Finland Futures Research Centre
Promotion of the Efficient Use of Renewable Energies in Developing Countries (REEPRO) 2008-2009
The REEPRO project is motivated by the fact that poor households in Developing Countries often lack access to basic energy services. The project focuses on the provision of energy services to those currently unserved or under served by higher quality energy services on the basis of an introduction of renewable energies and energy efficiency. The project is funded by the European Commission within the COOPENER Programme. It focuses on the commercialisation of renewable energy technologies in the partner countries. Therefore potential (micro-) entrepreneurs will be trained in basic business and management skills to develop their own renewable energy based business.
The ultimate beneficiary and target group of the proposal are the energy starved rural poor. The target groups will receive through the renewable energy training programme a profound know-how basis necessary for the creation of a multiplier effect for renewable energy applications in technical, financial and policy matters. A prerequisite for renewable energy demand to materialise is information of the targeted beneficiaries (trainees) on ‘how does it work’ and today even more important ‘how to make it happen’ with the important aspect on ‘how I finance and pay for it’. The training will tackle this questions and introduce renewable energy technologies, financing options, policy strategies and project development approaches to the trainees.
The approach of the project is the qualification of local trainers from renewable energy experts down to the community stakeholder level and the joint development of appropriate renewable energy training kits for each level. The training will follow a train-the-trainer-programme and happen on 3 levels. On level 1 the training will be done by the project team and the target group includes the in-country (renewable) energy experts, policy makers and representatives of main stakeholders from Government, Private Sector, Communities, Energy Service companies and NGOs. On level 2 the level 1 trainees will train technicians with basic understanding of engineering subjects. On level 3 the level 2 trainees will train the community stakeholders with often very basic education level. The trainees of each level will be involved in the on-going development of the respective training kit level. Adapted renewable energy training materials will be created and translated to local languages.
In the project 5 show case communities will be selected in both Laos and Cambodia. The trainings in the pilot communities will be accompanied by hands-on renewable energy project implementations. The community stakeholders will select and implement renewable energy applications suitable for their communities.
The Project is funded by European Commission’s Intelligent Energy Europe Programme.
Project Staff
- Jyrki Luukkanen, Research Professor
firstname.lastname@tse.fi
FINLAND FUTURES RESEARCH CENTRE