Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership

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File:REEEP Logo Tagline.png
The logo of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP), including tagline "Investing in Clean Energy Markets"

The Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP) is a Vienna-based non-profit, non-governmental organisation that aims to accelerate the marketplace for renewable energy and energy efficiency with a particular emphasis on the emerging markets and developing countries. Its primary focus is the scaling up of clean energy business models.

REEEP was originally launched by the government of the United Kingdom along with other partners at the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in August 2002.

It pursues its market catalyst role in three ways:

  • Funding small-to-medium scale project interventions that address the barriers to market development and assist business models in scaling up
  • Providing internet-based information resources such as www.reegle.info, an information portal for clean energy that is funded jointly with REN21
  • Connecting and supporting champions of clean energy via several sub-networks of stakeholders.

To date the organisation has been funded primarily by governments including: Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, The Netherlands, The United Kingdom, The United States and the European Commission.

Origins

In 2002, accelerating the development of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies was one of the priorities of a large group of countries at the WSSD. Margaret Beckett, then UK Minister for the Environment announced the initiative to form REEEP at the summit’s closing session. It grew from an agreement with other committed governments, businesses and NGOs to deliver WSSD commitments others, in particular to take forward the key recommendations of the G8 Renewable Energy Task Force.

From January 2003 until May 2004, the REEEP was housed within the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) where it continued following the UN Type II Partnership[1] process of stakeholder consultation. In June 2004, REEEP obtained formal, legal non-profit status as an NGO and has since been located at the UN complex in Vienna, Austria.

Project interventions

Since its inception as an independent entity, REEEP has offered funding to more than 180 projects. The majority have targeted emerging markets such as India, China, South Africa and Brazil.

To date, REEEP projects have addressed two key barriers to clean 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 business models 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 efficiency - 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 expand 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+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.
  • 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
  • support for Simpa Networks, a company which offers a pay-as-you go energy solution that combines hardware embedded into a solar system, with software enabling a consumer to buy prepaid energy credits using a mobile phone
  • the implementation of energy efficiency improvements in textile factories in China who supply major international brands such as adidas and H&M

Programme Cycle Overview

Since its founding as an independent entity, REEEP has disbursed a total of €18.6 million of its own funds on 185 projects, and attracted an additional €36.3 million in project co-funding.

From 2003 to 2005, prior to REEEP’s founding as an independent entity, its first and second Programme Cycles funded 48 projects via the Global Opportunities Fund (GOF) of the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) under the REEEP banner.

The third Programme Cycle was the first to be independently managed by REEEP. A total of 18 projects were selected for funding during the year 2005-6. (REEEP operates on a financial year that runs from 1 April to 30 March.) In 2006-7, the fourth and fifth Programme Cycles saw a shift in funding from renewable energy to energy efficiency, and a focus on Africa. 28 projects reached the implementation stage.

The sixth Programme Cycle funded 35 projects in July 2007, and the seventh Cycle followed in May 2009, funding a further 48. In June 2011, REEEP announced the funding of 25 projects in its 8th Programme Cycle, targeting Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, South Africa and selected sub-Saharan African countries.

In addition to REEEP-funded projects, during autumn 2011, REEEP issued a joint call for proposals with the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID), specifically targeting energy access in Least Developed Countries. In February 2012, the funding of three rural energy access projects in Cambodia, Ethiopia and Tanzania was announced.

9th Programme Cycle

On 9 January 2013, REEEP announced that it will fund 28 new projects in its 9th funding cycle. These were selected from 98 final proposals and cover five thematic areas: scaling up successful business models, supporting off-grid generation, harnessing the benefits of clean energy in both food production and in reliable water supply, and opening up energy data in emerging markets.[2]

Internet-based resources

reegle.info

reegle (with a lower-case r) is a clean energy information portal designed to provide easy access to highly reliable information on renewable energy and energy efficiency. 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 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 1,700 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, and was funded by the governments of Germany, Netherlands, United Kingdom. As of March 2012, the website attracted an average of 220,000 users per month. During 2011, 59% of its users came from Africa and Asia, underlining the site’s character as an information resource for developing countries and emerging markets.

reegle is an advocate of the Linked Open Data movement, which seeks to make public data available on the web in open formats that are machine-readable.

reegle tagging API

The reegle tagging API is a cost-free tagging tool for those publishing online resources in the clean energy and climate sectors. It automatically scans and tags online documents consistently, and can also be used to suggest related documents from all items already indexed using the tool.

Strategic sub-networks

To assist in activating stakeholders, 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) provides a forum for senior level legal and technical experts to gather for discussions, and commissions studies that provide analyses of the barriers and opportunities in international law. REIL has ongoing commissioned work on marine issues, climate change, biodiversity, waste, investment and trade law, grid connection, and Tradable Renewable Energy Certificates (Green certificates).

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.

SERN publishes a policy and regulatory review outlining regulatory institutions and mechanisms relevant to RE and EE for more than 168 countries. A best practice policy compendium on renewable energy and energy efficiency has been developed to share U.S. state and local level practices with emerging markets.[3] In cooperation with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (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 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.

Partners

Currently REEEP has 385 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 range of businesses, NGOs and civil society organisations.

REEEP operates in a "universe" of players, and collaborates with other international structures and organisations to maximise replication and minimise duplication of efforts. Among other organisations, REEEP is actively engaged with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the International Energy Agency (IEA), MEDREP, the Global Village Energy Partnership [4] (GVEP), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), CLASP, the Johannesburg Renewable Energy Coalition (JREC), GNESD, EREC, NAIMA, EURIMA, e-parliament 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 concern with clean energy development. They also serve as a coordinators of regional capacity building initiatives, function as information clearing houses, and identify key project opportunities for REEEP.

See also

References

  1. ↑ United Nations Division for Sustainable Development - Partnerships for Sustainable Development
  2. ↑ A list of the projects funded is available at: http://www.reeep.org/news/reeep-awards-395-million-euros-28-clean-energy-projects-19-countries
  3. ↑ [1]
  4. ↑ http://www.gvepinternational.org

External links

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