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Sustainable Energy for Executives- Financing the Transition

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Strathmore Energy Research Centre (SERC) held a breakfast session on Financing the Transition for Sustainable Energy for corporate executives on 11th September 2019 at the University. The breakfast session brought together professionals financing renewable energy projects from the banking, investment and development sector. This is in line with SERC’s plan to launch a series of executive courses aimed at senior level management. The objective of the session was to gather input on the training curriculum and discuss the areas that need to be incorporated within the existing Sustainable Energy for Executives with a focus on financiers course content.

 

The breakfast session was inaugurated by Prof Izael Da Silva who is the DVC for Research and Innovation at the University. He rightly echoed the need for financiers to play a role financing the Distributed Renewable Energy (DRE) sector seeing that the university was a beneficiary of the Agence Francaise de Development (AFD) loan through Sunref. As a result, Strathmore University installed a 600kW solar PV system which meets the university’s internal energy demand, and during the weekend when the students are off campus the excess is imported to the grid through a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).

 

The workshop proceeded with an introduction to Energy Access by Ms. Sarah Odera, Director of the Strathmore Energy Research Centre. “Energy Access efforts are shifting from centralized systems to decentralized systems with the focus being on underserved regions of the country”, Ms. Odera emphasized as she pointed out the need for financiers to invest in DRE technologies to accelerate the development process.

 

“The main challenge in funding DRE is the mismatch of priorities between the funders and the DRE companies” according to African Development Bank’s (AfDB) Principal Regional Officer, Dr. Somorin Olufunso. As a result, AfDB trains both DRE companies and local commercial banks how to come up with winning proposals and how what to look at when funding DREs respectively. He further pointed out that they are willing to partner with the University to enhance the standard learning system within the DRE sector.

 

The other speakers in the workshop who included Mr. Maarteen Kleijn, Senior Officer- focusing on off-grid Solar in Netherlands Development Organization (SNV) and Mr. Humphrey Wireko, who is a senior associate at Cross Boundary both presented on the different challenges they face in the course of their operations and the different financial models they have adopted so as to fund the DRE sector sustainably. All the stakeholders agreed that the DRE sector poses a lucrative opportunity for investment and that a structured learning system would be beneficial in enabling the decision makers to make timely investment and financing decisions.

 

The stakeholders then gave tangible feedback on the course outline which was presented by Mr. Geoffrey Ronoh, who is a research fellow in the University. The course would touch on areas such as knowledge in conducting technical due diligence in energy projects, them nuances specific in the energy sector to obtain an understanding of consumer profiles, distributed renewable energy companies and the regulatory environment. Some of the key feedback included the need to ensure that the course is practical and engaging so as to address the day to day challenges that the financiers face.

 

The workshop was successfully concluded with an agreement to launch the course in October 2019.

 

 

This article was written by Hope Njoroge

If you have a story, kindly email: communications@strathmore.edu

Transforming Energy Access- Learning and Partnerships (TEA-LP) Workshop

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Transforming Energy Access- Learning and Partnerships (TEA-LP) Workshop was held at Strathmore University Business School from 6th to 8th August 2019. Strathmore University was amongst 8 Sub-Saharan Universities to receive funding from Department for International Development of the United Kingdom (DfID) for the development of new curricula centred on the theme of sustainable energy access for all, and was part of the  Transforming Energy Access (TEA) project coordinated by Carbon Trust through University of Cape Town (UCT). The multifaceted attendance of academics and professionals lent their expertise towards formulating a post-graduate curriculum that will furnish the African energy sector with useful knowledge and skills necessary to realise the promise of low-cost, high value and eco-friendly energy access across Africa and the globe.       

The event marked the second stage of the pedagogical effort and the activities included interactive  presentations and elaborate brainstorming sessions that put into focus the energy access landscape and highlighted the unaddressed snarls in the energy eco-system. Addressing energy concerns has increasingly become an anchor point upon which a viable sustainability consciousness can be achieved. In order to ensure availability of affordable and clean energy as a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), global efforts similar to the TEA-LP will promote energy access irrespective of spatial-temporal and socio-economic constraints that have been chronic irritants on the energy access frontier. 43% of Sub-Saharan Africa has access to energy, which is almost half of the global average which stands at 87%. By fortifying the supply of knowledge and skills in the energy sector with an effective and updated curriculum that addresses the gaps in the current energy access structure is a significant step in the direction of an energy efficient planet.

“Energy is not just a resource; it also involves how the people interact with it.” This significant statement made during a presentation by Jon Cloke, Network Manager at LCDEN, underpins the importance of socio-cultural contextualisation of energy as a means of achieving true change that pervades society and improves standards of living for all.

To provide the needed context offered by a holistic perspective, each university team was comprised of a multidiscipline outfit of academics and professionals who supplied the exercise with complementary knowledge and the experience needed to design an effective and robust teaching curriculum. Such a multidisciplinary approach also further incorporates the amalgamation of both hard and soft skills needed to create a socially sensitive and economically viable energy access system that can unlock Africa’s immense potential.

The outcome of the overall process will eventually be actualised by the anticipated postgraduate course which will bring forth the desired energy revolution. Despite the weighty issues that were discussed, the workshop also served as a platform for the attendees to learn more about other countries and also to extend their network for deeper support.

 

The article was written by Neville Ramogo Otema.

If you have a story, kindly email: communications@strathmore.edu

Carbon footprint analysis of the Kenya Tea Development Agency Holdings Company Ltd (KTDA)

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Through support from Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) and Ethical Tea Partnership (ETP), Strathmore Energy Research Center (SERC) was contracted to provide a carbon footprint estimate for tea produced in about 67 tea factories. Following greenhouse emissions (GHG) Protocol guidelines from the World Resources Institute and ISO standards (14040, 14044, 14046), SERC developed the Microsoft Excel based carbon footprint accounting tool that allows for additional exploration of tea factories, region-wide, or factory-specific results and can be updated annually by staff from the tea factories. GHG emissions varied considerably by factory. The project was closely linked to SDG 13 which is to combat climate change and its impacts including reduction of GHG emissions.

 

The surveyed factories’ median carbon footprint equalled 1.4 kg CO2e/kg mad-tea. GHG emission results were driven by fertilizer use. The emissions from fertilizer production and use were responsible for over 75% of total GHG emissions. On average, only 12 % of GHG emissions occur at the production level; less than 5% of GHG emissions occur during transport of green tea, made tea, fertilizer, wood, or staff. GHG emissions associated with the production and transmission of electricity for the factories, administration, and warehouse constitute around 7% of total GHG emissions.

 

To help reduce overall GHG emissions in the surveyed tea factories, the project recommended that KTDA (1) reduce fertilizer consumption or (2) switch to fertilizers that depend on less energy-intensive production processes.

 

This project is funded by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) and it is led by Dr. Thomas Buchholz.

 

This article was written by Victor Otieno, Researcher, https://www.linkedin.com/in/victor-otieno-559b10a2/

 

Industrial Promotion Services

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Strathmore Energy Research Centre (SERC) was contracted by the Industrial Promotion Services East Africa (IPS) from 3rd to 8th June 2019 to conduct a specialized training for twelve participants on solar PV systems that are connected to the grid. The main objective of the specialized training was to equip the participants with in-depth knowledge and skills required to design, install, operate, maintain, and troubleshoot grid-connected solar PV systems.

 

During the five-day course, participants understood the solar PV technology and its application in the grid tie captive systems; the operation and maintenance scope, needs and requirements at the plants; key steps to follow in designing stand-alone and grid tie solar PV systems; and regulation, licensing and project development. The training methodology involved lecture sessions and discussions, practical exercises, sharing of field experience and projects implemented, design and assessment examination and a site visit to the installation.

Strathmore University hosts FEWA Collaboration Network Workshop

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Strathmore University hosted a half-day workshop to launch the FEWA Collaboration Network and to explore what other organizations are undertaking in the food-energy-water nexus to identify research gaps and opportunities that will foster further collaborations among the engaged institutions.

Novel irrigation methods in arid and semi-arid regions

 The University, in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh through grant funds under the Newton Institutional Links Program funded by the British Council have been implementing a research project for the past one year titled “Enhanced Food Security and Afforestation through Novel Approaches to Irrigation”.  The project had the objectives of investigating the novel methods for irrigation in the arid and semi-arid regions of Kenya, developing a prototype of a solar thermal fresh water generator that can be used to desalinate brackish water and identifying failure causes of existing reverse osmosis desalination systems in the country. FEWA Collaboration Network was formed to facilitate sustainability of future research collaborations between the two research institutions to address all research works in food, energy and water nexus.

In attendance at the workshop were a team of researchers: Sarah Odera, Director, Strathmore Energy Research Centre (SERC), Dr. Dimitri Mignard representing the University of Edinburgh, and Dr. Michael Wawire and Dr. Saoke Churchill, both from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Techonology (JKUAT).  Other key industry practitioners in the sector from both private sector and non-governmental organizations included representatives from Riara University, Kenya Water Institute (KEWI), and Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), EED Advisory ltd, Practional Action Kenya, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Kenya and Shabaha Engineering ltd among others.

Need for baseline research

Part of the workshop activities facilitated discussions with the aim of identifying the network themes and future activities, a process that was led by Dr. Dimitri and Sarah Odera.  The discussions revolved around awareness, technology adoption and affordability, sustainable harvesting of biomass as well as proper utilization of agricultural and animal wastes to provide alternatives sources of energy. The participants wholly agreed that there is a need for baseline research to acquire reliable data on existing consumer awareness, reliability of distribution channels of the different technologies in the sector, energy needs of the small-scale farmers, and the major challenges being encountered.

Field survey

In efforts to address these challenges and fill the current research gaps, participants agreed to collaborate in sharing all relevant publications, articles and research papers that would provide information on the areas discussed during the workshop. Participants outlined the need for a field survey in various parts of the country to get a clear picture of issues affecting these communities. This would eventually lead to a conclusive report and recommendations for sustainable approaches to solve the issues in the food, energy and water nexus. “I am very grateful to have experts share their personal experiences and knowledge in food, energy and water nexus. They have good ideas which we can use to move forward,” said Dr. Mignard, University of Edinburgh.

 

This article was written by:  Patrick Mwanzia Kioko.

 

If you have a story, kindly email: communications@strathmore.edu

Strathmore University Team wins Initiate! Impact Challenge

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The team representing Strathmore University won the Initiate! Impact Challenge during this year’s African Utility week in Cape Town, South Africa. Alex Osunga, Fredrick Amariati, Ignatius Maranga and Raymond Kiyegga emerged victorious after their innovation, The Kijiji project, was selected as the best from a pool of four participating universities: Stellenbosch UniversityUniversity of Cape Town, the University of Witwatersrand and Strathmore University.

 

The challenge was sponsored by Enel Foundation, the Innovation Hub, Lesedi Nuclear Services and the Russian Nuclear Agency, Rosatom. The team took home R20, 000 which they would like to invest in their winning project, the Kijiji Project.

 

Solar powered container

 

The project provides a solution to electricity access in rural areas and is centred on a solar powered container. The container is a hub that acts as a power source, and an attraction point for people. It also has a health clinic, a knowledge hub and provisions for business. It is a 40ft container with 25kW capacity solar panels and 6000AH battery storage. This supplies electricity to the clinic, knowledge hub and three shops (with a capacity of cooling and having a maize mill).

 

“Through the container, people will see and understand the benefits of electricity. This will lead them to want electricity in their homes. More containers can be added with demand, and some energy can be used to charge batteries for home use. Solar-Powered bikes will deliver these batteries to homes. Like an Uber for Energy,” said Ignatius Maranga.

 

Open Africa Power Alumni

 

The team found it a challenging yet wonderful learning experience. They emphasised the importance of teamwork, simplicity and never giving up. Ignatius Maranga (also a member of Engineering for Change) and Fredrick Amariati are Open Africa Power 2018 alumni. Alex Osunga is a former president of the Strathmore University Environment Club.

 

“Our solution was urbanising rural areas. So we set up a centre where people can do business and then the community can be empowered both by those running the business and their customers,” said the team as they explained their solution and the role of their innovation.

 

This article was written by Christine Mukasa

If you have a story, kindly email: communications@strathmore.edu

Strathmore University hosts The Modern Energy Cooking Services (MECS) programme

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The Strathmore Energy Research Centre (SERC), in partnership with the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS), Loughborough University and UK Aid, hosted the Modern Energy Cooking Services (MECS) programme – East Africa – launch at Strathmore University. Among the key speakers at the event were Professor Tom Ogada from Ministry of Energy and Professor Ed Brown from Loughborough University.

Launch of eCookBook

The aim of the MECS East Africa launch was to bring together key regional stakeholders to explore the unique opportunities and challenges in each national context, the crossover space between the electrification and clean cooking spheres and how MECS ties into what is already happening in the region. During the event, the eCookBook by Jon Leary and Jacob Fodio Todd was launched. Focusing on one of the most energy intensive popular food groups, beans and cereals, the eCookBook seeks to explore the relationship between energy use and cooking. This is to inform cooks on how best to take advantage of new opportunities such as modern energy efficient cooking appliances. The book was produced in Nairobi.

Despite increased electricity access, people still cook with biomass. Weak grids, affordability of electricity, tradition, perceptions and lack of suitable cooking appliances have hindered scaling up the use of electricity or gas for clean cooking. However, renewable energy generation has increased access to affordable and reliable electricity, and technological advancements have enabled production of appliances that are more energy-efficient but still cook foods to their right taste. This has opened new windows of opportunity.

Electric cooking

“What was most important about this workshop was that it showed that electric cooking is a viable cooking option. We at SERC are excited about the opportunities that electric cooking has in store for the continent, especially on the health front,” said Anne Wacera Wambugu, the quality manager at SERC and an electrical appliances and Renewable energy systems expert.

MECS is a UK Aid funded research and innovation programme designed to facilitate a transition away from biomass to modern cooking solutions, such as electricity and LPG. The programme is led by Loughborough University, UK, drawing in global partnerships, including the World Bank’s ESMAP (Energy Sector Management Assistance Program) and CCA (Clean Cooking Alliance, formerly GACC). Other partners at the launch included: Clasp, Energy Saving Trust and Efficiency for Access.

 

The article was compiled by Christine Mukasa.

 

If you have a story, kindly email: communications@strathmore.edu

Empowering Africa – Energy in Eastern Africa

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Eastern Africa is blessed with abundant energy resources. If sustainably developed, these resources have the potential to make the region achieve universal electricity access, which is a key factor in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. It is this matter that Prof Izael Da Silva, the DVC Research and Innovation, tackles in his latest publication, a chapter in “Empowering Africa – Access to Power in the African continent.”

 

The book, published by the Swiss publisher Peter Lang in March 2018, was edited by Lorenzo Colantoni, Giuseppe Montesano and Nicolo Sartori. Peter Lang is one of the top five publishers in the world, and the most reputable in the field of social sciences and politics. The book was published in cooperation with Istituto Affari Internazionali, Enel Foundation and the Policy Centre for the New South.

 

Prof Da Silva’s chapter, which he presented during the book launch on 6th May 2019 in Rome, was aptly titled “Energy in Eastern Africa.” It begins by giving a brief description of the energy landscape in Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, which constitute the greater Eastern Africa region.

 

The chapter highlights how countries such as Uganda and Ethiopia alone have hydropower potential which can power half of Africa if exploited well. Tanzania, on the other hand, has access to large reserves of natural gas while South Sudan sits on top of large oil reserves. Djibouti can power itself entirely off geothermal energy, and Somalia, once stabilised, has access to abundant amounts of solar energy.

 

Despite all this potential, the region remains reliant on charcoal, firewood and farm waste as its primary energy source. Moreover, the electricity sector lacks proper infrastructure, registers low production, and is bridled by inefficient systems and high transmission losses and high costs. In most of the East African countries, less than 20% of the population has access to electricity. At 55% access, Kenya and Djibouti are the most developed countries in the region in this respect.

 

Prof Da Silva notes that as the region’s population and economy continue to expand, energy deficits will plague the region even further if nothing is done to address the situation. He highlights the challenges standing in the way and what the governments in the region are currently doing to increase electricity access. He also makes policy recommendations that countries would do well to consider as they set about the quest for universal access to electricity for the “Dark Continent”.

 

He concludes the chapter by emphasising the potential energy market available in these markets and the importance of these countries to focus on renewable energy.

 

A summary of the entire book is available on the distributor’s website, where it can also be purchased: https://www.peterlang.com/view/title/68175.

 

This article was compiled by Anne Njeri.

If you have a story, kindly email: communications@strathmore.edu

Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP) project

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SERC was involved in the Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP) project titled: ‘Building capacity for enhancing bioenergy sustainability’ between 2018 and 2019 with support from United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP). UNEP provided technical support to the participating research organizations on the meaning of and rationale behind the 24 indicators and their indicative methodological approaches; on how to adapt the indicators to the country context; and on how to implement the chosen methodologies.

 

The project was aimed at building capacity for enhancing bioenergy sustainability through the use of the global bioenergy partnership indicators. It was strongly linked to SDG 17 which is to revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development. The calculation and analysis of the 24 sustainability indicators was conducted by SERC in collaboration with Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI), and the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF). It was coordinated by SEI. The sustainability indicators were applied to two bioenergy pathways selected in consultation with stakeholders. (1) Use of sugarcane bagasse briquettes in the tea industry as an alternative to firewood and (2) Household use of charcoal produced on woodlands and farmlands, which is linked to sustainable development goal 7 to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.

 

The study revealed that the opportunities within sugar factories for power generation are estimated at 300 MW but they have not been exploited. Other bioenergy uses in Kenya include; biogas, fuelwood, briquettes, pellets and charcoal. The 12 sugar mills in Kenya generate around 2.4 million tons of bagasse annually that remain unutilized. The briquettes made from bagasse save around 490 tons per year of wood resource, though their economic cost intensity is around three times more compared to firewood. The industrial use of briquettes in tea factories results in a gradual reduction in the consumption of primary wood biomass obtained from forests and woodlands as well as creates new jobs in the whole value chain.

 

By the time of the report, an estimated 2.5 million tons of charcoal are produced in the country annually. Production is mainly from arid and semi-arid lands. Nearly 0.5 million people work in the charcoal sector, which generates more than $427 million annually but it is not considered part of the formal economy of the country. Through adoption and sustained use of improved cookstoves integrated with on-farm sourcing of firewood, households can save 33.2 per cent and 76 percent of time spent sourcing the fuel.

 

This work was made possible with the financial support of the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU).

 

It is led by Prof. Izael Da Silva.

 

This article was written by Victor Otieno, Researcher, https://www.linkedin.com/in/victor-otieno-559b10a2/

Strathmore Team selected for “Initiate! Impact Challenge” at African Utility Week.

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From 14th to 16th May, a team of postgraduates will represent Strathmore University at the “Initiate! Impact Challenge” at this year’s African Utility Week. Fredrick Amariati, Ignatius Maranga, Raymond Kiyegga and Alex Osunga were the candidates selected to represent the university at the annual event hosted in Cape Town, South Africa. The four emerged with the best abstracts out of all the other applicants from the university, which are chosen by a panel from the event.

 

“We are looking at reducing the cost of having solutions that work for single houses and going for communities coming together to fund a solar solution that can give them energy and electricity,” says Raymond Kiyegga, in response to what the project they are presenting is about.

 

The Initiate! 3-day challenge is for postgraduate students enrolled at Stellenbosch University, University of Cape Town, the University of Witwatersrand and Strathmore University. It involves completing a series of challenges that will enable the contestants to immerse themselves in the conference and exhibition while sourcing opinions from experts and pooling ideas from conference sessions. The team hopes to interact with mentors and key players in the sector for guidance and ways to improve their project. According to Fredrick Amariati, “We would like to know what is happening in other universities, learn from what they are doing, know what innovations are coming up in the sector and incorporate it with what we are doing.”

 

The 19th annual African Utility Week is the leading conference and trade exhibition for African power, energy and water professionals. This year’s event brings in the addition of POWERGEN Africa, expanding focus on generation (Including renewables, off grid) while still concentrating on transmission and distribution, new technologies (including storage, mini grids, IOT and ICT systems) and, of course, water.

 

“There will be various utility companies from Africa showcasing their technology, innovations and products. We hope to understand their needs, products and challenges, and this should help with the solution we are coming up with.” Ignatius Maranga

 

Two of the candidates, Ignatius Maranga and Fredrick Amariati, are Open Africa Power 2018 alumni. Open Africa Power is a programme about renewable energy. It was founded by the NL Foundation, of which Strathmore is the main implementing partner. Its main objective is to forge the next generation of clean energy leaders for Africa.

 

On the last day of the “Initiate! Impact Challenge”, the teams will be invited to pitch their innovations to a prestigious committee of judges and the winning team walks away with a prize of R20,000.

 

This article was written by Christine Mukasa

 

If you have a story, kindly email: communications@strathmore.edu