ECREEE Inaugurates Two Energy Efficiency Light Testing Laboratories

May 31, 2024, Banjul, The Gambia – The ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), in collaboration with its partners, has commissioned and inaugurated two energy efficiency light testing laboratories for the Gambia Standards Bureau (TGSB). These laboratories were established with the support of ECREEE, in collaboration with the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (MOPE), TGSB, and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). The new facilities include a sphere energy efficiency testing laboratory and a photogoniometer light testing laboratory.

The inauguration of these advanced testing laboratories places The Gambia at the forefront of energy efficiency testing in the sub-region. With these facilities, The Gambia can now test various types of lighting, including domestic, industrial, commercial, and airport lights, based on established Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS). This project was funded by the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) through UNIDO.

ECREEE, recognized for its regional expertise, was also chosen as the project execution partner for the Quality Assurance component. The goal of this component was to develop and approve MEPS and energy performance labeling in The Gambia. ECREEE played a crucial role as a project knowledge management partner and implementing agency, facilitating the dissemination and replication of project methodologies and outcomes across ECOWAS member states.

During the inauguration, the Director of the Gambia Standards Bureau, Mr. Papa Secka, expressed gratitude to all partners involved and emphasized the importance of the laboratories in preventing the importation of obsolete equipment. He also highlighted The Gambia’s commitment to making these laboratories available to all ECOWAS member states for light testing.

Representing the ECREEE Executive Director, Mr. Jean Francis Sempore, ECOWAS Resident Representative, Her Excellency Madam Miatta Lily French, remarked that the commissioning and inauguration come at a crucial time for the region. The laboratories will ensure quality assurance, enhance market capacities, and protect the region from non-efficient equipment. This initiative underscores ECOWAS’s support for its member states in pursuing clean and sustainable development.