The International University of East Africa (IUEA) in Kampala is a private non-profit institution, fully chartered by the Uganda National Council of Higher Education and the Ministry of Education. Since its establishment in 2010, the university has grown rapidly, offering a wide range of courses from certificate to postgraduate level across four faculties. Today, IUEA hosts more than 3,000 students annually on its 20-acre campus and operates one of Uganda’s most advanced online learning programmes.

But growth came with a challenge: frequent unpredictable power outages and rising electricity bills placed a heavy burden on the institution’s budget and at times disrupted academic continuity. “Initially at IUEA, we were facing the problem of unpredictable power cutouts and high costs, which was a burden on our operational budget as well as academic continuity. As an international university inspired by innovation, we knew we had to find a solution,” said Miswall William, administrative staff representative at the Faculty of Science and Technology.

German expertise enables solar with no upfront costs

Through the Project Development Programme (PDP), IUEA was introduced to the German renewable energy provider enPower.life and its EPC partner. enPower.life offered an innovative 20-year leasing model, enabling the university to benefit from solar energy without upfront capital. The solution was a 130 kWp grid-tied rooftop solar PV system, installed in 2024, now powering the campus with reliable and affordable clean energy.

As Joan Katushabe, Regional Development Coordinator at enPower.life Uganda, explained: “enPower.life is an independent power producer and financier of commercial and industrial solar plants in Uganda. We believe in making sustainable energy affordable for all our clients.”

From power cuts to clean, reliable energy

With its rooftop system now in operation, IUEA is already seeing tangible results. The plant is projected to generate up to 200,000 kWh of electricity per year, a significant share of the university’s demand. This translates into much lower electricity bills and a more predictable cost base, helping to ease the pressure on operating expenses. The system also makes the campus less vulnerable to unplanned outages, creating a more reliable environment for teaching and research.

From an environmental perspective, the solar PV installation is expected to save around 370 tonnes of CO₂ emissions over its lifetime, aligning directly with the university’s corporate social responsibility agenda and its commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals — especially SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).

For IUEA, the project’s value extends beyond economics. “The system has significantly reduced our electricity bills, and we no longer face unpredictable outages,” noted Miswall William. “At the same time, it has given our students practical exposure to how these systems are developed and managed in professional technical environments.”

PDP’s role in project development

The Project Development Programme (PDP), implemented by GIZ under the German Energy Solutions Initiative, played a key role by conducting a technical and financial feasibility study and connecting IUEA with German companies. “We provided IUEA with a detailed technical and financial feasibility report and facilitated business linkages with German providers like enPower.life. Our goal was to make the project investment-ready, and it is rewarding to see it implemented so successfully,” said Rolex Muceka from the PDP Uganda team.

System Data

Key Facts
Client	International University of East Africa
German solution	enPower.life
Country / Region	Uganda / Kampala
Sector	Education
System type	Grid-tied Solar PV
Business model	Leasing (20-year period)
Operational since	September 2024
Installed Capacity	130 kWp
Expected CO₂ reduction	Up to 370 tonnes tCO2e
Yield	Up to 200,000 kWh per year
Energy needs covered by solar system	Up to 22%
Monitoring	Online system for real-time energy tracking