TAREA has been realizing its objectives through the following initiatives/activities:

  • Community awareness raising

    TAREA has been conducting village and national renewable energy exhibitions since 2005. Along exhibitions, TAREA conducts stakeholders workshops, study tours of target groups to the renewable sites, awareness to the public through articles, leaflets, TV and newspapers. 

    TAREA also provides renewable energy information to target groups through its website, e-newsletter,  brochures, radio and the internet (YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter). 

    Thanks to partners Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; URBIS Foundation-Germany; and Microfinanza Associazione e Sviluppo Onlus-Italy.

     

  • Consultancy services

    TAREA provides consultancy services geared to success development of uses of renewable energies. 

    TAREA supports communities/institutes in planning and design of renewable energy systems; provide guidelines in the preparation of tender documents; assessment and technical translations of the documents.

    TAREA has already supported projects that were developed by: SolidarMed-Switzerland NGO; USAID TUNAJALI Program; Benjamin Mkapa HIV/AIDS Foundation; Enzkreis-Masasi Partnerschaft e.V; and City of Potsdam..

  • Enabling community access to the renewable energy

    TAREA supports installations of renewable energy systems enabling off-grid communities’ access to the renewable energy technologies. TAREA has installed solar systems at Matekwe Secondary School in Lindi region, Solar street lights at the bus stand and market place at Malinyi village in Morogoro region supported by Microfinanza-Italy and Waldensian Evangelical Church-Italy. The installed systems on the one hand offer energy services to the communities and other hand play a role of showing the potentials of renewable energy technologies.

    TAREA conducts a project of replacing kerosene lanterns with solar lanterns in Mang'ula and Malinyi. TAREA works with VICOBA. The program started in February, 2015. By end of December, 2018 more than 400 households have replaced kerosene lanterns using solar lanterns in cooperation with URBIS Foundation and Microfinanza-Italy.

  • Energy efficiency

    TAREA promotes the use of technologies that protects environment and assures reliable energy supply at the affordable costs. TAREA implements a project to promote the use of grid charged and Solar Photovoltaic backup systems instead of using petrol/diesel generators in Dar es Salaam business centre. The project is called Generator Zero.

  • Policy influence

    Some of the biggest achievements of TAREA were preparation of Tax reform proposal for renewable energy, which led to VAT and other Taxes waiver on solar products/ components and DC products using solar electricity, and preparation of National Solar PV Standards in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, supported by UNDP-Mwanza Solar PV Project. In 2005, the Government of Tanzania removed import and VAT on the imported solar products. The Government of Tanzania had the intention of reinstating the VAT on solar products. TAREA in cooperation with COSTECH managed to convince the Government of Tanzania retaining VAT exemptions on solar products and DC lights.

    TAREA advocated to the Energy and Water Utility Regulatory Authority (EWURA) to institute the REFIT in order to promote the generation of power from renewable energy sources and review of Small Power Project rules. January, 2014 EWURA added a clause of Very Small Power Project that allows one to develop renewable energy system for distribution up to 100kW without registering it to the regulator. In April, 2015, EWURA presented second generation Small Power Producers rules, REFIT for biomass and mini hydro and tendering scheme for solar and wind technologies.

    TAREA advocates Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) to develop and enforce standards, and establish testing laboratory for pico solar products.

    TAREA advocates Tanzania Vocational Education and Training Authority (VETA) to establish scheme for the certification of renewable energy artisans that have not gone through formal training. On this area, TAREA has been successful in influencing VETA developing renewable energy curriculum that was released end of 2015.

    TAREA is in dialogue with VETA to implement Prior Learning Recognition Assessment to renewable energy artisans.

    Thanks to partners Sida, IFC World Bank, URBIS Foundation and Beruflichen Fortbildungszentren der Bayerischen Wirtschaft (bfz) gGmbH 

  • Renewable energy industry and end user protection

    TAREA raises awareness of the members of community on the presence of counterfeit / substandard products of renewable energies. TAREA instructs people and trained Fair Competition Commission and Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) workers on how to identify the counterfeit / substandard products.

    TAREA cooperates with TBS in developing renewable energy standards and information dissemination.

    Thanks to IFC World Bank that supported the initiatives.

  • Renewable energy stakeholders networking

    TAREA has been bringing together renewable energy stakeholders through membership. The membership has been growing. The membership grew from 364 by December, 2012 to 832 by December, 2019. 

    TAREA has got two branches with offices in Mwanza and Arusha. TAREA is working to establish a third branch in Tanzania Southern Highlands.

    TAREA has got members from within and out of Tanzania.

    Thanks to partner Beruflichen Fortbildungszentren der Bayerischen Wirtschaft (bfz) gGmbH  that supports this initiative.

  • Research

    TAREA conducts various researches in renewable energies.   It conducted the study of using solar lanterns for fishing small fish in Mwanza. The study was completed and now the market of solar fishing lights is matured around Tanzania side of the Lake Victoria. The work was implemented through the Mwanza–Wurzburg partnership and Deutsch-Tansanische Partnerschaft e.V.


  • Trainings

    TAREA conducts and facilitates renewable energy related trainings. Trainings are on building quality practitioners and managers.

    TAREA in cooperation with Arusha Technical College and PUM-Netherlands Senior Experts established ATC Solar Training Centre in Arusha, Tanzania in April, 2019.

    Underneath are some of the trainings that have been conducted/ facilitated by TAREA.

    TAREA has trained more than 400 Solar PV Installers for the regions of Kagera, Geita, Kilimanjaro, Iringa, Tanga, Morogoro, Coast, Mbeya, Songwe, Kigoma, Rukwa, Mtwara, Dodoma, Ruvuma, Lindi, Tabora, Manyara and Singida. It also trained instructors for Vocational Education and Training Authority in solar Photovoltaic Technologies. It has already trained 52 VETA Trainers for the regions of Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Iringa, Dodoma, Mbeya, Mtwara, Ruvuma, Kigoma, Tabora, Singida, Rukwa, Morogoro and Tanga. 

    TAREA has trained members of staff of Fair Competition Commission (7), Tanzania Revenue Authority (36), Tanzania Bureau of Standards (4), Ministry of Energy and Minerals (1), and members of TAREA (2) that work to intervene the supply chain of substandard and counterfeit renewable energy products. The trainings were financially supported by Sida/MEM Solar PV Project.

    Thanks to the partners URBIS Foundation and Microfinanza Associazione e Sviluppo Onlus.

    TAREA in cooperation with Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) started in April, 2014 training regional and district human resource on renewable energy technologies management. Tanzania does not have energy bench at regional and district levels. The training aims at filling the gap. It is expected that when regions and districts have capacity in renewable energy technologies, then they will be mainstreaming renewable energy technologies in development plans and ensure sustainability. Further, it will be an opportunity to establish energy data collection scheme. To date, a total of 72 officers for the regions of Geita, Kagera, Tabora, Kigoma, Rukwa, Katavi and Mwanza have been trained.

    TAREA partnering with COSTECH has initiated promotion of marketing of improved charcoal/ firewood stoves in Lindi and Mtwara regions. The initiative has started by training 12 producers of improved cook stoves from the regions in the year 2015.  The current initiative in the area of biomass cooking is being implemented in the regions of Pwani, Lindi and Mtwara through the financial support of Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN-Denmark).

    TAREA facilitates members to attend the trainings conducted by other institutes like LIFE Academy (Karl Stadt, Sweden), India Institute of Wind (Chennai, India) and National Institute of Solar Energy (Delhi, India).

    Thanks to the partners: Sida; Beruflichen Fortbildungszentren der Bayerischen Wirtschaft (bfz) gGmbH; URBIS Foundation; Microfinanza Associazione e Sviluppo Onlus; and  High Commission of India in Dar es Salaam.

  • Volunteer programs

    TAREA supports two volunteer programs:

    1. Weltwaerts Volunteer Program:  TAREA hosts 2 volunteers of Deutsch Tansanische Partnerschaft e.V at the office in Mwanza

    2. REN Volunteer Program: It is the volunteer program in which the young people that have graduated from Tanzania University has opportunity of internship at TAREA head office. The program is being supported by the City of Hamburg, Germany through Deutsch Tansanische Partnerschaft e.V

    3. Internship places: TAREA mobilizes practical training places for the students that are members of TAREA.