Page 340 - ISES SWC50

In early 2011, to support the technician certification scheme, SEIAPI led the formation of a regional committee
of relevant stakeholders to oversee the development of training unit competencies. These identified the skills
and competencies that should be included within a training course for various applications. This resulted in
SEIAPI overseeing the development of the following training competency standards:
• Designer of Solar Based Off-Grid Power Systems
• Installer of Solar Based Off-Grid Power Systems
• Maintainer of Solar Based Off-Grid Power Systems
• Designer of grid connected PV Systems; and
• Installer of Grid Connected PV Systems.

The certification/accreditation program was
officially launched by the President Epeli
Nailatikau (Fiji) at the Pacific Launch of
Sustainable Energyr4All in April 2012.

Launch of Certification/accreditation
Program-Suva 2012
Left to Right:
Cathy Stapleton, Geoff Stapleton (current
SEIAPI Secretary, Hon President Epeli
Nailatikau and Brice Clay (current SEIAPI
President) at the launch of the SEIAPI
certification/ accreditation program

In 2012 SEIAPI signed an MOU with the Pacific Power Association (PPA).The PPA is the association of the
22 electricity utilities located in the Pacific Island Countries and Territories. Under this MOU all technical
documents relating to renewable energy will be jointly published as PPA/SEIAPI documents and the
certification/accreditation program is known as the PPA/SEIAPI program.

Since the completion of the REEEP funded project GSES has acted as the Secretariat for SEIAPIbecause it is
a voluntary administered organisation.

In 2018 GSES, on behalf of SEIAPI, was successful in being awarded a contract from the Pacific Power Association
(PPA) to provide the technical assistance services under the Sustainable Energy Industry Development Project
(SEIDP). The PPA was the Project Implementation Agency for the World Bank funded SEIDP.
The project covered twelve countries including: Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Fiji, Kiribati, Republic
of Narau, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Republic of Marshal Islands (RMI), Republic of Palau, Samoa, Solomon
Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu

This project concluded in August 2020 and the outcome was :
• The updating of the original 4 technical guidelines;
• The development of 12 new technical guidelines:
• 19 training unit standards being developed and submitted for approval onto the Pacific Qualifications and
Standards Registry (PRQS).
• Thirty-two (32)4-day workshops being conducted in the 12 countries. These workshops were based on the
guidelines that were developed.

The guidelines and training unit standards are available from the association’s website: www.seiapi.com

For the project GSES appointed Mr Sandip Kumar to assist and he is now based within the PPA office in
Suva, Fiji. Though he is employed by GSES his other role is to undertake the duties of secretariat of SEIAPI.
The key focus of SEIAPI now is the development of technical training across the Pacific for the benefit the
SEIAPI members. (Note: All PPA members are also members of SEIAPI under the MOU).

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