This second edition from 2025 provides an update to the landmark report from 2019, based on a new survey of 1192 individuals working in the sector, and 233 companies and organizations. The headline finding was that despite widespread efforts, the share of women in renewable energy has not grown over the past six years: it … Continue reading “Renewable energy: A gender perspective (Second edition)”
This article announces the adoption of harmonised minimum energy performance standards for air conditioners and refrigerators in the 16 member countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). It also explains the process by which these harmonised standards were developed and adopted.
This article explores how the Central American Integration System (SICA) has helped lead the way to improve energy efficiency in appliances at the regional level, and the opportunities that further harmonisation could generate.
This brief explains the importance and benefits of an internationally harmonized quality assurance framework for small scale solar photovoltaic (pico-PV) products. Benefits are outlined for specific stakeholder groups, and a summary of the Lighting Global Quality Assurance (QA) Framework is provided for reference.
This brief explains the role of product testing in standard-setting for off-grid solar products. It provides recommendations based on good practices and explains how the Lighting Global Quality Assurance Program can help governments implement and enforce standards.
This policy brief provides guidance on the importance of quality standards for stand-alone solar products; how to develop and adopt standards, and the current status in Africa; common challenges encountered in this process; and market surveillance; as well as recommendations for governments.
This report uses economic modelling to investigate the viability of ten different productive use applications of solar power in agriculture (oil extraction, maize shelling, rice hulling, fruit juice making, sugar cane juicing, fruit drying, flour milling, peanut shelling and coffee pulping). It investigates each technology in detail and then calculates the profits and other benefits … Continue reading “Productive Use Report – Evaluation of solar-powered agricultural technologies for productive-use applications: A modelling approach”
This brief report introduces the concept of the WEF nexus and explains how the FAO has applied the nexus approach in its work, with many case study examples.
This report assesses the effectiveness of women in energy networks worldwide and offers best practices and recommendations for networks under development or those aiming to enhance their impact.
This report provides recommendations for improving the availability of sex-disaggregated and specific gender equality data in the energy sector, to improve decision making and programme design.