13/08/2019

SNV partners for international conference on solar technologies

solar panel

SNV is proud to partner for the international conference on solar technologies and hybrid mini-grids to improve energy access which will take place April 1-3, 2020 in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.

About the event

The main objective of the conference is to provide an opportunity for an exchange between practitioners from the industry, academia and development institutions working in the field of decentralized energy. The conference will cover technical, business and management aspects of solar technologies and mini-grids with the aim of sharing experiences, learning from each other and networking. Other partners include EnDev, GIZ, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology KIT, REPIC, Siemens Stiftung and WISE.

During the conference, the nexus of energy access with other sectors will be discussed in more depth. The conference will also provide a forum to exchange experiences with the different business models in the field of solar technologies and mini-grids and innovative approaches.  Acknowledged experts will be invited to provide an overview of the status in different technology areas and give room to participants, who want to present their results from scientific research or experiences from the fieldwork. To learn more about the event, please visit the event website.

Solar and mini-grids for energy access

Solar technologies (including photovoltaic and solar thermal technologies) offer a unique opportunity to provide access to modern energies to more than 1 billion people in rural areas worldwide. Access to modern energy is an enabler and a necessary condition to improve the quality of life of households, to increase livelihood opportunities and productivity of enterprises and to professionalize the services of public institutions. However, access to energy should be embedded in cross-sectoral activities to achieve maximum impact. Thus, powering health centres and schools will only lead to better medical services and education if the necessary resources for appliances are available and proper management systems in place. Micro and small enterprises often invest in efficient equipment only if they have access to finance and to new markets. Solar crop drying or solar process heat can increase significantly the local added value of fresh produce. Mini-grids will transform rural communities if the full potential of the energy is used in the villages.

Call for papers

The deadline for the call for papers is October 7, 2019, and we invite all interested parties to upload your abstract on the online submission platform until this date. At the event, accepted papers will be presented orally and in poster sessions.

Click here to upload your abstract

Click here to upload your abstract

Read more about SNV's work in developing sustainable energy markets

  • Access to clean and affordable energy for all is a major challenge in Tanzania. Only 15% of the population has access to the national grid. Read more about our Results-Based Financing project for Pico-Solar Market Development in Tanzania.

  • The Kenya Off-Grid Solar Access Project (KOSAP) is a flagship project of the Keynan Ministry of Energy, financed by the World Bank, aimed at providing electricity and clean cooking solutions in the remote, low density, and traditionally underserved areas of the country. learn more about this initiative.

  • The Sustainable Energy for Rural Communities (SE4RC) is also known as the Mashaba Solar Mini-grid project. The project seeks to provide an excess of 160KW solar energy to power 3 irrigation schemes, 5 business centres, a clinic, a school and a study centre.  Explore this project here.