Monday, 10 November 2014 / 10:00-10:30

Ingrid Hoven, Director General, German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development

Ingrid Hoven is the Director General of the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Prior to this, she was an Executive Director at the World Bank, and Special Envoy for Climate Change and Development at the BMZ. Between 1999 and 2003, she was the head of the BMZ Environment Division. Mrs. Hoven is co-chair of the Capacity Development Alliance, until January 2010 was a member of the Board of Trustees of InWEnt-Capacity Building International, and is on the Advisory Board of the Center for Development Research.

Christine Lins, REN21

Christine was appointed as Executive Secretary of REN21 in July 2011. REN21 is a global public-private multi-stakeholder network on renewable energy, headquartered at UNEP, the United Nations Environment Program in Paris. From 2001, Ms. Lins served as Secretary General of the European Renewable Energy Council, the united voice of Europe’s renewable energy industry in Brussels. Previously, she worked in a  regional energy agency in Austria promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy sources.

Gabriele Klingmüller, Deputy Mayor of Bonn

Mrs. Gabriele Klingmüller worked as a teacher prior to her retirement. She joined the Social Democratic Party in 1978, holding a number of functions at local level. She became member of the City Council of the City of Bonn in 2009, chairing the committee for civic participation and working in the committees for scientific affairs, environment and consumer protection. In 2014, Mrs. Klingmüller was appointed Deputy Mayor of Bonn. 

Monday, 10 November 2014 / 10:30-12:30

100% Renewables Energy: How to make it happen? 

Several studies and initiatives over the years have suggested the possibility and necessity of running regions, countries, if not the entire world on 100% renewable energy. According to advocates and scientists, the transition to 100% renewable energy is essential to ensuring the planetary habitability for current and future generations as we know it, while also being flexible and feasible enough to be technically implemented quickly. Gradually this vision is also shared by policy makers with some local and national governments (e.g. Denmark, Fukushima Prefecture, Scotland, and Cape Verde) setting 100% renewables targets. In some regions and cities, in Germany, Austria as well as in island states around the world, the 100% renewables dream has even already become a reality. However, 100% renewables advocates are facing with hefty opposition. Scenarios have been criticised for their “boosterism” as well as unrealistic assumptions regarding technical, spatial and financial feasibility.

During this session participants will:

•         Critically debate whether a 100% renewables future is truly feasible and if yes, how.

•         Consider the implications of the debate on future activities of the renewable energy community

Key-note speaker:

•          Stefan Gsänger, Go 100 % Renewables Campaign

Moderator:

•         Christian Stahl, Stahl Medien

Panelists:

•          Stephan Singer, WWF

•          Eberhard Waffenschmidt

•         Atul Raturi, University of the South Pacific

•          Emani Kumar, ICLEI

Monday, 10 November 2014 / 14:00-15:30

Power Sector Transformation: Creating a winning solution for utilities and renewables

Traditionally, the integration of renewables has been seen as an addition of another technology to existing energy systems and portfolios. However, simply adding renewables to the existing power market does not work; the system as a whole needs to be transformed. Utilities are increasingly realising this as many are forced to question the viability of their traditional business models in light of increasing shares of renewable energy in power generation mix. Already today, 94% of utilities predict that their business models will be completely transformed within the next two decades. Apart from the growing shares of variable renewables, key change drivers for utilities are the decentralisation of power generation, the expansion of net metering, as well as greater energy efficiency and demand management. While most utilities are still resisting the inevitable change, others have already taken a more proactive approach.

In light of these challenges for utilities, the session seeks to:

•  Present examples of how some utilities are already adapting to the market transformation.

•  Discuss how the REN21 community can increase knowledge about renewables among utilities.

Key-note speaker:

•  Simon Müller, IEA:
  Keynote Presentation

Moderator:

• Raffaele Piria

Panelists:

•  Jose-Luis Garcia, Greenpeace

•  V. Subramanian, IREF

•  Helen Tarnoy, Aldwych International

• Rainer Hinrichs-Rahlwes, EREF

Monday, 10 November 2014 / 14:00-15:30

 Renewable Energy Policy Frameworks: Which policy design for which stage of market maturity ?

As renewables mature in “early adopter” countries and simultaneously expand into new markets, the question of how to best support renewable energy continues to occupy the minds of policy makers. Over the years there has been significant innovation in the policy arena as policy makers cope with the changing policy needs of emerging and maturing markets. The portfolio of available policies has evolved to include ever more varied instruments, which are increasingly being integrated with energy market, infrastructure of employment policies. While this diversity allows for differentiated and potentially more effective policy frameworks, it also makes it increasingly challenging to identify the ideal policy mix for a given market or market phase. In the time of tight budgets, the topic of policy effectiveness is becoming more and more important.

In light of this, the session seeks to:

•    Identify relevant/successful policies for the different stages.

•   Examine different market stages and needs through short case studies.

•   Discuss how the REN21 community can facilitate the design and adoption of tailored policy frameworks.

Interview session participants:

•  Steve Sawyer, GWEC – Interviewer and session moderator
   Presentation

Panelists:

• Kevin Nassiep, SANEDI, South Africa
  Presentation

• Martin Schöpe, BMWi, Germany

• Wisdom Ahiataki-Togobo, Ghana

• Neil Veilleux, Meister Consulting

Monday, 10 November 2014 / 16:30-18:00

Removing Fossil Fuel Subsidies: Yes but how ?

Fossil fuel subsidies have long been known to be inefficient, encourage wasteful behaviour, and undermine investments in clean energies and climate mitigation efforts. However, despite the 2009 commitment of the G20 to the removal of fossil fuel subsidies and the advocacy work of international organisations—such as the World Bank and the International Energy Agency (IEA)—little progress has been made to date. According to various estimates, governments annually spend between USD 544 billion (World Bank) and USD 1.9 trillion (International Monetary Fund) globally on fossil fuel subsidies. This is in stark contrast to the USD 101 billion that was spent to support renewables in 2012.

A variety of organisations (e.g. IMF, IISD, MED-ENEC) have studied how to achieve a fossil fuel-subsidy-free energy market. Most conclude that there is no one-size-fits-all solution, but that some common success factors exist. Based on this several road maps have been developed—none of which however have been (successfully) implemented to date.

As such, the session seeks to:

•  Address the social impacts policy makers in developing countries encounter when phasing out fossil fuel subsidies and identifying ways to address the dilemma.

•   Assess the status quo of fossil fuel subsidies and their impact on renewable energy deployment.

•   Explore potential road maps for the removal of subsidies and critically examine how these can be realistically implemented.

•   Identify what role the REN21 community and renewable energy advocates at large could play in this process.

Key-note speaker:

• Henning Wuester, IRENA:
  Keynote Presentation

Moderator:

• Pradeep Monga, UNIDO

Panelists:

•  Peter Wooders, IISD 

•  Lorenz Petersen

•  Heike Mainhardt, Oil Change International

•  Faruk Y. Yusuf, Nigeria

Monday, 10 November 2014 / 16:30-18:00

Energy use for heat generation represents about half of global final energy consumption. Today, modern biomass, solar thermal and geothermal meet a small but gradually rising share of final heat demand globally. Nevertheless, the heating and cooling sector still lags considerably behind the power sector, both in market volume and policy design. In some markets, i.e., Iceland and Sweden, these shares are already significant.

Despite the large potential for renewable heat and cooling, the sector has to date remained untapped.  This is in large part due to the lack of necessary policy support as well as because of the complexity of the sector; its decentralised nature, fluctuating demand and limited storage possibilities make it more difficult to address than the power sector.

Considering the importance of the sector and the lack of activity of policy makers thus far, the session will:

•  Present an overview of the challenges in the heating and cooling sector.

•  Show best practices from various countries.

•   Point out why there is little interest in the heating and cooling sector and identify ways how to make it more attractive for policy makers

•   Examine which regulatory policies, market instruments and accompanying measures are needed to accelerate deployment.

•   Identify how the REN21 community can improve and broaden its renewables heating and cooling network and increase visibility of heating & cooling in the energy transition debate.

Key-note speaker:

•   Werner Weiss, AEE INTEC

Moderator:

•   Alexandra Sombsthay, European Commission

Panelists:

•  Krzystof Laskowski, Euroheat & Power

• Burkhard Sanner, EGEC

• Manon Janssen, Ecofys

Launche of Ecowas Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Status Report Cocktail

Tuesday, 11 November 2014 / 10:00-12:30

Debunking Myths about Renewable Energy: How to work with the media

Over the past decade, renewables have made a huge leap forward, with recent developments outpacing the expectations of most forecasts and scenarios. But despite these advancements, renewables still face the same criticism, outdated facts, and assumptions as they did 10 years ago: “Renewables are too expensive. Renewables are an insignificant energy source. High shares of renewables will result in greater energy system instability.” Though untrue, these arguments have a significant impact on the public’s perception of renewables, as well as garnering further political support and deployment. Thus, public relations, as much as technology and policy advancements, are an essential element for promoting renewables.

In light of this, the session seeks to:

•   Develop effective, collaborative strategies for countering such myths.

•   Identify communications best practices from existing energy actors

•   Provide participants with tips on how to effectively engage with the public through various media channels.

Key-note speaker:

• Kelly Rigg, Varda Group:
  Keynote Presentation

Moderator:

• Christian Stahl, Stahl Medien

Panelists:

• Laura Williamson, REN21

• Christoph Podewils, Agora

• Hanne May, ergo Komunikation

Tuesday/ 11 November 2014 / 14:00-15:30

Increasingly consumers and communities are becoming driving forces in the global energy transition towards renewable energy. As pioneers of a renewable future, communities and consumers play an important role in promoting renewable energy. Their activities span all areas and aspects of renewables. Green power purchasing, the reacquisition of local utilities, the creation of regional and global coalitions, e.g. the Covenant of Mayors, community-based investment and power plant ownership are only a few examples of how communities are transforming the energy sector.

During this session participants will:

•   Discover the role communities and consumers are already playing in promoting renewables, based on selected case studies.

•   Consider what roles communities will play in future and how to engage them.

Key-note speaker:

• Siward Zomer, REScoop.eu
  Keynote Presentation

Moderator:

•   Craig Morris, Petite Planète

Panelists:

•   Tetsu Iida, ISEP

•   David Ebong, Clean Energy Partnership Africa, Uganda

•   Josep Puig, Ecoserveis

The session will offer a video link to the 100% Renewable Energy Regions congress taking place the same day in Kassel, Germany

Tuesday, 11 November 2014 / 14:00-15:30

Distributed Renewable Energy: Real Market or an Aid-Driven sector?

Distributed renewable energy can no longer be looked at as a small industry. Over the last decade more and more private or private-public ventures have emerged as key players in decentralised markets. Increasing awareness of the profitability of the decentralised energy markets and potential business opportunities have led to the arrival of a variety of new business models for off-grid renewables. With pay-as-you-go systems, franchising, and innovative distribution channels, some of these new approaches have become cost-effective alternatives for providing energy services in regions lacking grid connectivity.

While most systems to date are only prototypes or employed on a small-scale, the distributed renewable energy (DRE) industry has gone through significant changes in the last five years; growing from a cottage industry to one with worldwide revenues of $100 billion and rising. Profitable business models and clear leaders have emerged, and along have come opportunities. So with all the right ingredients in place, why does DRE lag behind other applications?  Is it because the perception of investment risk relegates the funding of DRE to international aid? Is it because of political and social hurdles or is it yet something else?

The session aims to:

•   Provide participants with an overview of the decentralised energy market.

•   Identify the challenges of a DRE market.

•   Outline what is needed to speed up the implementation of rural energy services.

•   Identify what it is that decision makers need to bring about change.

•   Define how the REN21 community can support and track the progress of uptake and their feasibility in other markets.

Key-note speaker:

•   Davidson Ogunlade, Sierra Leone

Moderator:

• Tania Rödiger-Vorwerk, BMZ

Panelists:

• Bozhil Kondev, GIZ

•  Lâl Marandin, Renovables Nicaragua
• Kanika Chawla, CEEW

•  Sena Alouka, Jeune Volontaires de l’Environnement, Togo

Tuesday, 11 November 2014 / 16:30-18:00

Reliable, accessible and timely renewable energy data is essential for establishing energy plans, defining baselines and policies, monitoring progress, and attracting investment. While data collection and quality has improved over the last decade, significant data gaps still exist; data collection remains difficult particularly for decentralised renewable energy applications, energy output data and specific sectors, e.g. bioenergy and renewable heating and cooling. To overcome some of these existing data gaps, innovative and collaborative approaches to data collection, processing and validation need to be explored, the results of which should then be complemented with official renewable energy data. While often being regarded as less valuable and secondary, the addition of informal data can improve coverage on sectors and regions and helps resolve the lack of data. However, the use of informal data requires the inclusion of previously uninvolved, actors from varying sectors. Many of these individual or institutional actors have usually already engaged in some form of data collection, but are unaware of the importance of their data or lack the means of sharing it.

The session aims to:

•  Present REN21’s experience in collection of informal renewable energy data.

•  Discuss the complimentary of formal and informal data.

•  Explore the possibility of establishing regional-level mechanism to support informal data collection process.

•  Develop strategies on how to simplify data collection, while increasing the quality and timeliness of data.

Key-note speaker:

• Rana Adib, REN21:
  Keynote Presentation

Moderator:

• Hélène Connor, Helio International

Panelists:

•   Gonzalo Bravo, Fundacion Bariloche

•   Stephanie Weckend, IRENA

•   Yasmina Abdelilah, IEA

•   Karin Reiss, ECREEE

Wednesday, 12 November 2014 / 10:00-12:30

The Next Decade of Renewable Energy: Posible Pathways Towards 100% Renewable energy and the role of the consumer

Over the past decade, the growth in renewable energies has trumped the expectations of many scenarios, with several anticipated 2020 levels already being exceeded in 2010. Renewables, once considered as potential alternatives to traditional energy sources, are now deployed on a large-scale. Between 2004 and 2013 the global annual market for renewable power quadrupled from 30 GW/a to more than 120 GW/a. Support policies increased exponentially with 138 countries having implemented support policies in 2013, and since 2004, 1.6 trillion has been invested in the field of renewable energy.

While these advances show a clear mainstreaming and greater acceptance of renewables over the last decade, the question is now how to maintain and accelerate this momentum. Various actors, publications, i.e. the REN21 Global Futures Report, and scenarios have attempted to glimpse into the proverbial crystal ball to see what the coming decade may bring for renewable energies: Will the SE4ALL 2030 goal of doubling the share of renewables be met? How could possible pathways towards 100 % renewable energy look like? What role will the various energy actors, particularly consumers, play in the energy transition? What potential opportunities and challenges are on the horizon for renewables?

The session will:

•  Look back at the last decade and present some lessons learnt

•  Provide an overview of discussions held at the REN21 Renewables Academy in the different sessions

•  Discuss outlook on next decade of renewable energy

•  Discuss the role of the consumer in the global energy transition

Moderator

• Mohamed El-Ashry

Panelists:

•  Arthouros Zervos, REN21

• Dolf Gielen, IRENA

• Muzi Zhang

• Kevin Nassiep

• Ernesto Macias

• Adam Brown, IEA

• Sven Teske, Greenpeace

• Claire Roumet, Energy cities

Wednesday, 12 November 2014 / 12:30-13:00

Closing Address:

•   Ursula Borak, Director, European and International Energy Policy, External Energy Policy, Oil, Gas, and Energy Efficiency Division, Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy [BMWI], Germany

•   Christine Lins, REN21:

Keynote Presentation

The year 2014 marks a decade since the seminal event, renewables 2004. Held in Bonn, Germany this event marked the first time that an international conference was dedicated exclusively to renewables. Ten years later, REN21 celebrated a decade of existence by hosting the first REN21 Renewables Academy.

This multiple-day event and unique format brought REN21 contributors together for the first time in one location. Over the course of 2 ½ days, 150 participants from more than 40 countries listened, debated and voiced opinions on how to advance a global transition with renewables. Participants agreed that renewables were no longer an alternative, add-on option but rather a viable resource to meet the world’s growing energy needs.