A star less sky with bright city lights and a bird’s eye view of Kampala’s night time developing skyline. A picture says a thousand words and as I reflect on what was a spur of the moment dinner date to the newest addition of Kampala’s hotels situated at the top of Naguru hill. The views are breath taking and immediately I start to take in the starless sky, hive of activity and bustling sounds of Kampala’s night time below.

What has always fascinated me about Kampala is the organic urban development of the City. The City is shaped by its hills and has allowed an organic dense development of urban areas. Its narrow roads and foot path formed roads to homes fascinates me how people build and live in this organic manner. This does lead to challenges with service delivery by the City as service roads between homes are far and few to find in this organic developed City. This is evident from the picture above as the only visible structured and highly dense road with concentrated lights marks one of the main roads in the busy parts of the Bukoto and Ntida area of Kampala. This main road’s concentration of lights is mainly from the very busy traffic which never seems to quiet down upon main roads across the city at time. This City does not sleep there is hive of trading, commerce and activities at all these main roads which connects the parts of the City.

The white lights of Kampala’s skyline is evident of energy efficient lighting implemented throughout the City. An energy efficiency roll-out of house hold energy efficient lamps to house holds initiated by the Ugandan Government and in partnership with the local electricity distribution company, Umeme, in 2007 has contributed to the City’s white light skyline. Half of the City’s street lights are solar powered LEDs. This roll-out of efficient lighting to homes is a case study in its self-making the impact policy makes. This City is by far a model City, it has immense of opportunity to grow and leapfrog in the energy efficiency space and distributed energy systems space. Government policy and implementation of energy efficiency led initiatives are crucial and leads to market stimulation and growth.

Ugandans are quite knowledgeable and articulate as a nation, I love the awareness and fact that while cost is a primary driver for any product or service to be considered, Ugandans understand the need for energy efficient lighting in their homes as this enables them to manage their operational costs. I love the fact that most private home owners have battery storage solar systems to ensure they have energy security in their homes. This is not norm within the commercial or business case and I can’t seem to fully comprehend why this is the case if they understand the direct benefit surely the need for businesses to be energy efficient and have energy security would be the same. There are many efforts being made to keep the dialogue of energy efficiency and distributed energy efficiency systems a focal point. The many NGO’s such as WWF, Uganda National Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Association (UNREEA), Uganda National Cleaner Production Centre and international partners such as GIZ, UKAID, USAID, SUNREF, etc, all contribute to ensuring that energy efficiency and renewable energy are embedded in this beautiful countries infrastructure.

Skills development and knowledge creation is another critical area which will further stimulate and contribute to the embedding of energy efficiency and renewable energy in Uganda’s infrastructure. Uganda has over 50 certified energy auditors trained to date with further training planned for 2019 and the training being expanded to certified energy management. Uganda’s electricity consumption makes up 1,4% of the total energy demand of which 66% of electricity is consumed by the Industrial sector, 24% of electricity is consumed by the residential sector and 11% by the commercial sector. Having these skills developed in the country is important but without a market and without the support of government the commercial and industrial energy efficiency markets will continue to lag behind and miss on the economic opportunity to be derived from energy efficiency and renewable energy. For Uganda to truly benefit from the certified energy auditors in the country and taking a page out the Kenya energy efficiency market. Kenya started by training certified energy auditors in 2009 much like Uganda but by promulgating an energy audit policy in 2012 this policy ensures that all commercial and industrial businesses conducts an energy efficiency audit by a licensed energy auditor has seen the energy efficiency market in Kenya grow to saving an estimate of 4 million Kenyan shillings per annum and having over 200 certified energy auditors and managers in the country. Kenya’s energy efficiency market is a great lesson not only for Uganda but for the rest of Africa to learn how to stimulate and develop an energy efficiency market.

I’m excited for what lies ahead in 2019 for the Ugandan energy efficiency market as there are many great initiatives being implemented and what is certain is that energy efficient opportunities are abundant and yet to be seized.