Looking out across healthy, ripe sweet peppers as far as the eye could see in a field in Nicaragua last week made me reflect on how water has the potential to transform poor people’s economic reality. We are often blinkered when it comes to water: just seeing it through the lens of health and sanitation. However, critically it is also a key way for farmers to make money. 

Renewable World has made great strides in 2012. Early on in the year the number of poor consumers that benefit from the renewable energy services promoted by Renewable World passed 5,000. With the opening of offices in Kathmandu and Managua in the last 12 months, and the major expansion of operations in East Africa, that total will soon surpass 10,000. 

Despite the cold weather the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) 2012 annual conference was an inspiring week, reminding me how far Renewable World has come as a successful and growing organization and how much more we can potentially achieve to bring affordable energy to the poorest on the planet.

The past week in South Asia working alongside Renewable World’s partners has been a fascinating and stimulating experience for me. It has re-enforced my passion for the work of Renewable World and convinced me even more that we have a unique contribution to make to the creation of business through the provision of clean, affordable energy provision to some of the poorest people on this planet. At the same time I came face to face with some of the long term challenges experienced by any organization wishing to stimulate business in extremely remote, isolated communities.

The new Renewable World bio-gas programme was recently established to enhance and support the growth of business opportunities in rural communities in the both mountainous northern Nepal, and the hot low lying southern Nepalese Terai. The bio-gas businesses are being established in partnership with BSP-N our local partner who have years of experience of stimulating local bio-gas business sector.  We are working alongside BSP-N to enhance their ability to respond to demand from local entrepreneurs to establish successful businesses using bio-gas produced from community level systems.

Renewable World’s innovative work in supporting the development of hydram technology in Nepal is beginning to bear fruit, and promises the extremely exciting possibility of supporting and promoting the expanding private sector provision of hydram technology across Nepal over the next few years.

This week I have been visiting Renewable World's programme interventions in South Asia and it is really inspiring to see how our partners are using renewable energy to help transform livelihoods in rural communities in Nepal.

Our work to promote economic enhancement in rural agricultural markets in Nepal is striking both because of the incredible income increases potentially possible at an individual and household level but also because of the unique role that renewable technologies have to play in the formation of an appropriate and enterprising technical solution.

The launch of the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi (WFES2012) marks the beginning of what could be an exciting year for progress on making access to modern energy universal.

The expansion of global markets over the past 200 years has brought enormous benefits to millions if not billions of consumers across the world, whilst unchecked business growth has contributed to new global challenges.  As a result going forward responsible market based solutions are the key to successful global development. Within this context inclusive business development should address how to bring the nearly one and half billion people in the world without access to energy further into global markets. 

The Renewable Energy industry is developing, growing and maturing fast: it is no longer the industry of a few enthusiastic pioneers, but instead is due to provide 20% of all EU energy by 2020. Success brings with it challenges related to the sector’s increased role in energy provision and security, as well as its associated size, geographical footprint and profile.