Method

An institutional framework for a network of excellence will be developed and drafts for future joint research projects will be drawn up. The status quo of renewable energy technologies will be evaluated and, in cooperation with stakeholders, renewable energy technology research policies will be formulated and  institutionalised through the anchoring of a research roadmap in public policies. Dual study programmes will be elaborated to enhance practical education in RET. The relevant renewable energy technology sectors will be identified (e.g. wind energy, solar electric energy), based on the current state-of-the-art of the respective technologies. The requirements identified for renewable energy technology industry standards will then be included in standardization procedures.

In order to foster sustainable national energy and rural development policies, to put the developed and institutionalised frameworks for RET into practice and to reveal the technical renewable energy options available for typical local environments, energy concepts for two model regions will be developed. The current energy situation in the model regions will be evaluated and actual district development plans analysed to define the local potentials for RET. The fields of action identified, such as the establishment of system management and cost recovery mechanisms, the installation of electricity meters or the nomination of a local energy officer, willthen be summarized in a roadmap that comprises the necessary steps for a regional transition to sustainable energy production and consumption. Awareness of the importance of RET will be raised through workshops and seminars (e.g. on all aspects of mini-grids: costing, maintenance, management, use) targeted at relevant local policy makers and stakeholders from the public and private sector, thereby starting the transition process. This awareness raising will be further enhanced through the publication of dissemination materials.