Solar is now a licensed trade. Here is what that means

Solar power is no longer a niche in Kenya. It is on homes, schools, clinics, farms and factories across the country. As the market has grown, so has regulation. The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority, EPRA, now licenses solar PV technicians and contractors in defined classes.

For customers, licensing is about safety and quality. For technicians, it is something more. It turns proven competence into a legal requirement for doing the work. The installer with the right training and licence is the one who gets hired.

• Licensing separates trained technicians from informal installers

• Employers and clients increasingly ask for licensed staff

• Larger commercial projects require licensed contractors

• A licence is a portable, recognised proof of skill

IDEA's Electrical and Solar PV course is built with this in mind. Learners master electrical installation and the full solar workflow, from system sizing to commissioning, and they do it on real installations with our host employers.

"In a licensed trade, the best-trained technician is not just more employable. They are the only one who can legally do the job."

Graduates leave with a national diploma, a record of supervised installations and the preparation they need to pursue EPRA licensing. For people already working in the sector, our 12-week solar PV certificate offers a faster route.

Solar will keep growing. The question for every young technician is simple. Will you be one of the people qualified to build it?