SON to unveil energy standards for meters, solar power components

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has announced plans to unveil new energy standards aimed at increasing the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.

Malam Farouk Salim, SON Director-General, in a statement issued on Monday in Lagos said the new energy standards would be unveiled on May 18 in Abuja.

Salim said the move was in line with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

According to him, the standards are: energy meters, Solar Photovoltaic (PV) panels, inverters, batteries and charge controllers.

Salim said they were were developed by SON, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the Federal Ministry of Power and other technical experts.

He said the standards and implications strategy were currently being supported by the Nigerian Energy Support Programme, a technical assistance programme co-funded by the European Union and the German Government.

The SON boss said it would help develop a more regulated and standardised market that encourages further investments into Renewable Energy and Efficient Energy sector.

He noted that solar power has fast become the most popular form of renewable power due to its flexibility and affordability.

Salim said, “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.”

He explained that following extensive consultations, 37 standards were selected and approved in November 2020 by SON.

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