REEEP has welcomed the selection of Abu Dhabi as the interim headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency, and congratulates Ms. Hélène Pelosse, the agency’s new Director General. “Being headquartered in Abu Dhabi sends a clear signal that IRENA will approach renewable energy from a truly global perspective, and we congratulate Sultan Al Jaber on the achievement of bringing IRENA to Masdar," said Marianne Osterkorn. "We also warmly congratulate Ms. Pelosse on her appointment. Her background in renewable energy as well as in international climate and energy negotiations will serve her well, and we wish her every success in this new role.”

The following case studies involving a renewable energy project in Alexandra Township, EE BIPV House and an institutional stoves project in Uganda have been commissioned to showcase examples of best practice in the sustainable energy sector in Sub-Saharan Africa.

As the demand for energy in southern Africa booms, the importance of managing the demand side is increasingly seem to be as important as the actual expansion of generating capacity. This is mirrored in numerous Energy Ministries across the region, who are charged with developing legislation and regulations for energy efficiency measures. Against this background, the REEEP Southern Africa Secretariat and the Sustainable Energy Regulation Network (SERN) convened an Energy Efficiency Workshop on 9-10 July in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The potential solutions that renewable energy resources can provide in solving the global energy crisis will be presented by scientists and researchers at the International Solar Energy Society’s (ISES) Solar World Conference 2009 at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, from 11-14 October. The Sustainable Energy Society of Southern Africa (SESSA) and ISES are co-hosting this biennial congress in South Africa for the first time. The theme of the 29th International Congress is Renewable Energy: Shaping Our Future.