This multi-disciplinary Masters' level course provides participants with a framework to analyze the local/regional distributed renewable energy (DRE) sector, assess its challenges, and develop potential solutions. The course offers a comprehensive introduction to energy access opportunities. When taken early in a Masters' programme, it will help students to explore career paths or entrepreneurship opportunities in the energy access sector.
Pre-requisites:
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering, environmental, business, policy, or development related fields.
- Some technical knowledge of electrical systems will be an advantage.
Delivery and expectations
Each seminar will have a morning and afternoon session. The sessions be held in person in the ACE ESD boardroom on the UR CST campus. During each seminar, the participant will be given an assessment task to be completed and submitted before the next seminar.
| SEMINARS | MODULE | Unit | Key Concepts: Training activity and Focus | (Contextual) Definitions of Concepts | Lecturer in Charge | Hours | Assessment Criteria | Proposed Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEMINAR 1 | Module 1. Distributed Energy Systems (DES) | 1.1. Overview of the national energy system (including grid system, DES and interconnections) and RE resources | National energy system | Energy generation, transmission, and distribution at national scale | LEAD: Assoc Prof. JMV BIKORIMANA, Dr. Gasore Godephy | 15hours | Individual project on one of Rwanda's energy challenges, with a presentation in the classroom for evaluation. | |
| DES (mini, micro, pico systems) | Energy supply generated closer to end-use location; Mini: 100kW -1 mW, Micro: 5- 100 kW, Pico: 1-10 W | |||||||
| Distributed RE System (DRE) | Distributed RE generation using Wind, Solar and Small Hydro systems. | |||||||
|
Energy Access |
Level of energy access of the population | |||||||
| Wind and Solar PV resource availability | Resource assessment - determining availability and potential of wind /solar energy to cost-effectively develop/deploy DES systems | |||||||
| 1.2. Distributed Renewable Energy Systems (Technical) | AC vs DC Ecosystems | Both AC and DC describe types of current flow in a circuit. In direct current (DC), the electric charge (current) only flows in one direction. Electric charge in alternating current (AC), on the other hand, changes direction periodically | ||||||
| Energy storage in DRE | The capture of energy produced at one time for use at a later time to reduce imbalances between energy demand and energy production | |||||||
| Energy management in DES systems | The proactive and systematic monitoring, control and optimization of an organization's energy consumption to conserve use and decrease energy costs | |||||||
| 1.3. Design Options and Cost for DREs | Hybrid Energy Systems | System that includes both RE and fossil fuels | ||||||
| Configuration of hybrid energy systems for decentralized energy production | Grid integrated and Grid Isolated configurations; Hybrid energy systems - combine two or more energy conversion devices for meeting a common energy end use | |||||||
| 1.4. Distributed Renewable Energy System Trends | Green minigrids | Green minigrids - energy generated significantly from renewable sources, Energy democracy with DES- involvement of all peoples in energy production and use | ||||||
| Energy democratization | Involvement of population in energy production and distribution | |||||||
| Digitilization of DES | Digitilization - application of digital technologies in DES to manage energy production, demand and supply. | |||||||
| SEMINAR 2 | Module 2. Demand Assessment and Community Engagement | 2.1. Energy End-Users in Off-Grid Settings | Customer energy profiles within a community; household energy consumption | Energy profiles - The different energy end users within a community and their energy demand and consumption pattern | LEAD: Dr. Eustache HAKIZIMANA, Dr. Gasore Godephy | 151hours | ||
| Multi-Tier framework of energy access | The MTF identifies and analyzes the main reasons why households are not using electricity, or why their usage is limited (i.e. by capacity, reliability or affordability issues), and then recommends a set of measures to remove such constraints. MTF, therefore, not only allows for a nuanced tracking of SDG 7 targets, but also helps governments fine-tune their policies and approaches for reaching them. The World Bank’s Multi-Tier Framework (MTF) defines electricity access in terms of tiers of service, ranging from Tiers 0 to 5. The tiers are based on seven attributes of electricity service, including capacity, service hours, reliability, quality or voltage fluctuations, affordability, legality, and safety. On the basis of these seven attributes, the MTF assigns any given household to one of the five tiers, where Tier 0 is no meaningful access, Tier 1 is basic lighting and charging, Tier 2 is the ability to run a few small appliances, Tier 3 is a formal grid connection with limited service, Tier 4 is a service capable of supporting refrigeration, and Tier 5 is unrestricted continuous service | |||||||
| 2.2. Socio-Economic and Cultural Factors within Communities | Community dynamics in energy systems design and deployment | Socio-cultural and economic factors that influence design and deployment of DRE systems in communities | ||||||
| Willingness to pay | The willingness with which a community is likely to pay for a product or service, in this case, access to energy | |||||||
| 2.3. Methods and Tools for Community Engagement | Community engagement methodologies and strategies (role play games, focus groups, surveys, interviews) | Commuity engagement - the input, participation, and reflections of the people and communities at the heart of the issues | ||||||
| 2.4. Socio-Economic and Cultural Enablers and Barriers | Barriers and enablers for community engagement | There are certain socio-economic and cultural enablers that can promote or enhance the development of an off-grid. Should these be identified, signficant resources can be saved, and the chances of project success can be noticeably improved. On the other hand, there are certain socio-economic and cultural barriers that can make an off-grid electrification project signficantly more difficult, thereby reducing the chances of the project being a success. Barriers may incur additional cost in terms of time, money, and business resources. |
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| SEMINAR 3 | Module 3. Business Models for Energy Access | 3.1. DRE Business Models | Business models for energy technologies and services in the off-grid sector | Business models include - Pay per service unit, Pay as you go (rent-to-own), Fee for service, community owned; Special Purpose Vehicle. | LEAD: Dr.Jean de Dieu HAKIZIMANA, | 15hours | ||
| 3.2. Business Model Canvas as a tool for understanding business models | Business Model canvas (BMC) tool | BMC - a strategic management template/tool for developing new business models and documenting existing ones | ||||||
| 3.3. Supply Chains in the DRE Sector | Supply chain | The network of all the individuals, organizations, resources, activities, and technology involved in the creation and sale of a product. | ||||||
| 3.4. Productive Use of Energy (PUE) | Productive Use of Energy (PUE) | Productive Use of Energy - use of energy to increase income and improve welfare in communities | ||||||
| SEMINAR 4 | Module 4. Finance for the DRE Sector | 4.1. Financing for DRE Companies | Financial options, financial planning, budgeting, revenue models | Financing mechanisms: Innovative approaches for financing energy companies and projects in the DRE sector e.g. Concessional lending, PPP, Equity investment etc | LEAD: Dr.Jean de Dieu HAKIZIMANA, | 9hours | ||
| 4.2. Financing for DRE Projects | Financial options, financial planning, budgeting, revenue model | |||||||
| 4.3. Financial Risks for the DRE Sector | Climate finance opportunities, risk management | |||||||
| SEMINAR 5 | Module 5. Policy and Regulation | 5.1. Energy Access, Development, and Climate Change Nexus | Energy access as a means to an end | Energy as a means to livelihood and sustainable development | LEAD: Dr. Gasore Godephy | 12hours | ||
| Energy- climate change - development framework and trade-offs | Adapations for climate-resilent energy for sustainable development | |||||||
| The link between Climate agreements and national energy policies | National energy and climate action plans, Carbon credits and Carbon tax | |||||||
| 5.2. National Energy Policies | Energy policies and synergies between them | Energy policies- the scheme in which the government (or any organization) addresses issues related to energy growth and usage. Synergy- Extent to which national energy policies support each other to promote development of DRE sector | ||||||
| 5.3. National Regulations in the DRE Sector | National Regulations in the DRE Sector | Energy regulations: Set of rules that govern the energy sector in terms of energy generation, distribution and use | ||||||
| SEMINAR 6 | Module 6. Environmental Stewardship | 6.1. Environmental Impact Assessment | Environmental impact assessments (EIA) of renewables vs fossil fuels | EIA: A tool/methodology for assessing the impact of energy production and use on the environment | LEAD: Dr. Bernard B. Munyazikwiye, Dr. Emmanuel UFITEYEZU | 12hours | ||
| 6.2. Renewable Energy Technologies and the Environment | RE technologies and sustainable development | RE Technologies: Renewable energy technologies like Wind turbines, solar PV, Hydro-turbines | ||||||
| 6.3. Product Life Cycles | Product Life Cycle Analysis | Product Life Cycle Analysis: A detailed analysis of the total environmental impact of each stage of a product's life, from the raw material inputs right through to disposal/ end of life | ||||||
| 6.4. Circular Economy Opportunities | Circular economy in renewable energy sector, waste challenges & solutions, second -life applications (Innovate, renovate, reuse, recycle), | Circular Economy: Keeping renewable energy products and materials in use and designing them to be cycled back into the economy |
Fees
University of Rwanda masters’ students currently enrolled in the MSc Renewable Energy programme are expected to do the trainings and there is no additional fee.
The fee for masters’ students from other programmes or for professionals working in the energy sector is xxx
Enrolment
Please contact xxx to enroll for this course