9 Transitioning to a Low-Carbon Economy and Renewable Energy …
299
or geographies where the RE technology has never reached (Espa and
Rolland 2015). An example of this had happened in refugee settlements
at a time when energy intervention programs and products had not yet
permeated fully. While this is beneficial at the onset, refugee settlements
often become a hotspot for many outreach initiatives that sometimes
contribute to market distortions (Rouse 2019). In the arena of biomass,
particularly briquettes, companies are coming up with innovative ways to
reduce the price. A good case example is seen between development partners and private companies empowering local communities to learn how
to produce and sell their own briquettes (UNHCR 2013). The process
for making briquettes has a varying level of technical expertise needed,
but this can, to a larger extent, be done by hand and is less mechanized.
By empowering this level of community-leveraged inventions, people can
not only manufacture their cooking fuels but also sell products to their
community at large.
On a grander scale, affordability has been one of the largest limiting
factors in encouraging more cleantech companies to produce household cleantech. The urban parts of Uganda are primarily served by the
national grid, UMEME in all major regions. The West Nile subregion is
served by the West Nile Rural Electrification Company (WENRECo), a
vertically integrated isolated grid on a Build Own Operate (BOO) basis.
The concentration of decentralized energy distribution in urban parts
leaves a deficiency in rural areas which are the heaviest users of traditional fuels for lighting and cooking. Innovative financing mechanisms
in public–private partnerships have supported businesses and end-users
in acquiring improved RE technologies.
9.4 What Are the Transition Needs
for Small-Scale Renewable Energy?
9.4.1 Funding
The decline in financing is due to a decline in international public
fund flows (Climate Policy Initiative 2019). While the investments into
renewable energy are still a worthwhile figure, it is still not enough.
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or geographies where the RE technology has never reached (Espa and
Rolland 2015). An example of this had happened in refugee settlements
at a time when energy intervention programs and products had not yet
permeated fully. While this is beneficial at the onset, refugee settlements
often become a hotspot for many outreach initiatives that sometimes
contribute to market distortions (Rouse 2019). In the arena of biomass,
particularly briquettes, companies are coming up with innovative ways to
reduce the price. A good case example is seen between development partners and private companies empowering local communities to learn how
to produce and sell their own briquettes (UNHCR 2013). The process
for making briquettes has a varying level of technical expertise needed,
but this can, to a larger extent, be done by hand and is less mechanized.
By empowering this level of community-leveraged inventions, people can
not only manufacture their cooking fuels but also sell products to their
community at large.
On a grander scale, affordability has been one of the largest limiting
factors in encouraging more cleantech companies to produce household cleantech. The urban parts of Uganda are primarily served by the
national grid, UMEME in all major regions. The West Nile subregion is
served by the West Nile Rural Electrification Company (WENRECo), a
vertically integrated isolated grid on a Build Own Operate (BOO) basis.
The concentration of decentralized energy distribution in urban parts
leaves a deficiency in rural areas which are the heaviest users of traditional fuels for lighting and cooking. Innovative financing mechanisms
in public–private partnerships have supported businesses and end-users
in acquiring improved RE technologies.
9.4 What Are the Transition Needs
for Small-Scale Renewable Energy?
9.4.1 Funding
The decline in financing is due to a decline in international public
fund flows (Climate Policy Initiative 2019). While the investments into
renewable energy are still a worthwhile figure, it is still not enough.