INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Green Technology
Official launch of South
African Renewable Energy
Technology Centre
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T
he South African Renewable Energy
Technology Centre (SARETEC)
based Cape Peninsula University of
Technology (CPUT) has officially launched.
The only centre of its kind in Africa, SARETEC
trains wind turbine service technicians and
solar photovoltaic (PV) technicians and is
also mandated to train technicians in energy
efficiency and biomass and biogas.
The SARETEC team took occupation of the
building in mid-2015 but #FeesMustFall
protests scuppered then Minister of Higher
Education and Training, Blade Nzimande’s
plans to open the building, hence Minister
of Higher Education and Training Naledi
Pandor’s planned visit to Bellville campus to
launch SARETEC.
SARETEC Director Naim Rassool says they
had no option but to commence their
training work at the beginning of 2016
despite no official opening.
“We had to open our doors and start training
because of the demands for skills in the
renewable energy industry,” said Rassool. system on a home rooftop generates about
150 Kilowatts of power, a solar farm generates
about 150 Megawatts of power.
To date, they have indirectly trained 80 wind
turbine technicians and more than 200 solar
PV related trainees. SARETEC-trained solar
PV installers are certified, and their names
are on South African Photovoltaic Industry
Association’s database. They can issue a
PV Green Card on an installation which is
recognised by municipalities as an installation
done by an electrician having the proper
training. The centre currently trains solar PV
mounters and solar PV Installers being Module
1 and Module 2 of the solar PV qualification,
respectively. Module 3 is being developed
to train a solar PV service technician who
can maintain, service and repair the solar
PV systems installed on suburban rooftops.
Module 4 will be to train a solar PV farm
technician who can work on a much higher
voltage of solar generated power. A solar PV The Western Cape Government, through the
Apprentice Skills Game Changer programme,
is helping to develop Modules 3 and 4 and
the material for Module 3 should be ready to
pilot in the second half of 2019.
In terms of renewable energy, the projected
plan is that government wants 11.4
gigawatts of national electricity to be
generated by wind turbines and 8 gigawatts
from solar energy by 2030. Currently it
stands at 2 gigawatts from wind turbines
and 1.7 gigawatts from solar PV power.
“All indications are that SARETEC is going
to be a real strategic asset for the country in
order to ensure that we provide the right skills
for the massive wave of installed renewable
energy that is coming,” said Rassool. n
The South African Renewable Energy
Technology Centre has officially launched
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