Newly trained NEA staff deliver solar hybrid mini-grid training in the Philippines

CORE and the National Electrification Administration of the Philippines (NEA) recently completed a successful training programme for electric cooperatives across the Philippines, focusing on solar hybrid mini-grid system design. The training emphasised renewable energy optimisation, evaluating feasibility studies, and developing solar hybrid mini-grid project proposals.

The training was conducted in two phases:

• First Phase (19-21 March 2024): 13 key NEA personnel from the Total Electrification and Renewable Energy Development Division, in coordination with the NEA Electric Cooperative Training Institute (NETI), were trained in evaluating feasibility studies and developing solar hybrid mini-grid project proposals.
• Second Phase (30 July – 1 August 2024): The NEA participants from the first phase, with assistance and supervision from CORE experts, conducted a training for 18 Electric Cooperatives with plans to electrify off-grid areas with hybrid mini-grids.

The training was conducted in collaboration with Feasible Energy Consultancy  and EnGreen. Participants rated the training highly, particularly praising the trainers’ skills and communication methods. This positive feedback reflects the programme’s quality and the trainers’ effectiveness in delivering complex information.

The programme revealed that developing solar hybrid mini-grid projects requires more time than the three-day training sessions allowed. It also necessitates dedicated personnel and the institutionalisation of the training process within NEA and the Electric Cooperatives.

As proposed by NETI, a mini-grid development programme for Electric Cooperatives will be implemented, with the curriculum fine-tuned to the Philippines’ local conditions and incorporating lessons learned from best practices in other countries.

The collaboration between CORE and NEA demonstrates a forward-looking approach to capacity building, combining expertise and local knowledge to foster a more electrified, efficient, and sustainable future.