Fall 2018 USAID-NREL Partnership Newsletter

Read our Fall 2018 issue for updates on our country activities, events, and global toolkits and resources.

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Identifying Renewable Energy Opportunities for the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR)

A new study explores how domestic and imported renewable energy resources could be developed to complement Lao PDR's existing energy infrastructure. Read more

Photo of a river in Lao PDR.

Recent Events

October 4, 2018: Best Practices for Grid Codes for Renewable Energy Generators
This webinar introduces the essential concepts for understanding renewable energy grid codes and reviews how grid codes have developed in the United States and internationally. Watch the webinar

What's New In Toolkits and Resources

Renewable Energy Explorer

RE-Explorer icon

Renewable Energy Explorer (RE Explorer) provides renewable energy data, analytical tools, and technical assistance to developers, policymakers, and decision makers in developing countries.

Learn more about RE Explorer and explore the featured resources below:

Photo of scientists drawing models on a clear marker board.

Determine which data sets you need to perform analyses for renewable energy decisions with the Renewable Energy Data Assessment Checklist.

Decisions-data-analysis nexus. A diagram shaped like a target, with Data in the middle circle, Analysis in the next, then a circle with Target Setting, Grid Integration, Policymaking, and Investment, and finally the outermost circle with Decision-Making.

To understand how to use renewable energy data to make effective decisions, read Renewable Energy Data, Analysis, and Decisions: A Guide for Practitioners.

Greening the Grid

Greening the Grid icon

Greening the Grid addresses the technical challenges and solutions for grid modernization and advanced energy integration with technical assistance and expertly curated resources arranged into topic-specific toolkits: grid integration, renewable energy zone (REZ) transmission planning, and distributed photovoltaics (DPV).

Greening the Grid Website Relaunch Offers New Toolkits

Greening the Grid is new and improved! We've updated the website with easier ways to find the resources you need and new content, including three toolkits: Grid Integration, Renewable Energy Zones (new!), and Distributed Photovoltaics (new!).

Visit Greening the Grid or each of the three toolkits:

Grid Integration icon, showing a gear in the middle and icons representing different types of energy resources around the outside.

Grid Integration

The grid integration toolkit offers a wealth of resources that have been expertly curated and annotated to assist you in navigating the key topics related to integrating variable renewable energy to the grid.

Photo of a man speaking into a microphone from the audience at the Asia Clean Energy Forum.

Grid Integration of Variable Renewable Energy: Innovative Solutions at the Transmission and Distribution Levels
A one-day Deep Dive Workshop at the Asia Clean Energy Forum gathered international experts to share insights on grid integration issues and solutions emerging in diverse power systems around the world. Read more and download workshop materials.

This figure shows 3 visual depictions of hourly animation of modeled results for the Base Case and two 30% renewable energy target scenarios for an example July Day in the Philippines.

How the Philippine Grid Could Achieve 30%—or Even 50%—Renewable Energy by 2030
This study analyzes the Philippines's Luzon-Visayas power system and the implications of achieving different levels of renewable energy penetration by 2030. Read more

Renewable Energy Zones icon, showing a grid with dots representing different locations.

Renewable Energy Zones

The renewable energy zone (REZ) toolkit provides policymakers and practitioners with the information and tools needed to successfully apply the REZ transmission planning process—connecting areas of cost-effective renewable energy to the grid.

Wind turnines and transmission lines

Renewable Energy Zone Process Guidebook
This guidebook helps power system planners, developers, key decision makers, and stakeholders understand and use the Renewable Energy Zone transmission planning process to integrate transmission expansion planning and renewable energy generation planning. Download the guidebook

Diagram from the Technical Potential Assessment for the REZ Process Quickread, identifying areas with attractive technical potential and development opportunities.

Quickread: Technical Potential Assessment for the Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) Process: A GIS-based Approach
The renewable energy zone (REZ) transmission planning process is an approach to connect areas with concentrated renewable energy resources to the power grid. This quick read provides an overview of the technical potential assessment for the REZ process. Download the quick read

Icon for Distributed PV, showing the sun and two homes and solar panels.

Distributed PV

The distributed photovoltaic (DPV) toolkit offers resources and guidance to support developing countries in addressing barriers to safe, effective, and accelerated deployment of small-scale, photovoltaic systems connected at the distribution level.

Screenshot of a video from the Building Blocks for Distributed PV Deployment webinar series.

Building Blocks for Distributed PV Deployment
This two-part webinar series explored the building blocks of establishing a distributed PV program. Watch part 1 and part 2 of this series.

Photo of solar panels in Thailand.

Assessing Distributed Photovoltaic Impacts on Utilities in Thailand
The USAID-NREL Partnership assessed the impacts of distributed photovoltaics (DPV) on utility revenues and customer electricity rates in Thailand. Read more

Country Updates

Bogota, Colombia electrified at night

COLOMBIA:
Competition in Colombia Sparks Renewable Energy Expansion
Colombia will host its first renewable energy auction in 2019 following a year of coordination with NREL and USAID. The auction is an opportunity to bring low-cost, non-hydro renewable energy to the country while promoting investment in Colombia's energy sector. Read more

A screenshot of the Greening the Grid India visualization showing a map of India divided into states with various colored circles in each state. The colored circles represent fuel types and amount of generation in megawatts. The full visualization shows the generation by fuel type over time in India.

INDIA:
Evaluating Clean Energy Goals in India
The USAID-NREL Partnership supported an India-led study showing the country can achieve its target of 175 gigawatts of installed renewable capacity by 2022. Read more

Rooftop solar on the El-Cid Hotel

MEXICO:
The Economics of Rooftop Solar in Mexico
NREL's System Advisor Model (SAM) analysis was used to explore the economics of distributed solar photovoltaics (DPV) for rooftops in Mexico. Read more

A map of the Philippines that shows the areas that have high-quality renewable energy resources: wind (blue), solar (red), and wind + solar (purple).

PHILIPPINES:
Philippines Government Aims to Transform its Power System through the REZ Transmission Planning Process
The Philippines Department of Energy has formalized the process of identifying renewable energy zones using NREL's Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) Transmission Planning Process as a guide. Read more

An example carpentry workshop with tools powered by a micro-grid.

POWER AFRICA: Beyond the Grid:
How Micro-grids Can Help Sub-Saharan Africa Achieve Universal Energy Access
This project is helping to build an environment that could enable bankable, micro-grid investments in Sub-Saharan Africa. To help encourage private investment, NREL conducted analyses on African micro-grids: one on the productive use of energy and the other on customer agreement considerations. Read more

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