Renewable Energy Technology Training Institute (RETTI), a foremost renewable energy organisation has launched a digital platform to support enthusiasts in the solar industry.
Glory Oguegbu, founder and CEO said that the digital platform was borne out of the necessity to provide adequate information on the solar sector.
“Following the challenges which the pandemic has brought to diverse sectors across the world, it has become important for the company to employ virtual means of propelling their intention of creating further enlightenment for prospects regarding the solar sector,” Oguegbu said.
“We have created a platform where people can learn at their own pace with instructors online. The world is going virtual which is aided by the Covid 19 pandemic. Education has followed suit and our courses are clear video lessons designed and recorded to aid the participants’ understanding,” she said.
“To help our solution reach a larger number of Nigerians, we decided to digitalise solar education by creating the RETTI Virtual University, an online university for solar courses (https://courses.retti.com.ng/) which has provided access to target courses for different niches in the solar industry,” she added.
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While stating the achievements and challenges of the training institute, especially in the area of online classes, she explained that the sector requires publicity due to the inadequate awareness accorded to its benefit.
This factor has enabled RETTI to create a network of alumni who are performing effectively across the country.
“Running the physical aspect of this training presents its challenges. Moving online also has its challenges but the training has been designed in a way that it is very simplified and easy to understand,” she said.
“Up to 80 percent of the solar value chain courses, especially the design and installation courses are theory-based for which we had no problem recording and creating the course,” she added.
She says the installation part of the course was one the institute is careful about because students prefer hands-on experiences.
She noted that RETTI has added the installation component as a clear video with step-by-step instruction and is now arranging for participants to participate in installations hands-on in a workshop nearest to them.
“Renewable energy and solar education is only now getting mainstream and so still requires a lot of communication, marketing, and role-play to enable people to understand it properly and why they need the skill,” she said.
“Through our Growth Support Plan (GSP) initiative, we continually up-skill graduates with our courses as they strive to become solar professionals,” she further said.
She stated that the GSP initiative helps students of the training institute overcome challenges in the solar industry.
She noted that the organisation’s trained alumni have already installed 250,000 watts (250KW) of solar power across 1213 homes and businesses.
