Rural Electrification with renewable technologies: quality standards and business models.
The Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE) launched their most recent publication: Rural Electrification with Renewable Energy: Technologies, Quality Standards and Business Models. Taping into its members’ experience in developing countries, ARE aims to contribute to the decision-makers, potential investors, project promoters and the general public’s knowledge of renewable off-grid technologies.
From small individual installations to village or island grids, from PV to small wind or hydro, renewables offer a wide range of options. This publication includes an overview of these solutions, their advantages and challenges, all backed by concrete case studies. It also includes insights into quality standards, maintenance advices and business models.
In a language accessible to non-experts, ARE aims to support decision-makers in making an informed energy-related choice. A choice that considers not only the technological angle, but also the social and environmental factors influencing it, ultimately leading to the best solution for individual communities. For the first time the publication will also make available the contact details of ARE’s members working in the different sectors.
At the launch event, Simon Rolland, ARE’s Secretary General said, “Over 30 years experience in the area already allow us to know the most common causes of project failure, namely poor project design and management, lack of qualified technical assistance and engineering, lack of component quality and inadequate financing and regulatory frameworks. Only a part of these are directly related to technology, but all could benefit from more information.”
Michel Wollny, Director, Business Development Off-Grid at SMA, the event’s Gold Sponsor, said, “ARE informs stakeholders on the requirements for successful renewable energy off-grid projects. In doing so, ARE gives the floor to start business with local actors in the developing countries and preparing the ground for the RE markets of the future.”
To access the full study: please click here.
Hybrid Mini-Grid for Rural Electrification: Lessons Learned
Hybrid Mini-Grid for Rural Electrification: Lessons Learned
Currently around 1.5 billion people worldwide live without access to electricity, and without a concerted effort, this number is not likely to drop. Grid extension is often highly costly and not feasible in isolated rural areas, or is unlikely to be accomplished within the medium term in many areas. In such situations, electricity mini-grids can power household use and local businesses.
They provide centralized electricity generation at the local level using a village distribution network and, when fed with renewable or hybrid systems, increase access to electricity without undermining the fight against climate change.
Members of the Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE) have been involved in the implementation of hundreds of mini-grid projects around the world. The lessons learned from these projects, which are summarized in this report, provide insights on the key issues that must be considered to devise sustainable, replicable models for the scale-up of hybrid mini-grids.
Implementing sustainable hybrid mini-grids involves complex technical, financial and organizational issues which must address the end-users and their needs, capacity building and training, tariff and subsidy setting, and institutional strength.
This Study was financed by the USAID.
Click here to download the Study's Executive Summary (free).
ARE members who would like the full version, please contact the Secretariat.
For all non-members a charge applies, please contact the Secretariat if interested:
- 25 Euros for digital version
- 30 Euros for digital + hardcopy (each)
Best practices of the Alliance for Rural Electrification: what renewable energy can achieve in developing countries
A report by the Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE) – Best Practice of ARE: What Renewable Energy Can Achieve In Developing Countries – showcases the diverse actions the renewable energy industry is undertaking as a response to the particular conditions and energy needs of rural areas in developing nations.
The report is a comprehensive collection of best practice case-studies in the use of renewable energy for rural electrification across the globe. They cover a wide range of technologies, geographical locations, financial support mechanisms, and consumer-tariff schemes.
They prove that renewables can provide enough sustainable, reliable, clean electricity to support the creation of local business in large population areas, while also being able to reach the most dispersed rural communities. Examples include water pumping using solar energy to supply potable water to 653 communities across Nigeria and the installation of a PV-Wind hybrid power system for a village in Tibet.
Commenting of this new publication, Simon Rolland, ARE’s Secretariat General said: “These projects show the diversity and the potential of renewable energy solutions in developing countries. Reliable, cost effective and sustainable energy solutions exist and are being implemented every day worldwide. Access to energy is a prerequisite for development, not a result.”
To download the Report, click here.
Best practices of the Alliance for Rural Electrification: what renewable energy can achieve in developing countries
The publication “Best practices of the Alliance for Rural Electrification: what renewable energy can achieve in developing countries” presents the hands-on experience of ARE members. It highlights best practice examples of renewable energy projects in Latin America, Africa and Asia. The projects demonstrate that renewable energy lends itself for tailor made solutions under various natural conditions and for all scales of rural energy demands.
Click on the image on the left to see and donwload this Position Paper. Paper versions are also available upon request, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Green light for renewable energies in developing countries
The publication “Green light for renewable energies in developing countries” underpins how development and access to electricity are intertwined.
It highlights the pros and cons of various technologies. Cost breakdowns show that renewable energy is under most circumstances a very cost effective energy source. It recommends policies and financing schemes which can boost sustainable rural electrification.
Click on the image on the left to see and donwload this Position Paper. Paper versions are also available upon request, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Renewable Energy Technologies for rural electrification - The role of the private sector
"Renewable Energy Technologies for Rural Electrification - The role of the Private Sector":
ARE has developed this important statement to reflect what the industry is doing for rural electrification in terms of products, services and financing, what are the challenges ahead (based on the industry experience) and what is the role of ARE vis-à-vis to this industry.
The Paper has been circulated among ARE supporters and has been fully backed up by all our members and a number of relevant industries within the field of rural electrification.
A joint position of some of the most important industry actors presenting commercially viable and field proven renewable energy technologies for rural electrification, and experience based recommendations, will constitute a powerful instrument to impulse the sector and to get
the messages of ARE across to the right people.
Therefore, this statement will be widely distributed to, among others, the European Institutions, international and financial organizations, development banks, donors and different regional, national and local authorities to provide the views of the industry and the importance of assessing the challenges of rural electrification that are currently preventing the development of healthy decentralized energy.
Click on the image on the left to see and donwload this Position Paper. Paper versions are also available upon request, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Hybrid power systems based on renewable energies: a suitable and cost-competitive solution for rural electrification
The Working Group on Technological Solutions is composed by experts coming from different renewable energy sectors that have agreed to work together in order to provide suitable technological solutions for rural electrification already adapted to market needs.
The first assignment of this Group was to identify suitable technological configurations for hybrid power systems based on renewable energies, including O&M, training and transfer of technology.
A Working Plan has been defined accordingly together with a set of deliverables to be produced by the Group. The first deliverable of this Working Group introduces the principal technological configurations for hybrid power systems based on renewable energies as one of the most cost-competitive and suitable solutions for rural electrification.
Click on the image on the left to see and donwload this Position Paper. Paper versions are also available upon request, please do not hesitate to contact us.
In partnership with the WG4 of the EU PV Platform
Under the EU PV technology Platform funded by the European Commission and globally managed by EPIA, the Alliance is in charge of the Working Groups 4 on Renewable Technologies for developing countries. The main objective of the WG4 is to support the development of PV throughout of the world, firstly off-grid but also grid connected. The main achievement of the group has been the definition of a financial concept developed by the group in partnership with the European Joint Research Centre and ARE to foster the development of sustainable and profitable rural electrification projects worldwide.
This powerful scheme based on the adaptation of the traditional Feed-in Tariff concept for developing countries is called the Regulated Purchase Tariff (RTP) and has been designed to be a cost-effective mechanism to achieve different purposes, such as to provide sustainable and affordable electricity based on RE to local users of developing countries.
Two crucial documents have, so far, been developed by this Group on the RPT, a report: “A new scheme for the promotion of Renewable energies in developing countries”