The knowledge event was the third and final leg in the series of workshops held in Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines. The Philippine workshop was attended by 39 participants from Elena International, Microenergy Systems (MES), SEARCA, TUB, and UPLB. The workshop aimed to establish a platform for knowledge exchange and find potential collaborations between Germany and the Southeast Asian region.
Dr. Gil C. Saguiguit, Jr., SEARCA Director, welcomed the participants and highlighted that one of the Center's priority thrusts is on environmental sustainability with emphasis on climate change adaptation and resiliency and natural resource management including the adoption of more sustainable sources of energy.
Dr. Saguiguit stressed that opportunities for future collaboration in renewable energy in relation to agriculture is very much welcome and that SEARCA could serve as a window for German institutions to work and contribute to the development of the region's agriculture and rural development.
In the same light, Dr. Rex B. Demafelis, UPLB Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension, who delivered the opening remarks on behalf of Dr. Fernando C. Sanchez, Jr., UPLB Chancellor, expressed UPLB's openness in partnering with TUB and MES.
Dr. Demafelis said UPLB views renewable energy as one of the many vehicles for sustaining inclusive growth and optimizing resources; hence, it is one of the priority areas in its research and development agenda.
The resource persons from Germany and their respective presentations were the following:
- Dr. Sabine Auer and Ms. Christina Horn, both of Elena International, presented the Challenges and Solutions for a Grid Stable Integration of Renewable Energies - moving from tier to tier.
- Mr. Henrik Beermann, Research Fellow, Fraunhofer Center for International Management and Knowledge Economy IMW, presented the Sustainable Regional Development: The Case of Chiang Mai, Thailand.
- Mr. Steffen Eyhorn, Co-Founder Ant.technologies, presented the Multi-Tier Framework (MTF) and Nanogrids: Tier mobility through modularity?
These were followed by presentations of research and successful projects in the Philippines:
- Dr. Rex B. Demafelis presented the Status and Prospects of Philippine Biofuels.
- Engr. Viava Jane L. Africa, Solutions Using Renewable Energy (SURE), Inc., presented the Developing Projects from Biomass Sources.
- Engr. Kristel Mae Villasin, Instructor 7 from the UPLB Department of Electrical Engineering, presented the Evolving Technology and Capital Investments in the Electricity Market.
The group workshops focused on understanding the Multi-Tier Framework (MTF) from the World Bank, which is being used in conducting feasibility studies to gather data and assess the extent of needs for renewable energy of countries of interest.
On behalf of TUB, Mr. Samuel Adiprakoso, Consultant at the Department of MicroEnergy International GmbH, thanked the participants, especially SEARCA and UPLB, for a fruitful event and hoped for future partnerships in the area of sustainable energy.
The MES 2018 Travelling Conference concluded with a discussion of potential research agenda in the Southeast Asian region, specifically in the Philippines. (Sarah Grace L. Quiñones)
