Capacity building on PV-diesel-hybrid mini-grids (Kenya) |date=17 October 2016 |url=https://renewelec.org/case-study/renac-capacity-building-pv-diesel-hybrid-mini-grids-kenya/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{allianceforrenewableelectrification2016renac, author = {{Alliance for Renewable Electrification}}, title = {{RENAC – Capacity building on PV-diesel-hybrid mini-grids (Kenya)}}, institution = {Alliance for Renewable Electrification}, year = {2016}, month = oct, url = {https://renewelec.org/case-study/renac-capacity-building-pv-diesel-hybrid-mini-grids-kenya/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }