SON unveils standards for meters, solar PV components

In line with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the government’s renewable energy agenda, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has unveiled new energy standards.

According to the agency, the Nigerian Energy Support Programme (NESP) is currently supporting the standards and implication strategy, a technical assistance programme co-funded by the European Union and the German Government and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbHin.

The standards, which were developed by SON, GIZ, Federal Ministry of Power and other technical experts, are expected to boost the inflow of foreign direct investment and efficient power supply and consumption.

Director-General of SON, Farouk Salim, said the initiative would help the nation to conserve energy and ecological problem associated with harmful greenhouse emissions.

The standards are equally expected to drive a multi-stakeholder approach with consultations and inputs from relevant public-private entities to develop a more regulated and standardised market that encourages further investments into Renewable Energy (RE) and Efficient Energy (EE) sector.

SON in a statement added that due to its flexibility and affordability, solar power has fast become the most popular form of renewable power.

“Our aims are to improve the framework conditions for investments in the application of renewable energy and energy efficiency and rural electrification.

“The main objective is to provide guidance towards the achievement of the objectives of the strategy set for the implementation of renewable energy policy,

“In addition, fostering investments in a domestic market for Renewable Energy (RE) and Energy Efficiency (EE) and improving access to electricity in Nigeria,” SON added.

According to SON, following extensive consultations, 37 standards were selected and approved in November 2020, pointing out that given renewable energy’s increasing prominence, the solar power industry understandably relies heavily on standardisation.

“Standards play an essential part in testing, energy conversion, reflectance or materials properties, fabricating arrays, integrating into the smart grid and assuring workplace safety,” SON stressed.