Spring 2019 USAID-NREL Partnership Newsletter

Read our Spring 2019 issue for updates on our country activities, events, and global toolkits and resources.

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I-JEDI Helps Countries Understand the Economic Impact of Clean Energy

Industry, governments, and consultants can quickly assess potential economic impacts of transitioning to clean energy and tailor analyses to a country's unique circumstances using the I-JEDI tool. Visit the I-JEDI website.

A worker in a hardhat installing a solar panel.

Recent Events

Utility-Scale Battery Storage: When, Where, Why and How Much?
This webinar explored considerations for utility-scale batteries on the grid and the potential role of battery energy storage systems (BESS). To learn more and watch the webinar, see the Greening the Grid website.

Country Updates

This is a map of Bangladesh that shows major cities, the location of met towers and transmission lines, and wind speeds (from 7lt;4 - >10 meters per second).

BANGLADESH:
Bangladesh's Rich Wind Resources May Be the Answer to Energy Challenges
An assessment by the USAID-NREL Partnership examined the viability of tapping abundant wind resources to overcome significant energy challenges in Bangladesh. Its energy sector suffers from power shortages, increasing demand, decreasing domestic natural gas reserves, and inadequate transmission infrastructure. Read more.

Map of Kazakhstan showing areas with wind technology potential.

KAZAKHSTAN:
Kazakhstan Holds First-Ever Renewable Energy Auction
A first-ever renewable energy auction was held in Kazakhstan, supported by the USAID-NREL Partnership. The organization that acts as the central buyer for all renewable energy produced in Kazakhstan used the Renewable Energy Data Explorer to conduct its analysis and support the auctions process.

Two men carry a solar panel to place on an array assembly.

POWER AFRICA:
Bundling Strategies Offer Solutions to Microgrid Challenges
Novel approaches to microgrid financing and deployment in Sub-Saharan Africa offer a set of emerging solutions to the financial and business model challenges of microgrids. Read more.

Download the report.

Two men support a solar panel being installed on a microgrid, while two others work behind it.

In Developing Countries, Setting Commercially Viable Tariffs is Rarely a Straightforward Issue
A new report looks at tariff options from two different ends of a regulatory spectrum—mandating some variety of national (uniform) tariff vs. allowing microgrid developers and operators to set fully cost-reflective tariffs that may vary from site to site. The report, published by the USAID-NREL Partnership with input from Power Africa, analyzes the benefits and drawbacks of tariff options.

Download the report.

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