REN21 Renewables Academy 2014 Distributed Renewable Energy

renewable energy can no longer be looked at as a small industry. Over the last decade more and more private or private-public ventures have emerged as key players in decentralised markets. Increasing awareness of the profitability of the decentralised energy markets and potential business opportunities have led to the arrival of a variety of new business models for off-grid renewables. With pay-as-you-go systems, franchising, and innovative distribution channels, some of these new approaches have become cost-effective alternatives for providing energy services in regions lacking grid most systems to date are only prototypes or employed on a small-scale, the distributed renewable energy (DRE) industry has gone through significant changes in the last five years; growing from a cottage industry to one with worldwide revenues of $100 billion and rising. Profitable business models and clear leaders have emerged, and along have come opportunities. So with all the right ingredients in place, why does DRE lag behind other applications? Is it because the perception of investment risk relegates the funding of DRE to international aid? Is it because of political and social hurdles or is it yet something else? The session aims to:- Provide participants with an overview of the decentralised energy Identify the challenges of a DRE Outline what is needed to speed up the implementation of rural energy Identify what it is that decision makers need to bring about change. – Define how the REN21 community can support and track the progress of uptake and their feasibility in other speaker:Davidson Ogunlade, Sierra LeoneModerator:Tania Rdiger-Vorwerk , BMZPanelists:Bozhil Kondev, GIZLl Marandin, Renovables NicaraguaKanika Chawla, CEEWSena Alouka, Jeune Volontaires de lEnvironnement, Togo