This is the end, my friends. The end of my regular fortnightly Events Listing posts that is. As many of you are aware REEEP has undergone a major strategy review this year and the result is a focusing of our efforts. We introduced a stronger thematic approach in our recent 9th Call and will be targetting a smaller number of events that tie in more closely with our own activities and those of the projects we fund. Coverage of events will be wrapped into the new look monthly NewsREEEP, to be unveiled soon… (if you don’t already receive that, you can sign up at www.reeep.org/62/register-new-account.htm to make sure you do)

I’m going out with a bumper crop though – exciting upcoming events in Abu Dhabi, Bonn, Dakar, Doha, East London (RSA), Sao Paulo, Toronto and Washington DC.

Linked Open Data for Clean Energy

I’ll start with a quick mention of this workshop in Washington DC, not just because I’m facilitating it(!) but because Linked Open Data offers huge potential to speed the development of clean energy. REEEP is active in the field through reegle.info and we’re working with NREL to organise a workshop on Monday 12th November. If you’re going to be in DC and this subject is of interest, let me know. You can find more details here.

Accelerating the Drive toward 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.

In 2011, while the cost of renewable energy technologies continued to fall, global total investment reached a record $257 billion, and global renewable power capacity exceeded 1,360 GW. “With these investments, renewable energy has moved from a niche, environmentally driven option into an economically viable solution to meet the growing energy demand of a rapidly growing global population.” wrote Adnan Amin, DG of IRENA, in a recent article in Clean Technica.

Renewable Energy will be one of the key themes at the World Climate Summit, the premier business event alongside COP18. It’s on the weekend of 1-2 December, in Doha, Qatar.

Some of that acceleration is just along the Gulf coast…

Once the “Shams 1” concentrated solar plant being developed by Masdar in Abu Dhabi is fully on stream the United Arab Emirates will be responsible for an estimated 68% of the Gulf Cooperation Council’s renewable energy capacity. It is a positive step towards reaching Abu Dhabi’s target of generating 7% of its electricityElectricity generation includes all technologies that turn some form of energy into useful electric energy. Electricity is a form of energy that has magnetic, radiant and chemical effects. Electric current is created by a flow of electrons. from renewable sources. Following Abu Dhabi’s lead in setting a renewable energy goal, other governments in the region have developed their own clean energy plans for the next decade or two. Saudi Arabia, for example, hopes to generate 41 gigawatts of electricity from solar powerPhotovoltaics (PV) is the field of technology and research related to the application of solar cells for energy by converting sunlight directly into electricity. Solar power is sometimes used as a synonym to refer to electricity generated from solar radiation., and both Kuwait and Dubai plan to obtain 5% of their power needs from renewable sources by 2030.

Since 2008, the World Future Energy Summit (WFES) has been inspiring global collaboration to find and implement sustainable technologies. REEEP will be there to work with partners existing and new: WFES, 15-17 January 2013, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Shine a Light

REEEP is supporting LightingExamples of efficient light are LEDs, halogens, CFLs and luminaries. Africa. Having achieved their goal to support the private sector in supplying affordable, clean, and safe lighting to 2.5 million people by 2012, a longer term target of reaching 250 million people by 2030 has been set. Clearly we’re not funding all of that! See here for the details of what we’re funding. Our DG, Martin Hiller, will be speaking at their headline event, the 3rd International Off-Grid Lighting Conference and Trade Fair, organised in collaboration with ASER, the Agence Senegalaise D’Electrification Rurale, on 13 – 15 Nov, in Dakar, Senegal.

Spin a Turbine

Mexico’s wind powerWind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form, such as electricity, using wind turbines. By 2010, a single wind turbine can produce several MW of electric power. capacity is nearly 400 times what it was in 2005, the Mexican Wind EnergyWind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form, such as electricity, using wind turbines. By 2010, a single wind turbine can produce several MW of electric power. Association said earlier this year (albeit from a small start). At the beginning of next year, Mexico’s installed wind power potentialWind power potentials describe the maximum amount of installed capacity that makes sense in any area regarding the occurrence of wind, regardless of other considerations such as landscape, financial profits... should equal almost 4 percent of the country’s own energy needs (see here for more on that).

Wind LATAM (26-28 November, Sao Paulo, Brazil) has been designed to tackle the biggest challenges and provide insights into hot-button issues that 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. energy industry faces in Brazil and other hot markets in the region. All Friends of REEEP can claim a 15% discount by giving the code BA15 when registering.

Europe in South Africa – trading ties

A trade delegation from the European Union will be visiting the Eastern Cape Province of the Republic of South Africa in November. A key component will be a renewable energy conference jointly hosted by the Province and the EU to raise awareness of renewable energy opportunities and to establish partnerships in renewable energy between the European Union and the Eastern Cape.

Eastern Cape – European Union Renewable Energy Conference (28-30 Nov, East London, South Africa) is free to attend, but places are limited so you need to register.

RETScreen 203

RETScreen has had plenty of coverage in these newsletters. That’s because we’re proud to have been long supporters of their excellent work. If you want training from the people who created the software, there’s an upcoming course in early 2013: Retscreen 203 – Power Project Analysis, 12-14 Feb 2013, Toronto, Canada.

Resilient Cities 2013 call for Contributions

In the last Events Listing I covered ICLEI’s Call for Contributions for Resilient Cities, their annual global forum on urban resilience and adaptationAdjustments in human and natural systems, in response to actual or expected climate stimuli or their effects, that moderate harm or exploit beneficial opportunities. (IPPC), taking place in Bonn, Germany from 31st May to 2nd June 2013. I failed to include the link (sorry Ugne!) so here it is: http://resilient-cities.iclei.org/resilient-cities-hub-site/2013-call-for-contributions/

The deadline to submit proposals is 30th November, so you’ve still got plenty of time if you would like to make a presentation, run a workshop or exhibit a poster.

Well, that’s it. Hope you’ve enjoyed reading, found some useful information and maybe even attended some interesting conferences. I’m not leaving REEEP – I will still be involved facilitating events and developing projects, and I hope to meet as many of you as possible in person through that work.