African Energy Ministerial: Workshop

Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa, September 14, 2011

This side event to the African Ministerial Conference on Energy Access, comprised a one day workshop providing a wide gamut of training tools for sustainable energy development. This page contains the agenda, presentations, training materials, audio recordings and relevant web links of the training exercise.

Structure and Organization of the Workshop

The welcome addresses was given by the hosts of the Africa Energy Ministers Conference. For each topic, an expert made a substantive presentation which was followed by an interactive discussion with the workshop participants. The presentation is formulated as a response to a specific problem or challenge. Supporting material (guidebooks, toolkits, training material, and other publications) is provided as links in the sidebar.

Workshop Sessions

Energy Efficiency Policy Development
Renewable Energy Technology, Policy and Markets
Climate Finance Primer: Supporting Green Growth
Preparing Proposals & Business Plans for Financing
Technology Needs Assessment Training
Measuring Energy Poverty
Capacity Building in Energy Planning
Interactive Demonstration of the Clean Energy Solutions Center

Sessions Synopsis

Overview of the IEA’s Energy Training and Capacity Building Programme for developing countries and emerging economies

• Purpose and objectives of IEA training
• Training themes and formats
• On-going engagement

Energy Efficiency Policy Development

The IEA promotes energy efficiency policy and technology in buildings, appliances, transport and industry, as well as end-use applications such as lighting. Our analysis identifies best-practice, highlighting the possibilities for energy efficiency improvements and policy approaches to realise the full potential of energy efficiency for our Member countries.

The training session will cover the following topics:

• Fundamentals of energy efficiency policy design
• Delivery frameworks for energy efficiency policy
• Measuring the results of energy efficiency policies
• Developing energy efficiency strategies and action plans
• Mobilizing investment
• Mobilizing donor support


Renewable Energy Technology, Policy and Markets

The IEA’s renewable energy division’s work focuses on 3 main areas:

Technology Assessment: This has led to the production of a number of Global Roadmaps for Renewable Energy Technologies including those on wind, solar PV, Solar CSP and geothermal. Additional roadmaps on hydro, bioenergy for heat and power and solar water heating will be published later this year.

Policy Reviews: The IEA published Deploying Renewables: Principles for Effective Policies in 2008. An update of this publication will be published in the autumn 2011, based on a comprehensive policy database which includes details of renewable energy policies in 57 countries.

Integration Issues: A report on how variable renewables can best be integrated into national electricity supplies was published earlier in 2011. (Harnessing Variable Renewables)
The training session will cover the following topics:

• Overview of renewable energy – benefits and drivers
• Renewable energy technologies and deployment trends
- Brief review of Technologies for Electricity, Heat and Biofuels
- Global Deployment trends
- Costs and cost trends
- Opportunities for Deployment in Africa
- Methodology for Prioritisation
• Renewable energy policies
- Barriers to deployment
- Policies to encourage deployment (including the IEA Policy Effectiveness Indicator)
- Importance of calling non-economic barriers
- Policy Best Practice
- Integrating Renewables (including an overview of the IEA FAST tool)

Climate Finance Primer: Supporting Green Growth

The World Development Report (WDR) 2010 estimated that an additional US$200 billion per year climate-related financing is needed in developing countries between now and 2030 to keep global average temperature rise within 2 degrees Centigrade. Developing countries face increased financing challenges over coming decades as they seek to pursue economic development along a lower emission trajectory. Recognizing these needs, developed countries have pledged to provide US$30 billion in fast-track finance for developing countries by 2012 and mobilize long-term finance under the Green Climate Fund.

As the climate finance landscape rapidly evolves, a growing menu of instruments is becoming available. The Climate Finance Options platform addresses information needs on the multitude of funds available for climate action in developing countries. Based on the UNFCCC framework, the platform is composed of two complementary domains, led by UNFCCC and by UNDP/World Bank Group, both of which ultimately aim to help catalyze financial and investment flows leading to more effective and efficient mitigation and adaptation measures. This training will provide a brief introduction to this platform and an overview of the climate finance state-of-play.

Preparing Proposals & Business Plans for Financing

Market barriers are considered to be one of the main obstacles to the deployment and diffusion of climate-friendly technologies, particularly in developing countries. One of the challenges faced by project developers is how ideas can be transformed into sound project proposals and how the required financing for implementation can be secured. Matching good project ideas with the needs of financial providers, both public and private, is an important element in lowering market barriers.

The aim of the guidebook on Preparing Technology Transfer Projects for Financing is to assist project developers in developing countries and other stakeholders in preparing financing proposals that will meet the standards of international finance providers. Better projects, increased funding and shorter funding cycles can be achieved through tools, such as financial software, that are accessible to both project developers and finance providers. During the session, experience and principles regarding capacity building of proposal champions and resource providers will be discussed, as well as the potential of distance learning and mentoring to increase volume and quality.

Technology Needs Assessment Training

Technology can be a powerful solution for simultaneously addressing climate change and advancing development. If the process of technology development, diffusion and transfer is designed and implemented effectively, it will generate significant opportunities to address climate change and promote sustainable, innovation-based growth. As such, choices we make on technology selection and investments will have profound and long-term impacts on our societies.

The Technology Needs Assessment (TNA) Handbook is designed to assist countries in making informed decisions in their technology choices. Building on lessons from earlier TNA efforts over the past decade, it offers a systematic approach for conducting technology needs assessments in order to identify, evaluate and prioritize technological means for both mitigation and adaptation. It also provides processes and methodologies for uncovering gaps in enabling frameworks and capacities and for formulating a national action plan to overcome them, as part of overall climate change strategies and plans such as Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMA) and National Adaptation Programmes of Actions (NAPA).

Measuring Energy Poverty

The provision of modern energy services is recognised as a critical foundation for sustainable development, and is central to the everyday lives of people. Effective policies to dramatically expand modern energy access need to be grounded in a robust information-base. Metrics that can be used for comparative purposes and to track progress towards targets therefore represent an essential support tool. Ambitious and dedicated action requires international, regional and national political commitment that goes beyond abstraction and sets out targets and associated benchmarks. Good quality statistical data is a prerequisite to managing for results.

There are a number of tools to quantify energy access. As a complement to existing metrics, a new composite index of energy poverty – the Multidimensional Energy Poverty Index (MEPI) – will be presented. Both the associated methodology and initial results for several African countries will be showcased. Whereas most existing indicators and composite indices focus on assessing the access to energy, or the degree of development related to energy, the new index focuses on the deprivation of access to modern energy services. It captures both the incidence and intensity of energy poverty, and provides a new tool to support policymaking.

Capacity Building in Energy Planning

Comprehensive energy systems planning aims at ensuring that energy related policy and investment decisions consider all possible energy supply and demand-side options, and are consistent with overall goals for national sustainable development. Governments hold the primary responsibility for ensuring that long term planning adequately accounts for all sustainability aspects of energy demand and supply. They have a critical role in creating the policy framework that permit players and stakeholders in the energy sector to actively participate in development, operation and evolution of effective, efficient and environmentally benign energy systems.

A necessary prerequisite, however, is the existence of national energy planning capability (capacity). Comprehensive planning capacity increases a country’s ability to anticipate and respond to the rapid changes occurring — and new issues arising — in the energy system. The value of this asset increases over time, as experts gain experience in applying their skills, build the local knowledge base and forge relationships with stakeholders from diverse sectors.

The IAEA has a long history and experience in assisting countries in building capacity in the area of national and regional energy systems analysis and planning. Upon request, experts in interested countries receive the tools and training for (a) developing a set of national models, i.e., how to create a mathematical (model) image of the current energy system including infrastructures and their vintages, energy flows through the economy, domestic energy resource endowment, energy, economic and environmental performance characteristics and energy export-imports; (b) adding future demand and supply options; (c) introducing policy objectives and constraints; and (d) analyzing national options and interpreting results with a view on policy and decision making.

Interactive Demonstration of the Clean Energy Solutions Center

The Clean Energy Solutions Center helps governments turn clean energy visions into reality. The Solutions Center represents as a platform to share policy best practices, data, and analysis tools across countries, and serves as a first-stop clearinghouse of clean energy resources. The Solutions Center also offers training and “live” expert assistance to help countries tailor solutions to their needs and foster international collaboration on policy innovations.

The Clean Energy Solutions Center, an initiative of the Clean Energy Ministerial and UN-Energy, seeks to harness expertise and resources around the world and partners with a large number of countries and international initiatives. Its prime objective is to accelerate the transition to clean energy. The Clean Energy Solutions Center supports the implementation of national clean energy policies by presenting in one place the collective experience—and clean energy resources—of participating countries.

The Solutions Center offers a variety of online training resources, including videos, webinars, and other training resources on priority policy topics that countries can adapt for their own use. These services currently focus primarily on renewable energy financial incentives and appliance and equipment efficiency programs but will be expanded over time to address additional energy policy needs.