ISES Solar Education Exchange
The ISES Solar Education Exchange (ISEE) uses internet-based educational activities to link students globally, increase their energy understanding, and help create brighter futures for them all. ISEE envisions children throughout the world working together with their families and communities on the rapid transition to a renewable energy world – a world where everyone has access to energy; energy is used efficiently and wisely; energy sources are renewable and sustainability guides human activities. ISEE aims to help achieve this vision by linking schools globally through interactive Internet-based education, starting with the ISEE Global Solar Schools Competition. Learn more about ISEE here.
Skills and Occupational Needs in Renewable Energy
Together with the partners of the International Renewable Energy Alliance (REN Alliance), ISES took part in in producing the report "Skill & Occupational Needs in Renewable Energy" for the UN International Labour Organisation (ILO). ISES researched the current situation and perspectives of education and training in the solar energy fields, skill needs and the needs of the solar industry to meet their personal work force requirements. Read the full report here.
Photos Courtesy of DOE/NREL
Supporting Renewable Energy Deployment in Brazil, China and South Africa
Report on Enhancing Information for Renewable Energy Technology Deployment in Brazil, China and South Africa
UNEP, in collaboration with INPE, ERI, and CRSES, has concluded research on various frameworks for supporting renewable energy deployment in Brazil, China, and South Africa. This research has been compiled in a comprehensive report now available here and on the UNEP website. ISES participated in publishing the report by contributing to the conception and technical editing. This report documents crucial information to support renewable energies deployment and provides policy-makers information to support renewable energy markets in these countries. Specifically this report gathers concrete information on existing solar and wind resource information, renewable energy support policies, risk management and technologies associated with expanded renewable energy technology deployment. Read the full report here.
Online Guide for users of solar datasets
The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) is hosting an online guide that ISES developed together with UNEP and partners from the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the State University of New York at Albany. This guide helps users make an educated decision when deciding which solar dataset to use for a specific application and/or at a specific location. Knowledge of solar energy resources is essential for the planning and operation of solar energy systems. Different organisations provide several autonomous solar data covering various spatial and temporal periods with various resolutions. Solar data sets differ in spatial and temporal resolution, time period covered, and methodology used. Some of these datasets are available for free, while some are not, and they all may provide varying results. As a result, most users cannot verify the suitability of a given solar dataset or map for a specific application. This can lead users to abandon their search or make non-appropriate use of the information. This simple guide tool was developed to help alleviate this problem. The online user-friendly guide helps expert and non-expert users to decide which solar resource data sets are the most appropriate depending on a type of application that the user is interested in and the location. The programme relates information back to two information tables: one related to a compilation of a selection of existing satellite based solar datasets and their metadata and the other defines specific requirements a dataset should meet for specific solar application. The solar dataset guide is available to use for free from the UNEP Climate Change website here
Photo: SWERA - unep.swera.net
Photo: Courtesy of Geomodel s.r.o.