Imbeke Vocational Training Centre

The Imbeke Development Training Centre has sought the engineering expertise of EWB-NL to provide reliable and affordable power solutions for their facility. The Centre is dedicated to supporting small, sustainable socio-economic initiatives that are inclusive of all families, regardless of social status or gender. The Imbeke Training Centre previously relied on a small solar power system, however, this system has failed due to battery damage, affecting its ability to power existing equipment. As a result, the center is currently dependent on electricity from the grid, which is both costly and unreliable. The Centre has requested EWB-NL’s assistance in both repairing the current system and expanding the solar infrastructure to supply power to additional equipment in other buildings.

Challenge

Imbeke Vocational Training Centre has faced challenges with powering the center. While the most immediate option is electricity from the grid, this solution is both expensive and unreliable, experiencing frequent disruptions about two days per week on average. Their secondary backup, an aging and expensive diesel generator, is also unreliable. Consequently, the center becomes often unusable, hindering its functionality and efficiency. In an effort to address this issue, the center previously installed a small solar power system. However, this system has since failed due to battery damage and, even when operational, was insufficient to meet the center’s full energy needs. To resolve these challenges, Imbeke has requested EWB-NL’s assistance in both repairing and expanding the solar system to provide sustainable power for its facilities. This inconsistency severely impacts the center’s operations.

Imbeke Vocational Training Centre - Kenya

Goals

Providing a solar power system for the Imbeke Vocational Training Centre will significantly enhance its ability to fulfill its core mission and provide full operation in the following areas:

Economic Empowerment: The center equips vulnerable girls with vocational skills, enabling them to become self-reliant by securing employment or starting small businesses.
Education: Imbeke supports students in local secondary schools by assisting with school fees.
Food security: In collaboration with local organizations, Imbeke offers farmer training programs that enhance agricultural productivity.
Shelter: Imbeke provides housing support for vulnerable community members.
Health: The center conducts training for Community Health Volunteers and health education programs.

By the end of 2025, the project is expected to directly benefit an estimated 1,580 people. This number will continue to grow in 2026 as the electrification of the Imbeke Vocational Training Centre expands its capacity and impact.

Activities

EWB-NL provided engineering expertise and designed the solar system solution for the power problem at the center, this included determining the number of panels, the mounting solution, battery capacity and the system’s maximum equipment capacity. The solution is to be implemented in two phases:

Phase-1:

The proposed solution includes the installation of a 20 kW solar power system paired with a 24 kWh battery storage system. This setup will provide a more reliable and cost-effective energy source, reducing dependence on the unstable and expensive grid while also replacing the aging diesel generator. Solar panels will be mounted on a carport style racking structure designed to support the panels.

Phase-2:

It is anticipated that Phase 2 will involve a similar scale of expansion, with the addition of another 20 kW solar capacity and corresponding components such as solar panels, batteries, inverters, and mounting structures. This phase will aim to further increase energy generation capacity, improve backup power, and ensure that the Imbeke Development Training Centre can fully meet its energy needs sustainably and reliably. However, this will be determined after monitoring the performance of the system installed in Phase-1.