Affordable and renewable energy is shaping the 21st century. South Africans know this from experience. Responding to severe electricity shortages, a massive boom in renewable energy legislation, deployment, and adoption rapidly shifted the country's energy future. These activities helped renewables globally surpass coal as the major source of electricity in 2025.
Yellow Door Energy wraps up its successful Lumen30 CSR project.
But clean and affordable energy is only part of the change. To entrench the benefits of the Just Energy Transition (JET) for all people, SA must develop talent and skills in renewables. This is the goal of YDE Lumen30, a training programme that recently concluded its first year with brilliant success.
"Renewable energy offers promising prospects for people, the planet, and our collective prosperity. The most exciting changes are happening within communities. Solar training is equipping people with employable skills, and solar installations are helping community services and charities do much more," says Jeremy Crane, Group CEO at Yellow Door Energy.
Training Tomorrow's Solar Talent
YDE Lumen30 recruited 30 young people from Alexandra township in Johannesburg and trained them in technical and business skills to deliver solar installations. Yellow Door Energy (YDE), the leading renewable energy independent power producer (IPP) for businesses in the Middle East and Africa, and Actis Acts, a charitable organisation under the growth market sustainable infrastructure investor Actis, supported the programme.
“At Actis Acts, we’re passionate about investing in a brighter, more sustainable future, not only through energy projects but also by empowering people. Partnering with Yellow Door Energy on the Lumen30 initiative has been truly rewarding, as it delivers real impact. Trainees gained both classroom learning and hands-on experience installing a BESS and a solar PV system. Initiatives like these make a tangible difference, and we’re proud to be part of them,” says Brian Chinappi, Chairman of Actis Acts and Global Head of Real Estate and Data Centres at Actis.
YDE Lumen30 launched in April 2025 following a rigorous selection process, with training running for three months at the ENS Pro Bono office in Alexandra. The programme was managed by the economic development advisory firm DevRani Consult and implemented by the non-profit Unnati Training Academy. After passing comprehensive exams assessing their technical knowledge, the trainees graduated in June and then demonstrated their skills by installing a solar system at the Ububele Educational and Psychotherapy Trust.
Under the guidance of Yellow Door Energy and the project's EPC partner, LF Electrical, the graduates installed an 18 kWp (kilowatt-peak) photovoltaic solar system and a 15 kWh (kilowatt-hour) Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). This grid-tied hybrid solar system supplies the trust's entire property, maintains system stability, and protects battery life through load-management controls. It powers lights, appliances, and office and therapy equipment. The YDE Lumen30 graduates also installed programmable timers to manage high-load systems such as geysers.
“The Ububele Educational and Psychotherapy Trust extends its heartfelt gratitude to Actis Acts, Yellow Door Energy, Dev Rani Consult, Unnati Training Academy, and LF Electrical for their generous donation and for the installation of solar power at our centre,” said Esther Chunga, Executive Director of the Ububele Educational and Psychotherapy Trust. “For 25 years, Ububele has been providing mental health care and support to improve the emotional development and wellbeing of children, their parents and other caregivers in Alexandra by disrupting generational trauma. This contribution will have a profound impact on our daily operations, enabling us to provide uninterrupted services and consistent support to those who need it most. This invaluable gift aligns seamlessly with our mission to help create a society in which all children and families can thrive.”
“We were impressed by the YDE Lumen30 trainees and have offered employment to three of the graduates,” said Tsakani Mbowana, MD of LF Electrical. “Projects like these highlight the impact renewables can have across South Africa, beyond the provision of cheap and clean energy. They provide the foundation for wider social change, and their benefits will manifest through the work of a new generation with valuable technical and business skills. We are proud to have partnered on this project, delivering both the installation and hands-on training.”
Indeed, the renewable energy revolution is about more than cheap prices and profit. It's about People, Planet, and Prosperity, an opportunity to create a better world where more people have access to energy, one of our most important resources. That energy is clean, affordable, and available to everyone, delivered by skilled young professionals who want to create a better world.
