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Energypedia News

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In 2013 energypedia has had the privilege of engaging with academic institutions, donors, civil society groups and energy practitioners on numerous rewarding initiatives. Thanks to growing commitments across the world, 2013 has seen some great advances made both within and outside of energypedia on the path to making access to modern and sustainable energy for all a reality. In 2014 we will continue to advocate creative collaboration and practical knowledge sharing on www.energypedia.info in order to spark innovation and opportunities to advance the cause of access to sustainable energy for all.

Thank you for being a part of our work! We look forward to what we can achieve together in 2014.

We wish you a happy holiday season and a prosperous New Year!


EnDev Peru Document Index now Online

Energising Development (EnDev) Peru promotes access to energy for lighting in rural and semi-rural areas in different forms, promotes access to energy to cook with, supporting the provision of sufficient and low emission energy with improved cookstoves, access to energy to heat water and access to energy for productive uses. As a result of their work in these areas over the years Endev Peru has published the EnDev Peru Document Index. The document index includes studies and information in Spanish on energy for lighting, cooking energy and energy for productive use.



Energy Sector News

India Clean Cookstove Forum 2013

With the vision of enhancing the use of cookstove technologies, Dr Farooq Abdullah, Minister of New and Renewable Energy inaugurated the India Clean Cookstove Forum 2013 organized jointly by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH operating on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) on 25 and 26 November 2013 in New Delhi, India. With more than 150 participants, the forum was the largest national event on clean cooking solutions that has ever been organized in India. During the event all relevant stakeholders in the Indian cookstove sector – social enterprises, NGOs, foundations, donor agencies, government and financial institutions – discussed potential solutions to the most significant challenges hindering the large-scale adoption of improved cookstoves.

In his speech Dr Farooq Abdullah said “increased use of clean and efficient cookstoves is crucial to reduce the burden of disease from indoor air pollution as well to avoid the overuse of biomass resources. Efficient cooking technologies have a direct tangible impact on the livelihoods of the poor, as they save time and money that previously had to be spent on procuring cooking fuels.” During the Forum, the Minister also launched a new initiative on biomass cookstoves developed under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the United Nations Frameworks Convention on Climate Change to reduce the cost of improved stove technologies to rural customers through the sale of carbon credits.

Following up on the results of the discussions, the Indo-German Energy Programme Renewable Energy Component (IGEN-RE), a cooperation project between MNRE and GIZ on behalf of BMZ will develop marketing and awareness campaigns, as well as pilot innovative mechanisms for end-user financing. Furthermore the development of a web-based platform will be initiated to support manufacturers and distributors of improved cookstoves in creating an open space for knowledge sharing among each other. To create an effective framework to initiate, and support collective efforts towards a large scale adoption of improved cookstoves, this event will be the first in a planned series of yearly events.


SEPS Call for Proposals in Latin America and the Caribbean

WISIONS initiative has launched its second SEPS call for applications in 2013 in which they are looking for project concepts and knowledge exchange activities in Latin America and the Caribbean. This SEPS call is looking for project concepts that demonstrate how to apply small-scale renewable energy technologies to meet energy-related needs and improve energy access for Latin American and Caribbean people. For example, projects might aim to meet energy needs for reliable electricity or heat supply, for food processing and conservation, or for water pumping and treatment. Support for exchange activities shall help to facilitate physical peer-to-peer exchanges between expert organizations (e.g. mutual visits; practical hands-on training, or training workshops).
The deadline for submission of applications is 16 January 2014, 4pm GMT.

  • Find more information on the application process, criteria and application forms here.


Connecting Rural Cooperatives and Rural Electrification - Renewable Energy Program Indonesia/ASEAN

The Indonesian Ministry of Cooperatives (KUKM) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 12 November 2013 to further concretize their collaboration in the field of rural electrification in Indonesia. Implemented by the GIZ project, EnDev Indonesia, this collaboration will see the strengthening of rural cooperatives in managing and administering their electrification infrastructure. In the initial phase, KUKM provides funding for the construction of ten micro-hydro power plants in ten Regions across Indonesia, while EnDev Indonesia will conduct technical commissioning and community preparation. Primary purpose of the power plants will be to provide reliable electricity to various business activities by the beneficiary cooperatives.

Providing access to electricity for rural communities as means to encourage local economic development shows the greatest impact of rural electrification programmes. While electricity for lighting, television and other common appliances provides immediate benefits, it is the use electricity for rural businesses where the long-term future of rural communities lies. Businesses employ people. They add value to natural resources. They provide essential services to the community at a lower cost. They attract money into the community and raise overall income levels. They reduce the draining of money from the community. They link the community to neighbouring communities and even to communities much further away. They have a ripple effect by facilitating the development of even further businesses.
With the spirit to collaborate in the strengthening of cooperative-based micro hydro power (MHP) projects, the MoU was signed by the Deputy Minister of Production, Ministry of Cooperative and Small Medium Enterprises (KUKM), Drs. Braman Setyo, M.Si., at an event attracting stakeholders from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, the Ministry of Marine and Fisheries, BAPPENAS and the Governor for the East Nusa Tengara Province. Within KUKM’s Off-Grid Support Programme, EnDev Indonesia contribution will be on capacity development and technical commissioning. Furthermore EnDev Indonesia will introduce its SMS-based rural support platform to the communities, which allows them to request technical and administrative guidance via SMS. This support aims to improve the performance and enhance sustainability of MHPs through providing advisory services to both KUKM and the beneficiary communities.


PMD and GIZ Close Micro-hydro Power Project- Renewable Energy Programme Indonesia/ASEAN

Direktorat Jenderal Pemberdayaan Masyarakat dan Desa (Ditjen PMD) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH closed the Micro-hydro Power Technical Support Unit (MHP-TSU) project on 12 December 2013. Launched in 2009, MHP-TSU was the principal technical support mechanism for PMD’s Green PNPM (National Program for Community Empowerment) project, through which rural communities could apply for funds to construct their own micro-hydro power scheme. Over the last 3 years, MHP-TSU has assessed over 500 prospective micro-hydro power (MHP) sites across Sumatra and Sulawesi, ultimately leading to the commissioning of 120 sites. Bapak Imran Ali, PMD Acting Director for Natural Resources and Rural Appropriate Technology, confirmed that his office is responsible for over 70,000 villages across Indonesia, of which only 60% have access to electricity. “Our [PMD and GIZ] collaboration has yielded many lessons, from which other agencies and ministries benefit today, but our work of providing electricity to rural communities is far from over,” Bapak Imran remarked. MHP –TSU was funded through Energising Development (EnDev), an international multi-donor fund to support rural energy access, and during the peak of the programme had over 30 technical facilitators and support personnel actively mentoring communities on the construction, operation, maintenance and administration of MHP installations. Over 50,000 people were provided with electricity in their homes through the project, exclusively using renewable energy resources. Robert Schultz, EnDev Senior Advisor added, “The stakeholders involved in MHP-TSU remain committed to renewable energy, to rural electrification and to Indonesia. Rather than a closure, this is more like a transition. We are here to stay.”


Plans to Mobilize Financing for Sustainable Energy for All

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and World Bank President Jim Yong Kim have announced the creation of the SE4All Finance Committee which will begin “a concerted effort by governments, international agencies, civil society and private sector to mobilize financing to deliver universal access to modern energy services such as lighting, clean cooking solutions and power for productive purposes in developing countries, as well as scaled-up energy efficiency, especially in the world’s highest-energy consuming countries”. National energy assessments have begun in 42 energy-poor countries. These assessments will serve as a baseline information for energy investments. Other announcements made include:

  • Brazil’s “Light for All” program reached the milestone of 15 million beneficiaries, resulting in over 99 percent of the population having access to electricity.
  • Norway has committed to support renewable energy and energy efficiency activities with about NOK 2 billion in 2014.
  • Bank of America announced that its Green Bond, the world’s first of its kind, has raised $500 million for three years, as part of Bank of America’s 10-year $50 billion environmental business commitment.
  • The OPEC Fund for International Development announced a $1 billion revolving fund for energy access.
  • The United Nations Development Programme announced the creation of a Hub for Bottom Up Energy Solutions to advance energy access at country level.
  • The World Bank Group’s Energy Sector Management Assistance Program has launched a City Energy Efficiency Transformation Initiative covering 50 cities worldwide.



Finnish Biogas Filling Station Map Published

Biogas is the only 100% biofuel available in public filling stations in Finland. To facilitate the use of the CBG100 network (CBG100 = 100% Compressed BioGas) the Finnish Biogas Association has published a map of the stations. This is a part of a European wide work. In Europe there are already hundreds of biogas filling stations (20 public CBG100 filling stations in Finland), but in many cases finding them is not easy for the general public. For that reason the Finnish Biogas Association published in October a proposal to develop the European network anda proposal to renew the glossary of methane fuels in marketing.

The new Finnish map of public CBG100 stations can be found here. For each station the map contains information on the source of biogas sold there, location, seller and payment options.

Additional information of biogas use in transport in Finland:



New Energy Publications

Ingredients for Sustainable Cookstove Interventions – Lessons from India

Indoor air pollution (IAP) causes around 480,000 premature deaths annually in India (WHO). The use of improved cookstoves (ICS) can significantly reduce IAP and biomass consumption with its negative effects on health and the environment. Despite the large-scale National Programme on Improved Cookstoves (NPIC), that has been implemented by the Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) between 1983 and 2002, and initially succeeded in distributing tens of millions of improved cookstoves, the adoption of these stoves has so far been low in India.

On behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), GIZ under the Renewable Energy Component of the Indo-German Energy Programme (IGEN-RE), has just published a comprehensive analysis on the lessons learned from the NPIC. It identifies the factors for successes as well as shortcomings based on the analysis of existing studies and literature. These lessons are important in improving present and future cookstove interventions.


Managing Interactions between Carbon Pricing and Existing Energy Policies

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has published a new insights paper on Managing Interactions between Carbon Pricing and Existing Energy Policies. Carbon pricing can be a key policy tool to help countries move their energy sectors onto a cleaner development path. Understanding how to manage policy interactions can improve the climate and energy policy package, reducing the trade-offs and advancing the synergies between energy and climate objectives. This will benefit the country in terms of a more effective and lower-cost low-carbon development path, as well as supporting a more energy-secure future.

The paper focuses in particular on managing the interactions between carbon pricing and energy policies that also reduce emissions, such as policies to support low-carbon technologies (such as renewable energy) and energy efficiency programmes.


Energy Policy Highlights 2013

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has published the ‘Energy Policy Highlights 2013’ which showcases best practices in energy policies among all 28 IEA member countries, with emphasis on electricity and energy efficiency. Each contribution underscores the changing nature of both global and domestic energy challenges, as well as the commonality of energy concerns among member countries. The policies highlighted in this publication identify an urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as a clear policy objective. Electricity, enhancing energy efficiency and increasing the share of renewables in the energy mix in a cost effective manner are likewise areas of common focus.


Shaping a Global Goal on Energy Access that Leaves No One Behind

This new briefing from the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) draws on past research to suggest priorities for achieving universal energy access. It proposes that post-2015 energy ambitions should go beyond meeting people’s ‘basic survival needs’, and instead be centred on energy needs in a way that will help reduce poverty and improve livelihoods, particularly in rural communities. To date, this has been a classic blind spot for energy policymakers and the market.


From Roadmaps to Reality: A Framework for Power Sector Decolonisation in Europe

The European Climate Foundation has published its latest report, called ‘From Roadmaps to Reality: A Framework for Power Sector Decolonisation in Europe.’ The report finds that a fully integrated Internal Energy Market in Europe, in combination with a functioning Emissions Trading System, is the most cost-effective and sustainable pathway to decarbonisation. However, policy makers need to act to turn this vision into reality, by driving physical interconnections, activating the demand side, regionalising system operation and steering investments from high to low carbon assets. In the meantime, well-designed market interventions to support renewable energy technologies, energy efficiency and resource adequacy remain necessary. The challenge for EU policy is to capture the benefits of increased cross-border market integration while allowing careful use of administered interventions.


Secure and Efficient Electricity Supply during the Transition to Low Carbon Power Systems

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has published a new report focused on electricity security challenges during the critical transition to a low-carbon electricity system. Electricity shortages can paralyse our modern economies. All governments fear rolling black-outs and their economic consequences, especially in economies increasingly based on digital technologies. Over the last two decades, the development of markets for power has produced cost reduction, technological innovation, increased cross border trade and assured a steady supply of electricity.

This document provides a summary of the issues identified in the framework of the International Energy Agency (IEA) Electricity Security Action Plan (ESAP) and a basis for future IEA activities related to electricity markets and security.


Development of Local Supply Chain: A Critical Link for Concentrated Solar Power in India

The new World Bank report ‘Development of Local Supply Chain: A Critical Link for Concentrated Solar Power in India’ demonstrates that India has great potential to manufacture its own components for CSP, given the right policy incentives, public support for demonstration CSP plants, and increased investment in research and development. This could give birth to a new industry, serving domestic and international markets, it could lower the costs of some components by up to 40 percent and it could create thousands of new jobs.

The specific objective of the study is to assess the potential of India’s industries to set up a manufacturing base to produce CSP technology components and equipment. The study assesses competitive positioning and the potential of Indian companies in the manufacturing of important CSP components. The report also proposes an Action Plan to help develop this potential and evaluate the resulting economic benefits.



Mainstreaming Sustainable Energy Access into National Development Planning: the Case of Ethiopia

This study from the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) explores how Ethiopia could better meet rural energy needs by mainstreaming decentralized renewable energy options into its development planning process.

The case of Ethiopia is examined to investigate the prospects for mainstreaming sustainable energy access into the development planning process and the implications of this for international development financiers, national policy-makers, private actors and local energy planners. In particular, the paper identifies institutional, financial and policy criteria – related both to state and non-state actors – which are required to integrate sustainable energy access and meet implementation challenges in the Ethiopian rural energy sector. Based on this analysis, the paper discusses policy implications for other sub-Saharan African countries as well.



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