For four days, experts and academics from seven countries met in Quito to advance regional training in renewable energy economics, within the framework of the ETRELA-IKI project.
The headquarters of the Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE) hosted the In-Person Training Workshop on Renewable Energy Economics, an initiative of the ETRELA project, funded by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Government and implemented by the consortium led by OLADE together with the implementing partners: The Renewables Academy (RENAC), Global Factor, and universities from the region.
The program, aimed at professors, researchers, and academic assistants, sought to strengthen technical capacities and provide training materials to facilitate the development of academic programs in renewable energies.
At the opening, Rafael Juan Martí, Head of Division & Trainer at RENAC, highlighted the importance of this in-person phase of the “Academic Ambassadors in Renewable Energy Economics” training program, while Gloria Alvarenga, Director of Integration, Access, and Energy Security at OLADE, emphasized that “technology alone is not enough: highly trained professionals are required to design, finance, and implement sustainable solutions that ensure universal access to energy and respond to the challenges of urbanization.”
The ETRELA project, now in its second phase, involves eight universities from seven countries in the region as direct beneficiaries. However, many of the activities also indirectly benefit all countries in the region.
The sessions included presentations, case studies, and practical workshops, covering topics such as economic and financial analysis, contractual aspects, as well as strategies for risk management in renewable energy projects.
More than just a course, the workshop represented a space for regional cooperation and professional network-building, key to driving a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient energy transition in Latin America and the Caribbean.
