Energy Efficiency Services Limited and World Bank convene international platform to unlock energy efficiency potential in emerging countries
New Delhi: The World Bank and Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), under Ministry of Power, Government of India, today concluded a five-day knowledge exchange program, “South-South Knowledge Exchange Program in Energy Efficiency,” in New Delhi. Held in collaboration with Korea Energy Agency (KEA) and the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) with support from Korea-World Bank Partnership Facility, the programme witnessed participation of over 50 delegates from Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Morocco, Maldives, Kenya, South Korea and Nepal.
The programme is the second in a series of knowledge exchange programs on energy held by The World Bank this year, and aims to provide international energy efficiency practitioners a common platform for sharing best practices and discussing implementation models and solutions for enabling energy efficiency adoption in Asia and Africa.
Addressing the gathering, Mr. Saurabh Kumar, Managing Director, EESL, said, “Platforms such as this are extremely important for building on global best practices, and for ensuring that policy enables an environment that translates the practice of energy efficiency into tangible benefits for the world at large. Experts in the South-South Knowledge Exchange are able to appreciate challenges and ground realities faced by policymakers and practitioners in emerging economies, and I hope that these last few days have empowered each of the participants with ideas for solutions and access to solution-drivers that will hasten our collective journey towards a more climate resilient and energy efficiency world.”
The programme consisted of 7 sessions on: energy efficiency policies in different countries; industrial energy efficiency & incentive mechanisms; innovative energy efficiency financing models and ESCO market development; new age smart grid solutions and utility-based Demand Side Management Programs; programs for energy efficiency in buildings; and, institutional frameworks and initiatives for national energy efficiency programs.
Wrapping up the program, Dr. Ashok Sarkar, Senior Energy Specialist, The World Bank said, “I thank the participants who have joined us from across the world for this program. I cannot stress the importance of such knowledge exchange programs, which have inspired projects that have transformed the energy efficiency landscape in several countries in the past. I encourage each of the participants to think beyond the workshops, and identify and innovate application of the solutions discussed over the past week in their own countries.”
Delegates also watched a documentary on the EESL Streetlighting National Programme and saw EESL’s retrofitted streetlights at work during a visit to South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC). The delegates also visited NITI Aayog to witness a public building successfully retrofitted with energy efficiency through the Energy Service Company (ESCO) model, as well as the energy efficiency standard and labeling testing facility at the Intertek Lab.
Key dignitaries at the event included Dr Ajay Mathur, Director General of The Energy Resources Institute (TERI), who described the beginning of the movement towards energy efficiency in India and the inception of key programs for driving consumer awareness, including the Standards & Labeling Programme for consumer appliances. Mr. Kyung-soon Park, Director, Korea Energy Agency also discussed national energy and industrial energy audit policies and programs in Korea, while senior government representatives from Kenya, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Morocco described developments in their respective countries’ energy efficiency sectors.
Mr Pankaj Kumar, Secretary, BEE thanked the participants and summarized India’s achievements in energy efficiency while delivering the programme’s closing remarks.
The programme was organized by International Institute for Energy Conservation (IIEC).
Source: edelman
