The Global Network of Regional Sustainable Energy Centers (GN-SEC) is an official partner of the 2024 International Sustainable Energy Conference (ISEC) on “Renewable Energy Heating and Cooling in Integrated Urban and Industrial Systems”, which is co-organised by AEE Intec, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the European Technology and Innovation Platform on Renewable Heating & Cooling (RHC-ETIP). The conference is shedulred to take place from 9 to 11 April 2024 (side events to take place on 9 April) in Graz, Austria.
The ISEC 2024 is set to take a deeper dive into the critical question of achieving energy sovereignty within the defined time horizon prescribed by climate change. The urgency for immediate and decisive global action, as outlined in the UN Agenda 2030 and the European „Green Deal,“ requires collaborative efforts and innovative solutions in electrification, sector coupling, energy storage systems, circular economy practices, and the complete phase-out of fossil fuels. ISEC 2024 aims to inspire pioneering concepts and facilitate collaboration between researchers, industry professionals, and policymakers of the Global North and South.
Up to now, only a very small number of developing countries have adopted policies promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency in the heating and cooling sector. Several ISEC sessions will present regional activities of various GN-SEC centers in Africa, including the Southern African Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (SACREEE), the East African Centre for Renewable Energy and Efficiency (EACREEE), as well as the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECOWAS). A particular focus lies on the use of solar thermal and PV applications for process heat and productive uses in Sub Sahara Africa.