Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership
Encyclopedia
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
and energy efficiency
Efficient energy use
Efficient energy use, sometimes simply called energy efficiency, is the goal of efforts to reduce the amount of energy required to provide products and services. For example, insulating a home allows a building to use less heating and cooling energy to achieve and maintain a comfortable temperature...
with a particular emphasis on the emerging markets and developing countries.
The organisation funds small-to-medium scale projects and other strategic activities that address the two main barriers to sustainable energy
Sustainable energy
Sustainable energy is the provision of energy that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Sustainable energy sources include all renewable energy sources, such as hydroelectricity, solar energy, wind energy, wave power, geothermal...
development: first, the lack of long term, stable government policies and regulations to support renewables and energy efficiency, and second, the corresponding lack of finance.
REEEP was launched by the government of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
along with other partners at the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in August 2002. Its official goals are to:
- Reduce greenhouse gasGreenhouse gasA greenhouse gas is a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone...
emissions - Deliver social improvements to developing countries and countries in transition, by improving the access to reliable clean energy services, and by making renewable energy and energy efficiency systems more affordable
- Bring economic benefits to nations that use energy in a more efficient way and increase the share of indigenous renewable resources in their energy mix.
To date the organisation has been funded primarily by governments including: Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, The Netherlands, The United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, The United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
.
History
In 2002, accelerating the development of renewable energyRenewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
and energy efficiency
Efficient energy use
Efficient energy use, sometimes simply called energy efficiency, is the goal of efforts to reduce the amount of energy required to provide products and services. For example, insulating a home allows a building to use less heating and cooling energy to achieve and maintain a comfortable temperature...
technologies was one of the priorities of a large group of countries at the WSSD. The REEEP was initiated by the UK together with other committed governments, businesses and NGOs to deliver WSSD commitments and beyond, in particular to take forward the key recommendations of the G8
G8
The Group of Eight is a forum, created by France in 1975, for the governments of seven major economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In 1997, the group added Russia, thus becoming the G8...
Renewable Energy Task Force.
From January 2003 until May 2004, the REEEP was housed within the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO is a British government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom overseas, created in 1968 by merging the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office.The head of the FCO is the...
(FCO) where it continued following the UN Type II partnership process of stakeholder consultation. In June 2004, the REEEP obtained formal, legal status as an international NGO and has since been located at the UN complex in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
.
Project activities
Since its inception as an independent entity, REEEP has offered funding to a total of 150 projects. The most recent 21 of these were announced on 30th June 2011. The majority of projects have targeted emerging marketsEmerging markets
Emerging markets are nations with social or business activity in the process of rapid growth and industrialization. Based on data from 2006, there are around 28 emerging markets in the world . The economies of China and India are considered to be the largest...
such as India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. REEEP projects are concentrated in two key areas of low-carbon energy development:
- Policy and regulation: promoting clear government policies and favourable, transparent and stable regulatory frameworks that will encourage long-term investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency
- Innovative finance and business models: supporting new forms of financing, risk mitigation and investment funds to make small-sized renewable and energy efficient projects bankable.
Policy and regulation
REEEP finances projects which promote policy and regulatory frameworks that provide stable, long-term conditions for market development, but does not promote a ‘one size fits all’ approach. Examples of projects funded in this area include:- a UNDP initiative to formulate a renewable energy law in Kazakhstan (passed in June 2009)
- the drafting of an Energy Framework for Namibia that includes favourable provisions for renewable energy and energy efficient technologies
- establishing the mechanics for the interstate trading of renewable energy certificates (RECs) in India
- a roadmap showing what proportion of China's 2030 energy needs could be met with renewables
Innovative financing and business models
The economics of renewables and energy efficiencyEfficient energy use
Efficient energy use, sometimes simply called energy efficiency, is the goal of efforts to reduce the amount of energy required to provide products and services. For example, insulating a home allows a building to use less heating and cooling energy to achieve and maintain a comfortable temperature...
- the size, the cost structure and the longer return of investment - make it necessary to develop special finance mechanisms, particularly in emerging markets and developing countries. REEEP supports projects that create new sources of finance with local institutions, as well as projects that develop ways to bundle small projects to a bankable size, leverage local capital markets, reduce transaction costs and manage risk.
Examples of projects funded in this area include:
- the creation of the E+CoE+CoE+Co is a non-governmental organization based in Bloomfield, NJ, that makes clean energy investments in developing countries. E+Co has 6 regional offices in Africa, Asia and Central America. The company's name is pronounced, "E and Co"....
West Africa Modern Energy Fund to mobilise $12 million in investment in 76 clean energy small and medium sized enterprises in Ghana, Mali and Senegal. - training of local experts in Brazil, China, India and South Africa in Gold Standard high-quality Verified Emissions Reductions (VERs), to open carbon finance income streams for clean energy projects in these markets
- the establishment of a retail supply chain for clean energy appliances such as solar-powered LED lanterns in rural villages of Karnataka state in India
- the expansion of the Private Financing Advisory Network (PFAN), a coaching and investor matchmaking service for small clean energy entrepreneurs, to include Mozambique and Uganda
8th Programme Cycle
On June 30th, 2011 REEEP announced that it will fund 21 low-carbon energy projects in its eighth programme cycle, making for a total of 150 REEEP-funded projects to date. A further seven projects were waitlisted for review and possible support.In line with 2012 being proclaimed the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All, 11 of the new projects target South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, the two regions where energy poverty is most acute.
Just under half of the newly funded projects support the development of policies and regulations, including support for creating performance and labelling standards for LED lighting in Ghana, and for a regional initiative to establish household appliance energy labelling programmes in eight West African countries including the Ivory Coast, Niger and Senegal.
Five projects specifically target low-carbon development in China, including a study on a national-level carbon trading framework with the Energy Research Institute of the NDRC, and a smart grids study on how to integrate an increasing share of renewables into the Chinese electricity network, led by the China Electric Power Research Institute.
Four of the 21 new projects replicate or scale up successful initiatives previously funded by REEEP. The eighth programme cycle will also include support for optimising the bus rapid transit system in Jakarta, the organisation’s first project in Indonesia.
Strategic initiatives
To complement its project activities, REEEP supports several major strategic initiatives.REIL
In line with the emphasis on policy and regulation, REEEP also supports The Renewable Energy and International Law (REIL) sub-network of legal and technical experts in providing analysis of the barriers and opportunities in international law. REIL has ongoing commissioned work on marine issues, climate changeClimate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
, biodiversity
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
, waste, investment and trade law, grid connection
Grid connection
In electrical grids, a power system network integrates transmission grids, distribution grids, distributed generators and loads that have connection points called busses. A bus in home circuit breaker panels is much smaller than those used on the grid, where busbars can be 50 mm in diameter...
, and Tradable Renewable Energy Certificates (Green certificate
Green certificate
A Green Certificate - terminology used in Europe - also known as Renewable Energy Certificates in the USA, are a tradable commodity proving that certain electricity is generated using renewable energy sources. Typically one certificate represents generation of 1 Megawatthour of electricity...
s).
SERN
To facilitate sharing amongst regulators on policy and regulatory mechanisms, REEEP supports the Sustainable Energy Regulators Network (SERN) which comprises regulatory bodies, government departments, energy companies, NGOs and researchers. A best practice policy compendium on renewable energyRenewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
and energy efficiency
Efficient energy use
Efficient energy use, sometimes simply called energy efficiency, is the goal of efforts to reduce the amount of energy required to provide products and services. For example, insulating a home allows a building to use less heating and cooling energy to achieve and maintain a comfortable temperature...
has been developed to share U.S. state and local level practices with emerging markets. In cooperation with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization
United Nations Industrial Development Organization
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization , French/Spanish acronym ONUDI, is a specialized agency in the United Nations system, headquartered in Vienna, Austria...
(UNIDO), SERN has also developed training courses and seminars for regulators.
EEC
The Energy Efficiency Coalition (EEC) is a network of stakeholders established by REEEP to help draw together initiatives in the diverse energy efficiency field and to promote real action on the ground. Its priority area of focus is on buildings, which account for 40% of world energy use, according to the WBCSD Energy Efficiency in Buildings project.In Spring 2009, the EEC brought together the major energy efficiency stakeholders in Mexico to sign a joint MoU committing the organisations to the development of a joint action plan to implement energy efficiency in buildings at state and municipal level across Mexico. The signatories include The National Commission for Energy Efficiency (CONUEE), the National Network of State Energy Commission (RENACE), and the Association for Energy Efficiency in Buildings (AEAEE). This approach could form a model for other countries such as Brazil in promoting energy efficiency in buildings.
reegle
reegleReegle
reegle is an internet search engine specifically covering the fields of renewable energy and energy efficiency. It was originally developed in 2005 by REEEP and REN21 as a public resource, with funding from the governments of :...
(with a lower-case r) is a clean energy information portal designed to provide easy access to highly reliable information on renewable energy
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
and energy efficiency
Efficient energy use
Efficient energy use, sometimes simply called energy efficiency, is the goal of efforts to reduce the amount of energy required to provide products and services. For example, insulating a home allows a building to use less heating and cooling energy to achieve and maintain a comfortable temperature...
. The website draws information from eight different open data sources such as the World Bank, UNdata, OpenEI, the CIA Factbook, and the REEEP Sustainable Energy Regulation Network publications to provide deep understanding of energy issues.
The portal has four main components:
- country energy profiles that bring energy statistics together with current policies, regulations and stakeholder contact information together in one single dossier for each nation
- a climate change glossary and thesaurus covering the broad fields of climate change mitigation, adaptation, international development, incorporating 1700 terms with links to synonyms as well as broader and narrower terms.
- a clean energy web search which offers a "mind map" based search refinement
- a catalogue of key stakeholders involved in renewable energy and energy efficiency. This contains information and links to governmental ministries, companies and other green organisations, cross-referenced by geographical area and subject matter.
reegle was developed by REEEP in collaboration with REN21
REN21
REN21, the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century, is a policy network that provides a forum for international leadership in renewable energy policy, in order to share knowledge and facilitate the rapid growth of renewable energy technologies in developing countries and industrialised...
, and was funded by the governments of Germany, Netherlands, United Kingdom.
Partners
Currently REEEP has more than 350 partners, 45 of which are governments, including all the G7 countries and key government agencies from India and China, other emerging markets and the developing world. Partners also include a broad range of businesses, NGOs and civil society organisations.REEEP operates in a "universe" of many players, and collaborates with many other international structures and organisations to maximise replication and minimise duplication of efforts. Among many other organisations, REEEP is actively engaged with the International Renewable Energy Agency
International Renewable Energy Agency
The International Renewable Energy Agency was founded in 2009 to promote widespread and increased adoption and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy. IRENA facilitates access to all relevant renewable energy information, including technical data...
(IRENA), the International Energy Agency
International Energy Agency
The International Energy Agency is a Paris-based autonomous intergovernmental organization established in the framework of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in 1974 in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis...
(IEA), MEDREP, the Global Village Energy Partnership (GVEP), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization
United Nations Industrial Development Organization
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization , French/Spanish acronym ONUDI, is a specialized agency in the United Nations system, headquartered in Vienna, Austria...
(UNIDO), CLASP, the Johannesburg Renewable Energy Coalition
Johannesburg Renewable Energy Coalition
The Johannesburg Renewable Energy Coalition, also known as JREC, is the group of countries supporting the Declaration on The Way Forward on Renewable Energy , made at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa, in September 2002....
(JREC), GNESD, EREC, NAIMA, EURIMA, e-parliament
E-Parliament
The e-Parliament is a non-profit organization that links together the world's democratic members of parliament and congress into a single forum...
and GFSE.
Regional Secretariats
REEEP has five Regional Secretariats around the world which ensure that the partnership's activities are relevant to and driven by local/regional demands. These Secretariats are hosted by organisations that share REEEP's commitment to clean energy development. They also serve as a coordinators of regional capacity buildingCapacity building
Capacity building also referred to as capacity development is a conceptual approach to development that focuses on understanding the obstacles that inhibit people, governments, international organizations and non-governmental organizations from realizing their developmental goals while enhancing...
initiatives, function as information clearing houses, and identify key project opportunities for REEEP.
See also
- International Renewable Energy AgencyInternational Renewable Energy AgencyThe International Renewable Energy Agency was founded in 2009 to promote widespread and increased adoption and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy. IRENA facilitates access to all relevant renewable energy information, including technical data...
- World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD)Earth Summit 2002The World Summit on Sustainable Development, WSSD or Earth Summit 2002 took place in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 26 August to 4 September 2002. It was convened to discuss sustainable development by the United Nations. WSSD gathered a number of leaders from business and non-governmental...
- reegle - the information gateway for renewable energy and energy efficiencyReeglereegle is an internet search engine specifically covering the fields of renewable energy and energy efficiency. It was originally developed in 2005 by REEEP and REN21 as a public resource, with funding from the governments of :...
- Energy and Environmental Security Initiative (EESI)Energy and Environmental Security Initiative (EESI)Established in 2003, the Energy and Environmental Security Initiative is an interdisciplinary Research & Policy Institute located at the University of Colorado Law School. The fundamental mission of EESI is to serve as an interdisciplinary research and policy center concerning the development and...
- International Energy Agency (IEA)International Energy AgencyThe International Energy Agency is a Paris-based autonomous intergovernmental organization established in the framework of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in 1974 in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis...
- Johannesburg Renewable Energy Coalition (JREC)Johannesburg Renewable Energy CoalitionThe Johannesburg Renewable Energy Coalition, also known as JREC, is the group of countries supporting the Declaration on The Way Forward on Renewable Energy , made at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa, in September 2002....
- Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21)REN21REN21, the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century, is a policy network that provides a forum for international leadership in renewable energy policy, in order to share knowledge and facilitate the rapid growth of renewable energy technologies in developing countries and industrialised...
- E-ParliamentE-ParliamentThe e-Parliament is a non-profit organization that links together the world's democratic members of parliament and congress into a single forum...
- United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)United Nations Industrial Development OrganizationThe United Nations Industrial Development Organization , French/Spanish acronym ONUDI, is a specialized agency in the United Nations system, headquartered in Vienna, Austria...
- World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBSCD)World Business Council for Sustainable DevelopmentThe World Business Council for Sustainable Development is a CEO-led, global association of some 200 international companies dealing exclusively with business and sustainable development....
- Renewable energy commercializationRenewable energy commercializationRenewable energy commercialization involves the deployment of three generations of renewable energy technologies dating back more than 100 years. First-generation technologies, which are already mature and economically competitive, include biomass, hydroelectricity, geothermal power and heat...
External links
- Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP)
- reegle - search engine for clean energy
- REEEP Southern Africa Secretariat
- Energy Brokers UK
- The Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP) Tackles Energy Poverty
- IRENA
- RES - The School for Renewable Energy Science
- renewable energy news and switching