It’s that time of year again when REEEPThe Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP) is a non-profit, specialist change agent aiming to catalyse the market for renewable energy and energy efficiency, with a primary focus on emerging markets and developing countries. tells the world that it’s seeking project ideas for funding. The partnership’s target is primarily the Southern Hemisphere or what some refer to as the “developing world” or “economies in transition”. Anybody with a project idea regarding renewable energyRenewable energy is power generated from infinite sources, such as wind or solar power. Conventional energy is generated from finite sources, such as natural gas or fossil oil. or energy efficiencyUsing less energy/electricity to perform the same function. Programs designed to use electricity more efficiently - doing the same with less. can apply for funding.

The key: the project must be focused on changing policies, regulations or legislation in favour of sustainable energyThe ability to perform work, mainly kinetic, potential, thermal energy, but also in forms of gravitational, sound, elastic and electromagnetic energy. and energy conservationAll the measures taken to lower the level of energy consumption.. The last funding round provided grants to the government of Mexico for the establishment of ‘net metering’ laws and the government of Uganda for the development of policies that support solar water heaters. A REEEP-funded project in Kazakhstan resulted in the country’s Parliament passing new legislation to support the windWind occurs due to different temperature levels in the atmosphere (troposphere) which are heated up by the sun. A typical example are the trade winds at the equator where the sun is most powerful.. industry.

But it’s not only policy work that gets funded. Attracting finance to new markets is also a key goal of the partnership. So, projects that deal with ‘risk mitigationMitigation refers to actions that reduce our contribution to the causes of climate change. This means reducing emissions of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), through energy efficiency and using alternative forms of transport and energy.(UKCIP)’ , ‘guarantee structures” or other financial mechanisms are also being funded. One ongoing project is a microfinance initiative for solar lanterns in the Solomon Islands.

Grants are capped at 100,000 Euros, so up to 43 project proposals will become the lucky recipients in early 2009.

To learn more about the Call for Proposals look for the 7th REEEP Programme Call on REEEP’s website.