From 31 October – 1 November 2018, the fourth edition of the International Off-grid Renewable Energy Conference and Exhibition (IOREC) takes place in Singapore. The conference, organized by the International Renewable Energy Agency, is the global platform for sharing experience and best practices on off-grid energy systems and brings together experts from governments, private sector, NGOs and other institutions. Hivos will also attend the meeting and take part in several side events to emphasize the importance of decentralized renewable energy (DRE) solutions for energy access.
Hivos will engage in the following events:
Harnessing off-grid renewables for energy access and Sustainable Development Goals
Plenary
Organizers: IRENA
Date and time: Wednesday 31 October, 10:00 – 11:30
Hivos involvement: Carol Gribnau, Director Hivos Green Department, will take seat at the roundtable
The session will bring together policy makers, practitioners and experts from intergovernmental institutions to discuss how the tremendous off-grid renewables opportunity can be harnessed to meet energy access goals and contribute to the wider 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The roundtable discussion will set the stage for participants to elaborate on various countries’ plans and experiences related to energy access and measures necessary to accelerate off-grid systems deployment, highlighting their role in meeting several Sustainable Development Goals. Part of the discussion will focus on the role that governments can play in supporting the private sector in the energy access value chain, thereby facilitating further market development (originally published on IRENA website).
Closing the Human Capital Gap in Energy Access
Side event
Organizers: Power for All and IRENA
Date and time: Wednesday 31 October, 12:45 – 14:30
Hivos involvement: Isaac Mwathi, Program Development Manager Renewable Energy for the East and Southern Africa region, will be panelist
Achieving universal electricity access is not a technology issue but one of the human capital. The collective skills and knowledge of a new generation, especially women and youth, will play an instrumental role in determining our success or failure in ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all (SDG7).
Join Power for All, IRENA, Schneider Electric, Skill Council for Green Jobs and Hivos to discuss the skills and job creation dimension of DRE development.
Inclusive financing frameworks for off-grid renewable energy solutions
Side event
Organizers: Hivos and IRENA
Date and time: Wednesday 31 October, 17:30 – 18.45
Hivos involvement: Organizer and Carol Gribnau, Director Hivos Green Department will moderate the session, and give an introduction on what it means to have inclusive finance (based on Hivos experience)
Access to finance in the off-grid renewable energy sector remains a key barrier to achieve scale. Investments in the sector have grown substantially over the past few years, but have largely been concentrated in a specific region and among selected enterprises.
The session will bring together diverse stakeholders to discuss inclusive financing frameworks that channel financing to where it is needed most.
25 x 25 Collaborative: Market activation for energy access
Side event
Organizer: Practical Action
Date and time: Thursday 1 November, 12:30 – 14:15
Hivos Involvement: Sandra Winarsa, Program Development Manager Renewable Energy for the South East Asia region, will present our experience with Sumba Iconic Island Initiative
Practical Action, Hivos/ENERGIA, Power for All, and SNV have joined forces to urgently accelerate electricity access, through decentralized renewable energy markets, in 25 countries by 2025. The proposed interventions focus on building local capacities for improving policy & regulatory frameworks, increasing access to finance, developing supply performance, and creating demand. The 25×25 Collaborative works in a coordinated effort with government bodies, private sector, financial institutions, civil society organizations, donors and customers, building on its existing local presence and unique expertise in Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa and South & Southeast Asia.
In this session the Collaborative will showcase the work that has been already undertaken, and plan to undertake, in support of Market Activation.
Maximising socio-economic benefits of off-grid renewable energy solutions
Plenary
Date and time: Thursday 1 November, 16:00 – 17:15
Hivos involvement: Sandra Winarsa, Program Development Manager Renewable Energy for the South East Asia region, will highlight how socio-economic benefits can be achieved and optimized by investing in increasing access to renewable energy, based on the Hivos work with Sumba Iconic Island Initiative
The session will explore how energy access is pivotal to the global Sustainable Development Agenda. The panel discussion will particularly focus on how off-grid renewables will positively contribute to the achievement of several Sustainable Energy Goals (SDG) in addition to supporting universal access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy (SDG 7). Particular attention will be paid to the role of off-grid renewable energy applications in improving food security, provision of drinking water, enabling poverty alleviation by facilitating productive uses and other development priorities. The panel will feature representatives from development agencies, governmental entities and NGOs who will present their existing initiatives and explore possible options for future collaborations (originally published on IRENA website).
Follow us during IOREC on this website and on twitter: @HivosEnergy
For more details about our engagement please contact Fred Marree, Program Development Manager Renewable Energy, fmarree@hivos.org
For more information on IOREC, please visit http://iorec.irena.org/.
