Alternative energy Department was one of the pioneer departments established in 2007, at the inception of the Tumba College of technology. This department was born at the time because it was very necessary to have such a department which would offer courses in various alternative energy technologies because of an immediate need of reducing Rwanda’s dependency on expensive petroleum fuels.

At the start the department offered courses in the areas including Biogas Technology, Micro Hydro Power Plant, Solar Energy Technology, Improved Cooking Stove, Industrial and Domestic Electrical Installation, under the Diploma (A1) Alternative Energy programme.

A total of 50 students drawn from candidates who had Rwanda National Examination Council’s A2 qualifications in Sciences, were admitted for the initial intake. However the size of candidates intake in the department has continued to increase from year to year.

The Alternative Energy department under the support Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) continues to update and improve its curriculum, the capacity of its academics and structure of the academic programmes. Using the instrument of Technical Advisory Group (TAG) the department also carries out periodic reviews of her curricula to ensure conformity with the needs of the industries.

Beginning from 2008 the department has increased the scope of its programmes by offering trainings and short courses in Biogas Technology. It has also in 2009 used this technology to impact on her immediate communities by building institutional biogas plants for neighbouring schools through a joint programme sponsored by the Rwanda Ministry of Infrastructure (MININFRA).