UNBS to debut new standards for solar products

Anybody marketing solar products will be required to be truthful when advertising.

This is one of the requirements set in the new standards for solar products that are currently in the final stages of development by the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS).

"All advertised features must be clear, true, and accurate. All numerical aspects shall not deviate by more than 15% from advertised values like light output, run time, photovoltaic power, charging time, and others," a UNBS statement reads.

Standalone solar systems are one of the approaches through which people can access clean energy.

Currently, national electricity access is estimated to be at 52% and about 28% of the population is accessing clean energy through off-grid solutions, most of which are solar, according to Benon Bena, the manager off-grid and renewable energy development at Rural Electrification Agency (REA).

Uganda's standalone solar sales are estimated to be between 800,000 and one million systems annually consuming between 20-26 megawatts of energy.

Despite increasingly deeper penetration majorly across rural communities, the country has witnessed more poor-quality solar products flooding the market.

Kiremu Magambo, a Kenyan-based solar consultant, quoting a joint study by UNBS, Konserve, Power Africa, and the Uganda Solar Energy Association (USEA), said about 70% of the solar products marketed in Uganda would not meet any good quality standards.

These include those standards by the International Electrotechnical Commission or Lighting Global Standards.

"The market, therefore, needs quality assurance frameworks for consumer protection, business development and to support sustainable national electrification goals," Magambo said.

The standards currently under review by the public cover play and play products in the solar home system and pico solar products categories.

A public review session is part of the final stages of developing a standard. After the review, the draft standard is open to the public for comments until the end of this month, after which it will be submitted to the National Standards Council for approval.

"They are expected to pave way for inspection of solar products imported and toughen market surveillance in a bid to get rid the market of products that don't meet the standards," says Patricia Ejalu, UNBS deputy executive director in charge of standards.

The draft standard shall also require any solar product covered to ‘carry recognised and valid consumer safety certification and batteries shall not contain hazardous substances like mercury or cadmium'.

"We also want to engage those who are able to consider making those products locally in the wake of effects of COVID-19," Ejalu said.