1)      RISE project handout (English, Lao)

A pamphlet summarizing RISE project objectives, working principles and main achievements

2)      RISE project – objectives and achievements (presentation)

This presentation was prepared for a rural energy and climate workshop organised by Blue Moon Fund and NEXUS in March 2011 in Phnom Penh. It shows the objectives and working approaches of the second phase of RISE project as well as the main achievements.

3)      Generating income with renewable energy – preliminary lessons learned from n innovative public – private partnership in Laos (presentation)

This presentation was prepared for a conference on SMEs in Decentralized Energy Services organised by the World Bank in Phonm Penh in 2009. It shows the working approach during RISE phase 1 as well as the initial achievements after one year.

4)      Profitable and affordable energy services for remote areas in Lao PDR: Private-public partnership (paper, presentation)

This paper was presented at the European Conference on PV-hybrid systems and Mini-grids in Athens in May 2008 by Sunlabob and shows the initial idea behind the start of RISE project.

Training materials and tools to use in villages

1)      Energy efficiency promotion posters (poster in English, poster in Lao)

These posters were developed to raise rural villagers’ awareness on the importance to save energy.   

2)      Promotion of fixed improved cook stoves (Training manual in Lao, Flyer in Lao)

Cooking is one of the main energy needs of rural families and currently it is still done in a traditional and mostly inefficient manner. In collaboration with HELVETAS Vietnam, RISE project has started to pilot the promotion of fixed improved cook stoves which provide interesting food savings. A training manual for masons and flyers to explain to villagers about this technology were developed.

3)      Decentralized energy planning toolkit (manual for field assessor English, manual for field assessor Lao, manual for decision maker English, manual for decision maker Lao, data analysis spread sheet, renewable energy database)

This toolkit was developed to allow rural development practitioners (local authorities, NGOs, etc.) to identify energy needs at village level and to identify the best technical options to satisfy these needs based on the villagers willingness to pay and availability of natural resources to produce energy locally.

1)      Limit of grid extension – a financial perspective (full report, Executive summary English, Executive summary Lao)

2)      Power sector development in Lao P.D.R. – Which role can the civil society play to address some challenges (presentation)

This presentation prepared for a policy dialogue on power sector development co-hosted by the Ministry of Energy and Mines and Helvetas highlights some challenges related to rural electrification and power export. It aims at reviewing critically two important pillars of the Government energy policy and at showing which role the civil society could play to address some of these challenges.

3)      HELVETAS and energy sector in Lao P.D.R. - Brief overview (presentation)

This presentation was prepared for an energy planning workshop organised by the Ministry of Energy and Mines in December 2012 in Vientiane. The presentation highlights the work of HELVETAS in the work of rural electrification and raise some concerns about the current energy planning practices which tend to favour large scale centralized power generation options instead of small scale.

4)      Power sector development in Lao P.D.R. – Regional integration and rural electrification for whose benefit? (Introduction for CSOs English, Introduction for CSOs Lao, presentation English, presentation Lao)

These presentations prepared for a civil society meeting on power sector development highlight the importance of the power sector for the development of Laos and questions some of the current policies and practices.

5)      Decentralised and community based power generation including non commercial alternatives: How to make it happen? (Helvetas presentation about Laos, Summary report of the session)

6)      Decentralised production of electricity in Lao PDR (on and off-grid) electrification (scoping phase report, executive summary)

This study conducted in collaboration with the Lao Institute for Renewable Energy (LIRE) analyses the different policy documents and master plans underpinning Lao rural electrification programmes and projects. This study highlights some planning issues with rural electrification planning and shows that some assumptions taken in these documents tend to favour grid-extension vs. decentralised off-grid power generation.

7)      Decentralized renewable energy and power system planning in Lao PDR – Rethinking rural electrification (factsheet English, factsheet Lao)

This 2 page factsheet summarises the issues identified during the Decentralised production of electricity study

8)      Information sharing tools on renewable energy for the Lao P.D.R. (Report)

This report conducted in collaboration with the Lao Institute for Renewable Energy (LIRE) looks at the current tools available to share information about renewable energy in Lao P.D.R.

9)      Research report presenting the result of a financial model developed to compare the cost of electrifying rural areas in Thailand with 5 different technical options: grid extension, biomass gasification, pico-hydro, micro-hydro and solar PV for the same level of supply. The results show that under certain conditions decentralised renewable energy options can be cost effective. The financial model was subsequently made into an online calculator available here.

10)  Rural Electrification subsidies - Technical note (report, spreadsheet)

This short technical note details the calculation of the level of subsidy provided by the Lao Government to grid extension and solar home systems. It shows that the latter is more subsidised than the latter.

11)  Supplying power to remote villages in Lao P.D.R. – The role of off-grid decentralised energy options (paper, presentation)

This paper presented at the International conference “Know your Power” organised by MEE NET in January 2012 highlights the role off-grid options can play for rural electrification in Laos. These technologies can be more cost effective than grid extension and provide empowerment opportunities for rural communities. 

12)  Risks linked to power export projects – Alternative views on Lao energy policies (presentation)

This presentation prepared for Development Partners highlights 4 main risks linked to power export projects. Exporting power to generate revenue is one of the 3 pillars of the Lao power sector development policy.

13)  Interview of Mr. Samuel Martin, RISE Technical Advisor, on Lao energy policies and dams on the Mekong by Youth Diplomacy (in French)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2psSs2ognM&feature=youtu.be

In this interview, some issues related Lao energy policies are raised

14)  Notes  on  the  Round table discussion  “Institutional processes for the approval of Mekong Mainstream dams” (report) 

This report summarizes the discussions which happened during a round table discussion organized as part of the Asia Europe People’s Forum in Vientiane in October 2012. The topic of discussion was the institutional processes for the approval of dams on the mainstream Mekong. The discussion took place about 2 weeks before the groundbreaking ceremony of the Xayabouri dam and involved representatives of the 4 Mekong lower countries, MRC secretariat, Development Partners and Civil Society Organizations. 

During the last Asia Europe People’s Forum (AEPF), sustainable energy production and use was one of the main themes of discussion. In this framework, a session on decentralized energy was organised by HELVETAS/RISE project in collaboration with the TNI and INECC. Presentations during the session were from INECC, HELVETAS, Siemenpuu Foundation and Palang Thai. Helvetas presentations focussed on the role of off-grid technologies for rural electrification in Laos.