Our ongoing projects:
Solar energy for sugarcane irrigation, in Eswatini
The project aims to promote the use of solar energy for irrigation systems for emerging commercial small-scale sugarcane growers in Eswatini in order to contribute towards the national goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the use of carbon rich imported electricity.
Terminal Evaluation of the UNEP/GEF Project “The SEforALL Building Efficiency Accelerator (BEA): Expanding Local Action and Driving National Change (9947)”, in Colombia, India, Mexico, Mongolia, South Africa, Turkey
The project aims to contribute towards common objective of “reducing greenhouse gas emissions by supporting market transformations that would enable a doubling of the energy efficiency improvements in buildings by 2030, by linking global market experience, national policy and local action and capacity building”. The Terminal Evaluation was implemented with a high degree of participation so as to closely engage all relevant project stakeholders towards a learning experience.
Terminal Evaluation of the UNEP/GEF Project “District Energy Systems (9320)”, in Chile, China, India, Serbia
The project objective includes “assisting developing countries and selected cities to accelerate their transition to lower-carbon and climate resilient societies through promoting modern DES”. The project falls within the scope of the DES in Cities Initiative- a global initiative launched by the UN in 2014 as one of six energy efficiency accelerators under the SE4All: Building Efficiency Accelerator, Appliances and Equipment Accelerator, District Energy in Cities Initiative, Global Fuel Economy Initiative, Industrial Energy Accelerator and Efficient Lighting Accelerator.
Green Finance – Market Study and Product Development for Enda Tamweel, in Tunisia
The project aims to support the MFI, Enda Tamweel in Tunisia, to assess the market potential for EE (energy efficiency)/RE (renewable energy) and other resource efficiency measures, enhance its internal capacities in terms of identifying, assessing and managing such a loan portfolio and potentially refine its existing ‘Eco loan’ product or create a new dedicated loan product.
Diagnostic Study for the Introduction of a Market-Based Approach to Ethanol Based Clean Cooking, in Nigeria
This Diagnostic Study aims to formulate strategies for the promotion of clean cooking solutions in Nigeria, specifically ethanol. Combining insights from desk research, end-user surveys and stakeholder interviews, the study analyses end-users cooking fuel use patterns; identifies prospective ethanol sources, along with their potential for sustainable development; explores alternatives for distribution of ethanol and revises the existing policy framework for clean fuels, providing recommendations for accelerating access to clean cooking fuels in the country. The results of this study will provide UNIDO the knowledge required to design market-based approaches to scale up ethanol-based cooking in Nigeria and develop its value chain.
Study to concretize the approaches for the promotion of the private sector/SMEs in the strategic documents of the electricity sector, in Cote d’Ivoire
The project aims to carry out a study under the “Partnership to Encourage Reforms“ umbrella, in which the Ivory Coast and German governments seek to mobilise private investment in the energy sector, particularly in the areas of renewable energy (RE) and energy efficiency (EE). Providing support towards this goal, MEI delivers a concrete approach to stimulate private sector participation in the fields of renewable energy and energy efficiency as described in the strategy documents of the Ivorian Government.
Distributed Energy Scoping Study, in Pakistan
The project ‘Distributed Energy Scoping Study in Pakistan’ aims to provide insights and recommendations to the World Bank and other relevant stakeholders in the public and private sector in Pakistan to support their efforts in the promotion of investments in the distributed energy landscape space. Within this framework MEI conducts an assessment of the global, regional and local Mini-grid and Solar Home System (SHS) landscape and evaluates the challenges and barriers to scale the implementation of these technologies, with the overall objective of developing concrete recommendations for the effective implementation of Mini-grids and SHS in the country.
PeopleSuN, in Nigeria
The project ‘People Power: Optimizing Off-Grid Electricity Supply Systems in Nigeria’, or PeopleSuN, is a highly inter- and transdisciplinary project which seeks to address and bridge the main gaps that hinder the implementation of off-grid solar PV products in underserved rural communities in Nigeria. The project will bring in existing knowledge from various disciplines to the Nigerian and West-African context and share results and tools openly with all stakeholders. PeopleSuN will target the local demand for a better, open simulation toolbox reflecting customer needs and advances in off-grid solar PV technologies by building upon an existing open energy modelling framework that allows direct and open collaboration between researchers and commercial enterprises in Germany and Nigeria.
CARE, in Indonesia
The project “Towards Circular Indonesian AgricultuRE: Promoting Rice Husk-to-Electricity for clean rural electrification (CARE)” promotes the agricultural circular economy in Southeast Asia by delivering sustainable valorisation pathways of rice husks based on German gasification technology. It promotes diesel fuel substitution by gas from small biomass gasification units at decentralised agriculture industry companies in Indonesia by developing suitable business models and developing a strategy for the acceptance of the technology in the Indonesian market.
EcoMicro Grenada Development Bank, in Grenada
This project aims to build climate resilience of micro, small and medium sized enterprises (MSMEs), and low-income households in Grenada, through the development of a green finance product that would support access to RE/EE technologies, piloting both mitigation and adaptation finance along IDB’s EcoMicro Program aimes at building climate resilience of MSMEs and low-income households, through the execution of three mutually reinforcing and interlocking components: (i) Design and implementation of a green finance product; (ii) Assessment of financial institution’s loan portfolio vulnerability to climate change; (iii) Greening the FI through development of environmental guidelines and policies.
Solar Energy Lending, in Afghanistan
The project involves the provision of technical assistance to the First Microfinance Bank of Afghanistan (FMFB-A) to establish a pilot for a solar lending facility, targeted at local households and MSMEs. The scope of the technical assistance includes: (i) A feasibility study of solar lending in Afghanistan; (ii) Development of a Solar Loan Appraisal Software; (iii) Set up of business models for solar loans and capacity building of the bank’s staff in software use and solar loan disbursement. Pilot experience will be used to commercialize solar energy financing at a larger scale or at a country-wide level.
Standards for Solar PV Modules, Batteries and Charge Controllers, in Nigeria
The development of standards for Solar PV Modules, Batteries and Charge Controllers within the Nigerian Energy Support Programme (NESP) aims to create a better regulated and standardised investment-friendly market for Renewable Energy (RE) components in Nigeria. The project analyses the entire RE landscape, including the value chain actors, evaluates existing standards and utilises this knowledge to develop new standards. With the projected increase in the use of energy storage technologies, the project also considers the end-of-life management of used batteries (lead-acid and lithium). Finally, it assists the national partners in developing a Strategic Action Plan for the management of used batteries.