The Renewable Energy Industry Association of Namibia (REIAoN) held its annual general meeting on the of 10 July, at which it outlined its key focus areas for the coming year.
Chairperson Jean Basson told the meeting that REIAoN had resolved to narrow its focus to pertinent issues affecting its members. He said focus would be placed on strategic alignments that members can benefit from directly, and on key items such as the clarification of Net Metering Regulations, along with the development of a PV Greencard for the local solar industry.
REIAoN has established contact with the Green Solar Academy, the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA), and the German Solar Association (BSW) to seek assistance in implementing the PV Greencard. The aim is to include installers and suppliers in the Greencard certification. The PV Greencard will help promote high standards in the Namibian solar photovoltaic industry through vetting installation companies, training installers and ensuring adherence to standards and best practices, among others.
Basson said REIAoN would implement the PV Greencard for Namibia in stages as follows;
- Set up a guideline applicable to Namibia;
- Setup first local training workshops
- Engage the Regional Electricity Distributors (REDs), Municipalities, Banks etc, to adopt the PV Greencard;
- Train local facilitators and suppliers; and
- Work on creating a database of installers and suppliers.
The plan was to roll out the first part of the initiative early in 2026. With the initiative requiring significant input to ensure successful implementation, REIAoN is seeking financial assistance from financial institutions and other donors to make the PV Greencard a reality for Namibia.
REIAoN also reported back on some of their key engagements over the last year. Which included engaging international renewable energy agencies as well as being recently admitted as a member of the Global Solar Council (GSC). The GSC is a uniquely positioned association, uniting the global solar industry across the value chain in mature and emerging markets globally. GSC supports the industry to advocate for policies and regulations at global and national level to ensure the rapid and long-term growth of the solar PV industry. It also brings together policymakers, industry, international institutions, and investors to provide them with best practices and build capacity to open doors to new markets and business opportunities. GSC leverages its expertise to develop and promote global standards and solutions for solar PV to shape a competitive, high-quality, and sustainable industry.
The association had engagements with the Danish Energy Agency, the Estonian Cleantech Association and Evolen, the French trade association serving energy industry companies and professionals.
Basson also outlined the need to revisit the Net Metering rules with the Electricity Control Board (ECB) as there was currently confusion on the requirements by individual distributors and municipalities. REIAoN will also seek clarification on the City of Windhoek regulation that all rooftop systems must be registered (whether feeding into the grid or not).
REIAoN would like to see more Namibian companies being contracted to develop, design, build and maintain local renewable projects. Basson said the association wants to see more Namibian participation in the new renewable energy generation plants being built in the country, and that tenders should reflect this requirement. “These projects should be prioritized for Namibians and the restrictive requirements (capital and technical), that make it difficult for local companies to compete for these projects, should be reduced or removed,” said Basson.
