Hande wins 2011 Magsaysay Award

Harish Hande, the co-founder of SELCO Solar Light Pty. Ltd has been named one of the five individuals and one organisation to win the 2011 Ramon Magsaysay Award. Established in 1957, this award is Asia’s highest honor and is widely regarded as the region’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize.

Brazil grid connection law in the pipeline

Based on several sources, on 14 July 2011, pv magazine reported that the government of Brazil intends to pass legislation permitting grid connections for solar installations by the end of 2011.

Demo home at IDEAAS center for decentralised generation

A demonstration home showing the latest in renewable energy and energy efficient solutions is being officially opened this week by IDEAAS, a Brazilian NGO and longtime REEEP partner who seeks to spread renewable energy solutions and encourage social entrepreneurship.

Feed-in tariff workshop grapples with African realities

More than 120 energy regulators, utilities and policy-makers from 14 African countries have taken part in a Johannesburg workshop on designing and implementing stable, long-term renewable energy (RE) support schemes such feed-in tariffs in an African setting. Feed-in tariffs (FITs) are already used to promote RE in more than 30 countries around the world, and South Africa has also recently introduced a FIT scheme.

China RE and EE Status Report launched at DIREC

China is emerging as a dominant force in the clean energy sector, with greater ambitions to be the world’s leader in this field than previously thought, a new REEEP-funded report from the Worldwatch Institute shows.

New solar PV legislation assisted by REEEP project

On October 21, 2009 the Congress’ Alternative Energy Sources Commission convened a hearing at which it approved a reform to Brazil’s current renewable energy legislation.

Seven innovative finance projects light up lives in India with SELCO

Small amounts of REEEP funding can transform the lives of the poor. This is the message in seven encouraging case studies from SELCO India, a REEEP partner that has used funding to remove financial barriers and test finance and product innovation at the grassroots level. In the process, it has refuted many general assumptions about the affordability of renewable energy services targeted at the poor.

Farmers trade crops for solar lighting in the Solomons

Using crops in a unique barter system, a new microfinance project in the Solomon Islands has successfully implemented a solar lighting finance scheme, enabling communities to trade crops for much needed access to light.

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