ALBERT

Description: The DAAD TU Berlin Alumni Online Seminar, Energy Transition in Africa – Cooperations and Networks to Strengthen North-South and South-South Interventions, was organized by the TU Berlin Alumni Program, in cooperation with TUB Institute for Energy Engineering and HEDERA Sustainable Solutions, and in partnership with the African Center of Excellence in Energy for Sustainable Development from the University of Rwanda and Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies in Potsdam (IASS). The seminar was held October 25-29, 2021. It aimed to explore the lessons learnt, challenges, and outlook for transdisciplinary and transnational cooperation in the energy sector in Africa, in view of the expected population growth, climatic and public health-related issues, and ongoing policies and initiatives to improve energy access.

Description: What kind of help do remote rural villages in developing countries need to sustainably improve their infrastructure? What is the state of electricity supply and services, the availability and quality of cooking solutions, and the quality of water access in these settlements? Is there a nexus between access to basic services and nutrition in these areas? And, if a project is implemented, how can progress made at the household level be monitored, reported, and evaluated? These questions are at the heart of the project "Action-Based & Impact-Driven Research: Establishing Collaborative Frameworks for Researchers, Impact Makers, and Sustainable Entrepreneurs (IMPACT-R)."

Description: The Argentinean electricity sector remains concentrated in a few actors and is highly dependent on fossil fuels. We discuss in our blogpost the opportunities and barriers to supporting micro-scale renewable energy projects, which can directly benefit families and small businesses throughout the country.

Description: In April 2021, under the “IMPACT R” project, IASS Potsdam and HEDERA Sustainable Solutions GmbH in Berlin, together with University of Rwanda and Sustainable Villages Foundation (SVF), conducted a household survey in two villages in Rwanda. SVF has started an integrated village development pilot project in those two villages and wanted to better understand the local populations’ needs and establish a baseline for impact measurement, in order to track the project’s progress over time. In parallel, focus group discussions and key stakeholder interviews were carried out. The main results are as follows: Over 80 % of households get their main income from agriculture, largely on small plots. Two-thirds of the households have USD 45 or less to spend on a 5-person family, on average. There is no public electricity grid. Half of the households have access to very basic electricity through solar systems; the other half has none at all. Over 90 % of households use wood and open fire pits or handmade clay stoves for cooking, mostly indoors, causing deforestation and health problems because of the smoke. There is no public or private drinking water supply. Villagers collect rainwater and/or surface water, which has to be carried over several kilometers by adults and children. The water is dirty and not treated before drinking in one-third of households, which triggers diseases. Only 26 % of households are classified as food-secure, whereas 15.5 % are above the severe food insecurity threshold. A significant percentage of the inhabitants does not eat a balanced diet due to lack of resources. The local community especially emphasized the need for: Priority 1: Safe drinking water Priority 2: Electricity Priority 3: Clean cooking devices Another severe challenge is poverty in general. There is a shortage of food in terms of quantity and quality for a significant portion of the population. This is caused by households’ limited financial capacity and insufficient agricultural yield due to the absence of water for irrigation and inefficient agricultural techniques. Furthermore, teacher qualification in English and information technology (IT) is not satisfactory, and the primary school has no electricity in most of the classrooms and no computers. Professional training options are only offered far away from the villages and are very costly. New business development is hindered by the lack of electricity. The target communities seek for support to address all the above challenges and are willing to contribute their part.

Description: In April 2021, under the “IMPACT R” project, IASS Potsdam and HEDERA Sustainable Solutions GmbH in Berlin, together with University of Rwanda and Sustainable Villages Foundation (SVF), conducted a household survey in two villages in Rwanda. SVF has started an integrated village development pilot project in those two villages and wanted to better understand the local populations’ needs and establish a baseline for impact measurement, in order to track the project’s progress over time. In parallel, focus group discussions and key stakeholder interviews were carried out. The main results are as follows: • Over 80% of households get their main income from agriculture, largely on small plots. Two-thirds of the households have USD 45 or less to spend on a 5-person family, on average. • There is no public electricity grid. Half of the households have access to very basic electricity through solar systems; the other half has none at all. • Over 90% of households use wood and open fire pits or handmade clay stoves for cooking, mostly indoors, causing deforestation and health problems because of the smoke. • There is no public or private drinking water supply. Villagers collect rainwater and/or surface water, which has to be carried over several kilometers by adults and children. The water is dirty and not treated before drinking in one-third of households, which triggers diseases. • Only 26% of households are classified as food-secure, whereas 15.5% are above the severe food insecurity threshold. A significant percentage of the inhabitants does not eat a balanced diet due to lack of resources.

Description: The Covid-19 pandemic has imposed new challenges for the off-grid renewable energy sector and intensified existing ones. At the same time, it has also provided opportunities by highlighting the importance of electrification during crises and demonstrating the resilience of the sector.