Sustainable energy systems for refugee and host communities in Africa (SUNNY)

Green transition is at the forefront of political and societal ambitions for more sustainable economies, industries, and societies. At the same time, there are projected to be over 117 million displaced people in the world today, in need of humanitarian assistance1, most of whom are located in African countries. Around 95% of displaced people in camps do not have access to electricity: the energy needs of displaced people, and in extension host communities, are largely unmet - displaced people lack access to clean energy solutions and are often not able to access modern electricity to meet their needs for power, cooking, heating, and cooling. Around 81% of them, as well as local host communities, use high-carbon technologies due to the lack of Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs) adapted to their needs2. Sustainable uptake of RETs can only be ensured through the effective inclusion of stakeholders all along the value chain and throughout the development of tailored technologies.

To answer to this challenge, the SUNNY project focuses on a wide scope of activities complementing technical aspects of the provision of sustainable technologies with environmental and socio-economic aspects and including stakeholders and decision-makers with various professional backgrounds and experiences. From design to commissioning and operation, internal and external partners will ensure that technical, environmental, social, and economic positive impacts are generated through the implementation of collaborative methodologies.

Goals

The overall objective of SUNNY is to demonstrate the efficient implementation of renewable energy technologies to match local contexts’ needs and to improve climate mitigation and adaptation potential. These technologies will help to improve the livelihood of remote and under-served communities, especially displaced populations, in Africa.

• Objective 1 (O1): Tailor and demonstrate innovative cost-effective off-grid renewable energy solutions for improved energy access to the African rural context, addressing the energy needs of both local host communities and refugee communities in Rwanda
• O2: Demonstrate water-energy-food nexus renewable energy technologies based on a local value chain, in rural host and refugee communities in Uganda
• O3: Ensure the sustainability of the solutions through a local value chain and circular economy approach supported by social innovation
• O4: Strengthening EU-AU cooperation and the visibility of European diplomacy in Africa while contributing to the achievement of the African countries’ targets of the Paris Agreement

The project consortium consists of 17 partners, including universities, companies and NGOs. Within the consortium, several organisations are accustomed to working with refugee camps, including NGOs (Hudara, Practical Action, CTEN, Energies 2050, Refuse), research organisations (Technische Universität Berlin, Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology LUT, Makerere University, University of Rwanda), and technology providers (Akofresh, Metanogenia, Solhyd, Solhydair, Solektra, Terra Energy, Great Lakes Energy).