Empowering South Africa’s solar future through YDE Lumen30
Training youth in Alexandra to power communities with renewable energy
Affordable and renewable energy is reshaping the 21st century, and South Africa has seen this transformation firsthand. Severe electricity shortages spurred a boom in renewable energy legislation, deployment, and adoption, helping renewables surpass coal globally in 2025. Yet the Just Energy Transition (JET) is about more than clean power; it’s about people, skills, and opportunity.
That’s the mission behind YDE Lumen30, a training programme launched in April 2025 by Yellow Door Energy (YDE), a leading renewable energy IPP, and Actis Acts, the charitable arm of investor Actis. The initiative recruited 30 young people from Alexandra, Johannesburg, equipping them with technical and business skills to deliver solar installations. Managed by DevRani Consult and implemented by Unnati Training Academy, the three‑month programme combined classroom learning with hands‑on experience.
Graduates proved their skills by installing an 18 kWp solar PV system and a 15 kWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at the Ububele Educational and Psychotherapy Trust. The hybrid system now powers the centre’s property, supporting lights, appliances, and therapy equipment, while programmable timers manage high‑load systems like geysers. Ububele’s leadership praised the installation as a “profound impact” on their ability to provide uninterrupted mental health services to children and families in Alexandra.
The programme’s success is already creating ripple effects. LF Electrical, the EPC partner, offered employment to three graduates, highlighting how renewable projects can drive social change beyond energy supply. “They provide the foundation for wider social change,” said MD Tsakani Mbowana.
For YDE and Actis Acts, the initiative embodies the principle of People, Planet, and Prosperity. “Renewable energy promises amazing prospects for communities,” said Jeremy Crane, Group CEO of YDE. “Solar training is giving people employable skills, while installations empower charities to do more.”
