Osterkorn keynote at first Asia Solar Energy Forum
Manila, 05.07.2010 - REEEP International Secretariat
REEEP’s Director General Marianne Osterkorn delivered a keynote address during the opening session of the first Asian Solar Energy Forum in Manila. She spoke to a gathering comprised of 300 stakeholders drawn from governments, utilities, businesses and international organisations from around the Asia Pacific region. The event was organised by the Asian Development Bank with the support of the IEA, UNIDO and REEEP.
 "Manila Asia Solar Energy Forum 2010")
First noting that the pure potential of solar vastly exceeds all human energy requirements, she underlined the irony of needing to “undo” the effects of solar radiation, using fossil fuel energy for cooling; a pattern that is clearly unsustainable in the longer term.
She highlighted REEEP’s many projects that emphasize solar and that use the technology to widen access to energy. She also made clear that integrating solar into the energy system on a large scale will require a smart grid, and that REEEP intends to support this type of effort in future.
After the speech, she also noted that “as the Asia Solar Energy Forum begins to take on a more permanent form, REEEP stands ready to lend it support, both in the region itself, and around the world.”
The full speech can be downloaded here: