Assessment of Skills and Knowledge Gaps in Energy Efficiency in Manufacturing and Commercial Sectors in Kenya

The study on the Assessment of Skills and Knowledge Gap in Energy Efficiency Professionals in Kenya was commissioned by UNEP CCC in August 2020. The study was carried out through review of relevant documents and interviews. Various stakeholders were identified that included designated facilities, energy auditors, energy management promoters and government agencies. Currently, the EE professionals in the country are the licensed energy auditors as the Energy (Energy Management) Regulations, 2012 only require every designated facility to appoint an energy officer. However, there are no academic or professional qualifications prescribed for the energy officers. This situation may change in future if the draft Energy (Energy Management) Regulations, 2021 are adopted which will bring assigned energy managers on board. Thus, the study mainly focused on assessing the skills and knowledge of the energy auditors and to a lesser extent, the energy officers.

The facilities were categorised into commercial, industrial, and institutional. The commercial facilities that participated in the study operate in the horticultural, hospitality, office & retail buildings, supermarkets, and water supply & sewerage sectors, among others. Further, the industrial facilities include agricultural produce, food & beverage, chemical, plastics, metal, and textile & apparels sectors, among others. The institutional facilities included hospitals, schools, learning/research, and recreational/charitable institutions. The participating facilities were spread across the country: Nairobi and its environs, Coast, Western, Central, and Rift Valley regions.