IOREC 2018
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IOREC 2018: 4th International Off-grid Renewable Energy Conference and Exhibition

About

The International Off-grid Renewable Energy Conference and Exhibition (IOREC), organised by the International Renewable Energy Agency, is the global platform for sharing experience and best practices on design and implementation of enabling policies, tailored financing schemes, innovative business models and technology applications for stand-alone and mini-grid systems.

The fourth edition of IOREC took place in Singapore, on 31 October - 1 November 2018, as a co-located event with the Asia Clean Energy Summit, during Singapore International Energy Week. With over half a billion people in Asia still without access to electricity, the synergy with the ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting, chaired by Singapore in 2018, and with the Asia Clean Energy Summit, highlighted the role decentralised renewable energy solutions can play in electrification strategies in the region and beyond, as well as the role of off-grid renewable energy in achieving several of the Sustainable Development Goals.


The International Off-grid Renewable Energy Conference and Exhibition (IOREC) 2018

The International Off-grid Renewable Energy Conference and Exhibition (IOREC), organised by the International Renewable Energy Agency, is the global platform for sharing experience and best practices on design and implementation of enabling policies, tailored financing schemes, innovative business models and technology applications for stand-alone and mini-grid systems.

Building on the success of the earlier editions, the 4th IOREC once again attracted experts from around the world and across the off-grid renewable energy value chain, with representatives from policy-makers, rural electrification agencies, private sector, NGOs, academia, financing institutions and international organisations. Over the two-day event, the participants deliberated on enabling policies, financing schemes, innovative business models and technology applications. A special focus was put on the nexus between energy access and other key priorities such as food, water and health service. Furthermore, innovators, practitioners and entrepreneurs from the off-grid renewable energy space had the opportunity to showcase their products and services in the exhibition, organised by the Alliance for Rural Electrification, which ran in parallel to the conference.

IOREC is convened every two years, with the first three editions of the event taking place in Accra, Ghana in 2012, followed by Manila, Philippines in 2014 and Nairobi, Kenya in 2016.

Key messages from the discussion at the event:

  • Modern energy access is central to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and governments should consider the entire spectrum of opportunities offered by off-grid renewable energy solutions for expanding affordable, reliable and sustainable access to households, support livelihoods, enhance delivery of essential services (e.g., health) and strengthen gender equality.
  • National level electrification strategies and plans should mainstream off-grid renewable energy solutions and facilitate co-operation between actors.
  • To ensure effective implementation of energy access plans, institutional and legal frameworks at the national level should clearly define roles and responsibilities of public sector institutions, streamline administrative procedures and ensure adequate capacities.
  • To ensure private sector involvement in energy access, the policy and regulatory framework should provide the right set of incentives and risk coverage to private investors and alleviate the barriers to unlock financing for the sector.
  • Regulations are of particular importance in the case of renewable energy mini-grids where governments have the dual role of ensuring economic viability for developers while ensuring tariffs are not too high for underserved communities. Furthermore, with the right set of regulations in place, main grid arrival, often seen as a major risk for mini-grid developers, can become an opportunity both for developers and utilities alike.
  • The financial instruments and products on offer from banks and other financing institutions do not always match the sector demands. To foster innovation in the sector and accelerate deployment, financing instruments on offer need to be tailored especially to the requirements of end users and small enterprises.
  • Putting in place the right ecosystem for accelerating off-grid renewable energy deployment requires efforts to develop the necessary human capital by building capacities across the off-grid value chain and supporting local entrepreneurship.
  • Off-grid renewable energy should be viewed as a job creating opportunity as it has the potential to create millions of jobs across the value chain.
  • Efficient end-use appliances need to be included in the off-grid ecosystem to ensure affordability and long-term sustainability.

 

Programme

Programme

Download the full conference programme here

PDF File
time sessions
07:30 - 08:30 Registration
08:30 - 09:30 Joint IOREC- Asia Clean Energy Summit (ACES) Opening Ceremony
09:30 - 10:00 Coffee Break & Exhibition
10:00 - 11:30 Harnessing off-grid renewables for energy access and Sustainable Development Goals
11:30 - 12:45 Driving the deployment of stand-alone systems: Enabling policies and innovative delivery models
12:45 - 14:30  Lunch & Exhibition
Sustainable Energy and Livelihoods
Side event
Organiser: SELCO Foundation
Closing the Human Capital Gap in Energy Access
Side event
Organisers: Power for All and IRENA
Supporting renewable energy entrepreneurship
Side event
Organiser: IRENA
Project facilitation and funding opportunities for renewable energy projects
Side event
Organiser: IRENA
14:30 - 15:45 Financing for stand-alone systems: Finding the missing link
15:45 - 16:15 Coffee Break & Exhibition
16:15 - 17:30 Off-grid innovation: latest solutions and future needs
17:30 - 18:45 Inclusive financing frameworks for off-grid renewable energy solutions
Side event
Organisers: Hivos and IRENA
Quality infrastructure for supporting global mini-grid market expansion
Side event
Organiser: IRENA
Solar irrigation: opportunities and challenges
Side event
Organiser: International Water Management Institute
 
18:45 - 21:30 Reception
time sessions
09:00 - 10:30 Scaling up renewable energy mini-grid deployment: Enabling policies and regulations
10:30 - 11:00 Coffee Break & Exhibition
11:00 - 12:30 Scaling up renewable energy mini-grid deployment: Innovations in delivery and business models
12:30 - 14:15  Lunch & Exhibition
Renewable energy off-grid components of NDCs: Co-benefits for mitigation, adaptation, & SDGs
Side Event
Organizer: Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Germany
Accelerating renewable energy based electrification in small island contexts
Side event
Organizer: Department of Energy, Philippines
25 x 25 Collaborative: Market activation for energy access
Side event
Organisers: Practical Action, Hivos, Power for All and SNV
Accelerating financially viable hydro mini-grids: A closer look at small-scale hydropower in South and Southeast Asia
Side event
Organiser: Hydro Empowerment Network
14:15 - 15:30 Increasing access to finance: Unlocking capital for mini-grid deployment
15:30 - 16:00 Coffee Break & Exhibition
16:00 - 17:15 Maximising socio-economic benefits of off-grid renewable energy solutions
17:15 - 17:30 Closing remarks
17:30 - 18:45 Exhibition
Developing Market Intelligence: Understanding what is really going on in Asian Markets
Side event
Organizer: REN21
18:45 - 21:00 Reception

Presentations

SESSION 1
Harnessing off-grid renewables for national energy access and Sustainable Development Goals

SESSION 2
Driving the deployment of stand-alone systems: Enabling policies and innovative delivery models

SESSION 3
Facilitating financing for stand-alone systems: Finding the missing link

 

SESSION 4
Off-grid innovation: latest solutions and future needs

SESSION 5
Scaling up renewable energy mini-grid deployment: Enabling policies and regulations

SESSION 6
Scaling up renewable energy mini-grid deployment: Innovations in delivery and business models

SESSION 7
Increasing access to finance: Unlocking capital for mini-grid deployment

SESSION 8
Maximising socio-economic benefits of off-grid renewable energy solutions

Side event 1: Sustainable energy and livelihoods – SELCO Foundation

Side event 2: Closing the human capital gap in energy access – Power for All and IRENA

Side event 3: Supporting renewable energy entrepreneurship – IRENA

Side event 4: Project facilitation and funding opportunities for renewable energy projects – IRENA

Side event 5: Inclusive financing frameworks for off-grid renewable energy solutions – Hivos and IRENA

Side event 6: Quality infrastructure for supporting global mini-grid market expansion – IRENA

Side event 7: Solar irrigation: opportunities and challenges – International Water Management Institute

Side event 8: Renewable energy off-grid components of NDCs: Co-benefits for mitigation, adaptation and SDGs – Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Germany

Side event 9: Accelerating renewable energy-based electrification in small island contexts – Department of Energy, Philippines

Side event 10: 25x25 Collaborative: Market activation for energy access – Practical Action, Hivos, Power for All and SNV

Side event 11: Accelerating financially viable hydro mini-grids – Hydro Empowerment Networ

Exhibition

The IOREC exhibition will take place in parallel with the Conference from the 31 October – 1 November 2018 and is organised by the Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE). The exhibition serves as a showcase for the very latest off-grid technologies and the innovative approaches fuelling rapid deployment of decentralised renewable energy solutions.


The exhibition is an important component of the IOREC and is open to all interested companies and organisations. In particular, private sector companies with cutting-edge products and projects are encouraged. IOREC presents one of the year’s most important opportunities to network and build influential partnerships with key global off-grid industry players.


More information

Do not miss out on your best opportunity to connect and network with the most influential group of off-grid professionals this year.

The Exhibition is an opportunity for companies to:

  • Present their products and projects;
  • Showcase the latest off-grid technologies and know-how;
  • Raise your profile in developing markets, especially in Asia;
  • Generate new business leads with rural electrification agencies, private sector, financing institutions, development agencies and international organisations;
  • Demonstrate their commitment to the collective and ongoing commitment of ARE and UN’s ‘Sustainable Energy for All’ initiative and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG7).

 

If you would like to book a stand, kindly contact:

Ling Ng
Communications & Marketing Officer

Alliance for Rural Electrification
l.ng@ruralelec.org

Download the registration form

Confirmed Exhibitors

  • ARE
  • Trinasolar
  • ICA
  • DRD
  • GIZ
  • FRIEM
  • GFM
  • Plug the Sun
  • Practical Action
  • RA Solar
  • Spark Meter
  • Studer
  • Tiger Power
  • Wind Kinetic

Renewable Energy Solutions for Healthcare Facilities

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is organising the international conference on Renewable Energy Solutions for Healthcare Facilities which is to be held in Singapore on 2 November 2018 immediately after the 4th International Off-Grid Renewable Energy Conference and Exhibition (IOREC). The conference will be a unique opportunity to discuss challenges to the deployment of renewables for health centers, present successful case studies and identify technical, regulatory, policy, and financial options which can accelerate the deployment of renewable energy for the electrification of health centres in rural communities.

Know more

Contact

For more information about the Conference please contact:

  • IRENA Headquarters

    Masdar City

    P.O. Box 236, Abu Dhabi

    United Arab Emirates

    Tel: +97124179000

    E-mail: iorec@irena.org

  • Aliance for Rural Electrification

    Ms. Ling Ng

    Communications & Marketing Officer

    www.ruralelec.org

    Rue d’Arlon 69,

    1040 Brussels, Belgium