WISE, in association with APECS Consultancy, Bhutan, and financial support from the Austrian Development Agency, extended technical and training support to the Department of Renewable Energy (DRE), Government of Bhutan, for promoting the use of solar water heating systems in the country’s building sector. The three-day training programme (June 2018) was organised at the DRE in Thimphu, for capacity building of its technical staff and industry stakeholders. The first two days of the training focused on technical issues of solar water heating systems targeting technical staff and industry stakeholders, while the third day focused on policy, regulatory and financial aspects of SWHs for government stakeholders.

A two-day capacity building training programme was organised by WISE in association with the Centre for Environment and Energy Development (CEED), the local partner, on ‘Strengthening Institutional Capacity of BREDA for Energy Access Interventions’ in January 2018 in Patna. The programme was part of a funded, capacity building project for SNAs for energy access.

It was attended by around 40 senior and middle managerial level officials deputed from the field office and head office. It briefly covered policy and regulatory provisions for promoting decentralized RE systems and mini-grid applications, and offered hands-on training on the latest software used for resource analysis and project optimization of solar PV. Demonstration of the management tools/application software developed by WISE was also part of the training provided.

The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN-ESCWA), having its headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, is responsible for promoting economic and social development in the Western Asia region. UN-ESCWA, in association with WISE, conducted a major project and study tour in 2015, for senior policy makers from Western Asia on ‘Building Capacities in Developing Appropriate Green Technologies for Improving the Livelihood of Rural Communities in the ESCWA Region’. The project/study tour aimed to strengthen the capacity and knowledge of policy-makers and mainstream appropriate green technology initiatives into national development programmes and policies, in order to facilitate investments in the rural areas, thus enhancing livelihoods of rural communities.

Senior-level officials from Jordan, Lebanon, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, and Sudan participated in the study tour. Officials from UN-ESCWA, UN-ESCAP, APCTT and one participant each from Nepal and Laos were also part of the study tour. The programme was entirely designed by WISE, in consultation with UN-ESCWA, and comprised two and half days of lectures and one and a half days of site visits. WISE arranged all the logistics required for the study tour. Comprehensive study material comprising the Indian experiences on access to modern energy services using renewable energy technologies was prepared by WISE and presentations were made, both by WISE resource persons as well as experts from the field. Two site visits were also organised. These included a half-day visit to BAIF Development Research Foundation’s Central Research Station at Urulikanchan, Pune, to study the various RE off-grid systems developed by BAIF, and a full-day visit to a solarbased, mini-grid project in the remote village of Darewadi in Junnar taluka, Maharashtra. The participants had the opportunity to witness the working of the solar PV-based mini-grid project and get a glimpse of the various benefits availed by the villagers. Baseline assessment and post study tour evaluation was then conducted to ascertain the effectiveness of the programme. The project concluded with WISE submitting the study tour report to UN-ESCWA.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) appointed WISE as a consultant for carrying out the World Bank supported assignment on ‘Capacity building of state nodal agencies and other key stakeholders for promoting RET based off-grid solutions for electrification of rural areas’ in the states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and West Bengal (2015).

In the first phase of the programme, WISE looked into the diverse functional areas of SNAs such as financial management and governance, project planning and implementation, organizational structure and HR, among others, and then prepared a State-Specific Action Plan for each state nodal agency. The second phase required WISE to assist the state nodal agencies in the implementation of three short-term interventions in the three states, based on their specific action plan and also to provide them with training and capacity building support.

WISE held two capacity building programmes in November 2015 – the first in Lucknow (for UP and Bihar) and the second in Kolkata (for West Bengal and Jharkhand) – targeting officers and technicians of the respective SNAs. The one-day programme for officers focused on familiarizing them with viable technological options, policy and regulatory frameworks in off-grid RET, financing options and potential business models, and covered presentations from senior staff of WISE and other experts. The two-day training programme for technicians focused on acquainting them with the installation, operation and maintenance of solar based off-grid systems. The programme registered participation from over 70 technical staff from the four SNAs and received positive feedback from the participants and state nodal agencies.

WISE organised a three-day training programme on ‘Model RE-based Microgrid Power Projects in Remote Areas’ in Guwahati in September 2014. The programme was organised under the project ‘Scaling up Deployment of RE Technology for Promoting Innovative Business Models’ jointly supported by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), GoI, and the World Bank. This was the second programme in the series organised by WISE. The programme deliberated on the various RE-based-microgrid technologies presently available and the costs involved, different aspects of preparation of DPR such as legal, policy, regulatory framework and guidelines, computation of cost generation, revenue and viability gap funding, and the lender’s and developer’s roles in financing microgrids. Operational experiences of different microgrid projects were also discussed, and a site visit to an operational 100 kW solar power project was organised as part of the training programme. Representatives from state nodal agencies, state governments, state electricity regulatory commissions, electricity utilities, NGOs, and manufacturers from the north-eastern region involved in implementation of microgrid projects in India participated in the programme.

WISE organized a training programme on ‘Solar PV power plant designing and financial analysis’ in February 2013, with a view to boost capacity building and enhance knowledge of the fast-emerging grid-connected solar power generation sector.

The training programme involved theoretical sessions covering technical information on solar PV projects (including site-feasibility analysis) and practical, hands-on training on PV power plant designing and financial analysis using software like METEONORM, PV-Syst., and WISE’s own tool for financial analysis.

The participants included solar project developers and investors, solar equipment and component manufacturers, government officials from state nodal agencies, officials from power utilities of centre/states, solar energy consultants, academicians, students, etc. The participants were all praise for WISE for taking the initiative to train professionals in solar energy technology software and opined that more such training programmes should be held to cater to the increasing manpower requirement of the future.