The International Network on Energy & Environmental Sustainability (INEES) has organised in Dhaka City, Bangladesh, the first short course in a series of programme of activities to promote Renewable Energy Technologies in developing and developed countries.  The short course aims to contribute towards the achievement of Environmental Sustainability (the 7th MDG). 

The network consists of five institutions: University of Flensburg (The Lead Partner, Germany), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Ghana), University of the West Indies (including Trinidad, Jamaica and Barbados), Bangladesh University of Engineering Technology (Bangladesh) and Universidad Javeriana (Colombia).  INEES has funding of 360,000 Euro from the German Academic Exchange Programme, DAAD, for a project period of four years.

The focus of the short course in Dhaka City was on capacity building in solar PV, particularly Solar Home Systems (SHS), for accelerated rural electrification. A good number of local companies involved in Renewable Energy attended the short course. There were other activities like field trips to remote parts of Bangladesh to see practical application of SHSs and the Micro-financing scheme that makes it possible for poor people in rural communities to own SHS. 

KNUST was represented by Dr. Gabriel Takyi, (KNUST Institutional Coordinator within the network) who made a country paper presentation on the State of Solar PV in Ghana. Ghana and Bangladesh both have a target of 10% of Renewable Energy as part of their energy mix by 2015; Germany currently has 16% with a target of of 50% by 2020, increasing to 80% by 2050.

The activities planned for 2011 involving KNUST are as follows:
1.    Staff Exchange Ghana  – Trinidad (one lecturer to attend Geothermal Workshop)
2.    Student Exchange: Ghana – Flensburg (one student for 5 months)
3.    International Short Course on BIOMASS/BIOFUELS in Kumasi (September 2011)