Renewble energies-market-needs-book

Renewable Energy Market Needs:
A perspective from Europe and Latin America

Authors
Bolivia Chile Guatemala
Horacio Villegas Francisca López Robinovich Cyrano Ruiz
Javier Aliaga Lordemann Guillermo Jiménez Estévez Ericka Tuquer
Lea Franziska Buch Luis Vargas Díaz Lourdes Socarrás
Manuel Díaz Romero Nelson Amaro
Natalia Garrido Echeverría
Brazil Robert Guzmán
André Luis Silva Leite
Germany
João Luiz Alkaim Latvia
Gabriela Espinosa
José Baltazar Salgueirinho Aleksejs Zorins
Osório de Andrade Guerra Julia Gottwald
Gotfrids Noviks
Mariana Eliza Ferrari Walter Leal
Mariana Dalla Barba Wendt
Rodrigo Antonio Martins
Youssef Ahmad Youssef
Organizers (Brazil)
José Baltazar Salgueirinho Osório de Andrade Guerra
Youssef Ahmad Youssef

Instructional Design Assessoria de Comunicação e
Marketing - C&M
Marina Cabeda Egger Moellwald
Assessor
Laudelino José Sardá
Revision
Andrzej Korzeniowski (transLEEtion) Director
Sarah Jauncey (transLEEtion) Maria do Rosário Stotz

Graphic Design Editorial Manager
Edison Rodrigo Valim Alessandra Turnes
R32 Renewable energy market needs : a perspective from Europe and Latin
America. / José Baltazar Salgueirinho Osório de Andrade Guerra, Youssef
Ahmad Youssef organizers– Palhoça : Ed. Unisul, 2010.
286 p. ; 21 cm

ISBN 978-85-86870-48-X
Bibliography: p. 279-285

1. Renewable energy sources. 2. Environment. 3. Sustainable
development. 4. Jelare. I. Guerra, José Baltazar Salgueirinho Osório de
Andrade Guerra, 1968-. II. Youssef, Youssef Ahmad, 1967-.

CDD – 333.794
This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union. The
content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the JELARE project consortium and
can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union.

Contents

Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Chapter 1 – Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Chapter 2 – Bolivia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Chapter 3 – Brazil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Chapter 4 – Chile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Chapter 5 – Germany . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Chapter 6 – Guatemala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127

Chapter 7 – Latvia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157

Chapter 8 – JELARE survey reports: main variables . . .177

Chapter 9 – Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .259

References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .279

Preface
The search for global solutions to environmental and
climate problems associated with the consumption of fossil
fuels has led to the development of a new field, namely the
field of renewable energy. Even though it has always been
possible to harness the sun or winds as energy sources, the
limited technological means to do so have largely hindered
developments in this field in the past. Nowadays, technology
is now available to allow us to realize the potential the field
of renewable energy offers.
From the production of biogas from wastes to the use of
biomass to generate energy for households, the possibilities
of using renewable energy are manifold. In poor countries
such as those in Latin America, the use of locally available
renewable energy resources may allow them to improve
quality of life as well as contribute to their economic
development. But in order to yield the expected benefits,
there is a pressing need to address many of the deficiencies
seen today in respect of the development and use of renewable
energy. Some of these are the lack of institutional policies
and frameworks, limited access to technology, restricted
access to financing, unsuitability of local infrastructures and,
last but not least, lack of training.
In the context of the Joint European-Latin American
Universities Renewable Energy Project ( JELARE),
undertaken as part of the ALFA III Programme of the
European Commission, various initiatives are being
undertaken to develop the renewable energy sector in the
participant countries (Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Germany,
Guatemala, Latvia) in both Europe and in South America.
In particular, JELARE tries to address the problems posed
by lack of expertise and lack of training in this important
field. Consistent with this approach, a number of surveys
have been undertaken in the participant countries as part of

JELARE, focusing on the market needs seen in the field
of renewable energy.
This book presents the results of the various surveys
undertaken in the participant countries. These involved
university personnel on the one hand, and employers, local
authorities and ministries on the other, thus building up a
profile of the current and future needs. The results of these
surveys are very useful, since they provide a sound basis
upon which concrete action in respect of education, training
and extension works can be undertaken, vis-à-vis addressing
the problems they have identified. Readers will therefore
find this book useful both in respect of the provision of
background information and in terms of gaining knowledge
of the specific circumstances in each country. All in all, if
countries are able to adequately train human resources, they
can more easily take advantage of the various economic
opportunities the field of renewable energy may offer.
A special thanks goes to Prof. Baltazar de Andrade Guerra
and Prof. Youssef Ahmad Youssef, from UNISUL in Brazil,
for their efforts in compiling this publication. Thanks are
also due to the JELARE project partners, who performed
the surveys in their countries and supplied the data which
is compiled here. It is hoped that this ground-breaking
publication will facilitate a better understanding of the
current situation in the field of renewable energy and its
development in each country and, inter alia, across the Latin
American region.
Enjoy the book!
Prof. Walter Leal (BSc, PhD, DSc, DPhil, DEd, DL, DLitt)
JELARE Project Coordinator

Chapter 1 - Introduction
1.1 - The Joint European-Latin American Universities
Renewable Energy (JELARE) project: ‘Fostering
innovative labour market-oriented educational
& research approaches in the field of renewable
energies at Latin American and European institutes
of higher education’
The JELARE project is a co-operation scheme involving
universities from Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Germany, Guatemala
and Latvia with the aim of fostering innovative labour
market-oriented educational and research approaches in
the field of renewable energies (RE) at Latin American
and European institutes of higher education. The project
is funded by ALFA III, a European Union programme
for co-operation between the European Union (EU) and
Latin America (LA), in the higher education and training
framework.
The JELARE project partners are:
„ Universidad Católica Boliviana (Bolivia);

„ Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina (Brazil);

„ Universidad de Chile (Chile);

„ Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (Germany);

„ Universidad Galileo (Guatemala); and

„ Rēzeknes Augstskola (Latvia).

7

These universities have been chosen based on their academic
competence and interest in international cooperation in the
field of RE as well as in the modernization and improvement
of their current research and teaching activities. Germany,
Chile and Brazil represent comparatively experienced
and advanced organizations and countries in the field of
renewable energies, while Latvia, Bolivia and Guatemala
are less developed in this field. Hopefully this combination
Network members not only anticipates future knowledge transfers between the
are EU and LA European Union (EU) and Latin America (LA), but also
organizations such the intracontinental exchanges that may take place.
as enterprises,
NGOs, ministries, Each partner takes on one work package and also actively
local authorities, contributes to the transnational elements of the other work
universities and packages, as well as carrying on with their respective local
other institutions
working in the activities. Accordingly, all surveys, concepts, pilot modules,
field of education, evaluations and recommendation reports, networking and
research and dissemination activities will also be carried out locally with
employment in each partner following a joint transnational methodology.
the renewable
energies sector. The purpose of the JELARE Network is to promote
European–Latin American networking and exchange
of experience in employment, research and education in
the field of renewable energies within and also beyond
the JELARE project partnership. Other universities may
therefore also take part in its activities and benefit from the
project information and experience.
The purpose of the project is not only to improve the
academic quality of European and Latin American Higher
Education Institutions (HEIs), but also to strengthen their
role so as to contribute to local economic development and
social cohesion. The JELARE network aims to enhance the
role of the universities in the context of renewable energy
sector dynamics. In this sense, the project also seeks to
increase the capacity of HEIs to modernize their research
and teaching programmes in the renewable energy sector
and to strengthen the link between the HEIs and businesses
that operate on renewable energy.
8

The overall objectives of the JELARE project are:

„ to improve the quality of research and teaching in LA
and EU universities;

„ to strengthen the role of HEIs in socio-economic
development; and

„ to foster sustainable cooperation between HEIs in LA
and EU.

In order to contribute to its overall objectives, the JELARE
project focuses on the thematic sector of renewable energy,
an area widely acknowledged as being very important. Due
to the current global situation of scarce energy resources,
rapidly rising prices for fossil fuels and the impact of climate
change, the promotion of renewable energies is of vital
importance for sustainable socio-economic development in
Latin America as well as in Europe.
For developing countries in particular, local energy
generation has great potential for local economic
development. Lack of expertise is a major impediment to
the broader use of renewable energies in Latin America.
In this context, LA HEIs play a very important role in
training people – through education, providing expert
advice, through research and technology transfer – and,
thereby, having a positive impact on socio-economic
development.
Therefore, the specific objectives of the JELARE project are:

„ to develop and implement labour market-oriented
research and educational approaches in the field of
renewable energies, first of all, JELARE identifies the
needs of the labour market, develops and implements
practical transnational pilot modules and long-term
concepts. Moreover, based on JELARE’s experiences
and evaluation, practical recommendations are offered 9

to the participating HEIs, as well as other HEIs in
the EU–LA regions, in the area of education. As a
consequence, graduates will benefit with better job
opportunities, while HEIs and their staff will gain new
business opportunities in the research and technology
transfer field. Local businesses and public institutions
will benefit from locally available expertise and highly
qualified staff;

„ to increase the capacity of HEI staff so as to modernize
their educational and research programmes and activities:
this is a precondition for the long-term competitiveness
of HEIs and will be achieved by capacity-building
seminars, study visits and exchange of experience
between JELARE partners and other network
members. Moreover, JELARE supports decision-
making processes by providing detailed information and
concepts on current needs and potential;

„ to strengthen the link between HEIs and the labour
market, business and public sector in the field of
renewable energies: a closer link between HEIs and the
private and public sectors offers multiple opportunities
for both sides. HEIs benefit from new clients and project
partners’ research. This close co-operation helps HEIs
to focus their activities on the actual needs of the labour
market and also strengthens the impact HEIs have
on local economic development. Private enterprises
can benefit from technology transfer, and public and
governmental bodies can obtain valuable support for
decision-making;

10

„ to establish a long-term partnership and network
between European and Latin American universities: in
the RE field much needs to be done in terms of research
and education, both in LA and the EU. On the other
hand, due to different climatic, natural and economic
conditions, all EU and LA countries can benefit from
the exchange of know-how and cooperation. The
JELARE project is basically regarded as a starting point
for more cooperation between the JELARE partners
and beyond.

During the 3-year project (2009-2011), the following
outputs are expected:

„ renewable energy labour market survey for Bolivia,
Brazil, Chile, Germany, Guatemala and Latvia;

„ teaching and research concepts for renewable energies;

„ teaching and research pilot modules for renewable
energies;

„ university staff capacity building program;

„ recommendation report for European and Latin
American universities; and

„ international JELARE network, with local subgroups
in the partner countries.

11

1.2 – The JELARE Survey: Labour market-oriented
research and teaching approaches at Higher
Education Institutions in Bolivia, Brazil, Chile,
Germany, Guatemala and Latvia
Research problem
Over the last few decades, many countries have expressed
serious concerns regarding the need to restructure their
production matrix. To this end, we have observed some
movement towards a cleaner energy matrix, intended to be
less harmful to the environment. The Kyoto Protocol and
specific researches on global warming have raised a number
of issues related to the role of the current model of energy
generation and its harmful effects on the environment.
Consequently there has been, for the first time and in
a collective way, a call for an efficient energy matrix that,
simultaneously:
„ meets the demand for energy worldwide;

„ promotes environmental preservation; and

„ contributes to the reduction of the greenhouse effect.

In recent decades, the issue of increasing renewable energy
sources has been discussed in tandem with environmental
issues, aiming at reducing our dependence on fossil fuels.
Such discussion has revealed that, although contrary to
the liberalizing reforms of the 1990s, the development
of renewable energy sources requires major government
participation (YI-CHONG, 2006).
According to the IEA (2006), world demand for energy
will grow at an average annual rate of 1.6% until 2030,
leveraged by the exponential growth of energy consumption
in developing countries. At the same time, there are some

12

doubts about the influence that human activity has had on
global warming, leading to the urgent need for climate change
mitigation (DANTAS; CASTRO, 2008a). The best available
method for increasing energy supply lies in improving energy
efficiency and promoting greater participation of RE in
the world energy matrix, including bio-energy, which is of
significant importance both for the transport and electrical
generation sectors.
This trend requires a well-defined energy policy and a greater
role for renewable energies in a matrix that must be supported
on a tripod comprised by the state, corporations and universities.
The driving force behind the recent quest for RE is the oil
crisis, which reached its highest point in the middle of 2008:
a price of US$147 per barrel of crude oil. Petrol also reached
unexpected retail prices, in major importing countries, of US$4
per gallon. In the past, especially in the early 1960s, when a
similar phenomenon took place, efforts to use RE became a
priority for many countries.
The 1960s marked the beginning of Brazil’s effort in that
direction. Real progress has been made over the years, and
Brazil now holds a leading position in the field. This is
especially true regarding Brazil’s substitution choice: petrol
for bio-ethanol, a product derived mainly from sugarcane.
However, this step forward experienced a setback when
OPEC was founded and began to intervene in the
international market by fixing quotas that made the price
go up or down according to the criteria of the producing
countries, mainly Arab. The main factors taken into account
were:

„ the world’s oil reserves;

„ the price of the dollar;

„ annual inflation;

13

„ global economic growth; and

„ the production capacity of OPEC countries.

Nevertheless, unlike Brazil, which regarded the production
of alternative energy sources as a priority, most countries
lost interest in the development of alternative RE sources
as soon as prices started to fall, which was caused by the
discovery of new oil reserves in areas that were more
politically sympathetic to principal oil customers. All of
these trends, in addition to the movement towards RE
development, diminished OPEC’s control of the situation.
This control continued to be affected in periods of advances
in renewable energies researches, especially when there were
price increases that threatened the economies of non-oil
producing countries.
This can be seen in the following graphic:

160

140

120

100
US $/ bl

80

60

40

20
Jan/98

Jan/99

Jan/00

Jan/01

Jan/02

Jan/03

Jan/04

Jan/05

Jan/06

Jan/07

Jan/08

Jan/09
Jul/98

Jul/99

Jul/00

Jul/01

Jul/02

Jul/03

Jul/04

Jul/05

Jul/06

Jul/07

Jul/08

Jul/09

0

Graphic 1.1 – International oil prices.
Source: the Technical Team, based on “Energías Renovables de Guatemala” (Renewable
Energies in Guatemala), Victor Araujo, February 2007, for the period of January 1998 – July
2006; for the period of January 2007 – January 2009, consult: <http://www.marketwatch.
com/tools/quotes/intTable.asp?symb=CL08XE&sid=3343724&dist=TQP_Table_
14 date&freq=1&time=9>

The crisis has now reached unprecedented proportions.
The consistent growth of China and the more recent rise
of India, as well as the renewed efforts for the economic
growth of other emerging countries, dating from the late
1970s, has brought about an increase in demand, which has
lead to an astronomical ‘world oil bill’. At the same time, we
are coming to terms with the fact that oil is a non-renewable
resource and that in the near future it will start to dwindle
and, ultimately, cease to exist. Existing reserves are limited
and even the discovery and exploitation of new oilfields will
only serve to delay this inexorable end.
The consequences of an industrial society developed to its
full extent, as well as emerging countries viewing oil as a
fundamental strategic factor since the 1970s, have been:

„ atmosphere contamination;

„ climate change;

„ deforestation;

„ oversights in waste and fertilizer disposal, among
others; and

„ resulting impact for water usage and for the
environment.

On the other hand, the melting of polar masses and sea
level rise, which are signs of global warming, among other
threats, are starting to attract the world’s attention. The
idea of sustainable development started to impose itself at
the end of the 1980s, highlighting the need for economic
growth within some limits which would not threaten the
survival of future generations.

15

The complexity of the crisis that has attracted attention
to the topic of RE shows the interrelation between this
problem and macro social factors that affect the most basic
development matrix of developing countries. Poverty forces
most populations, in the less industrialized countries, to
use wood as a renewable energy, but this source also has its
limits as far as preservation of forests and natural reserves are
concerned. This clearly shows how close is the relationship
between RE and the protection of the environment.
Agricultural practices of burning and sowing that widen the
limits of crop production, threaten vast zones – once full
of vegetation – with desertification. These areas were used
to generate rain that fed rivers, transferring the benefits of
water to distant lower lands. In the Petén area of Guatemala,
which represents 30% of the country’s territory but is home
to only about 1% of its population, this situation is evident.
A quick look tells us that these effects can also be seen in
more populated and exhausted lands on the eastern side,
where vast territories already show signs of desertification.
Historical documents show that the area used to be rich and
crossed by fast-flowing rivers.
Today, poverty poses yet another threat that also limits the
unmeasured search for other sources of energy. It consists of
including staple food, such as corn and sugar, among the raw
materials to generate biofuels, which means using cultivable
fields for non-food purposes. This massive change in food
products affects the prices of basic products and impacts
negatively on the income of poor families who no longer
have access to products of their basic diet. Even when this
situation seems to have been temporary, it represents a latent
threat that could become a permanent scourge for the most
impoverished populations.
In summary, one aspect is clear: any effort towards
institutional strengthening of the RE sector calling for better
personnel skills required in public and private companies

16

and in universities entails a multidisciplinary approach. This
approach refers not only to the inclusion of environmental
aspects into the objectives of RE related policies and
strategies, but also to the connection of any renewable energy
action with economic, social, anthropological, political and
populational studies that make the required employees’
profiles be the base for an academic contribution capable of
satisfying such need. This multidisciplinary approach will be
considered the core of the questionnaires to be applied to the
key populations during this study.
A wide range
The 2007 Lisbon Summit, which also gathered of local job
representatives from HEIs of EU and LA, identified the opportunities
environment sector as one of the priority areas where co- (from high-skill
operation is particularly needed. Renewable energy is of to low-skill,
from high-tech
great relevance for socio-economic development in Latin to agriculture),
America as well as in Europe, since both regions depend foster local
heavily on (imported) fossil fuels to meet their energy needs. investments and
Apart from the environmental benefits, the local generation the reduction
and use of renewable energies offer great potential for local of the need for
importing.
economic development, e.g.
However, the renewable energy sector cannot develop
appropriately where there is a lack in expertise, especially
in countries such as Bolivia and Guatemala. Due to the
innovative nature of this field, the HEIs are very important
actors, especially in terms of research, as well as in the
education of the future labour force in RE. However,
although the topic is of crucial value, renewable energy is
not yet prominently positioned in the curriculum of LA or
EU universities as it could have been or, indeed, as it should
be.
Public and private universities need greater interaction in
order to be able to meet the demands of the labour market
for skilled staff in the RE area. The aim of the JELARE
project in its Work Package Two (WP2) is precisely to
fill that gap, drafting a survey that finds the needs of the
labour market according to the availability of the Higher
Education Institutions. 17

The study of the challenges in the renewable energy field
demands the strengthening of practices in the private
sector, similar to what already happens to the public sector
initiative in the field of energy production. Moreover, contact
with HEIs in other countries participating in the JELARE
project will affect the implementation of innovations. On
the other hand, this situation will force universities to
review current curricula and all contents that are taught to
future graduates who eventually will be required to apply
their knowledge in the market. This demand will affect:

„ graduate profiles;

„ curriculum improvement;

„ the training of teaching and administrative staff in
energy-related subjects;

„ technology transfer; and, in general,

„ all practices that promote compliance with the
renewable energy objectives in the short, medium and
long term.

This study will be the basis for those changes, as presented
in the interrelationships in Figure 1.1.

18

Figure 1.1 – Agroenergy: New paradigm of matrix energy.
Source: COGEN – SP.

Objectives of the JELARE Survey
Work Package Two (WP2) of the JELARE project aimed
to carry out a survey from 1 February to 21 July, 2009 on this
report’s title subject. The reader should take into account all
agreements from the Hamburg JELARE meeting that took
place from 17 to 20 February 2009, where the design of
this package was discussed. In short, the agreements were
as follows:

19

„ three surveys have been carried out: one aimed at
either public or private companies participating in the
market, another aimed at professors and university
staff, and the third, at university bodies involved in the
renewable energy field;

„ the three surveys were to be carried out in JELARE
partner countries, aiming at identifying the needs of
the labour market regarding education and research
in the RE sector, identifying university staff training
needs in the RE sector, and benchmarking RE
activities in Higher Education Institutions (HEI); and

„ three questionnaires served as tools to analyse: public
and private companies, for the first questionnaire;
professors and administrative personnel of the
universities involved as partners in the JELARE
project, for the second questionnaire; and, for the last
questionnaire, the units, departments for institutes
involved in RE in other national universities.

As there were restrictions regarding time and resources
which could distract the researchers’ attention from
theoretical or purely academic elements, the establishment
of a strict methodological basis was required for the analysis
of the gathered information, in order to avoid unsound
generalization.
The general objectives of the surveys are:
„ to identify which topics and institutional situations
are deemed necessary in order to include the subject
of RE in the curriculum and as a part of the research
program; as well as

„ to develop curriculum and technology transfer
activities, aiming to achieve sustainable cooperation
among European and Latin American universities in
search of socio-economic development.
20

The specific objectives of the surveys are to:

„ consult potential employers and researchers, as well
as students, local authorities and ministers from the
countries involved, in order to identify current personnel
employment requirements and the need for expertise,
in addition to identifying support requirements for
research institutions;

„ identify the need to build on administrative, teaching
and research personnel’s capacity in the Higher
Education Institutions in order to increase their skills
and develop high-quality education, as well as advance
research and technology transfer in general, and, in
particular, in the renewable energy field;

„ conceptually develop a strategic approximation of the
needed changes and the implementation of innovative
pilot modules;

„ use the survey experience as a teaching-learning tool
for the RE situation in the relevant country and use
its results as educational and training content for key
personnel in the area;

„ take Work Package Two as a first measurement
instrument before the implementation of the project,
so as to evaluate two distinct points comparatively at
a later stage: over the second year, in order to place
emphasis on project improvements, given possible
deviations; and, in turn, aiming towards project self-
sustainability at the end of the third year, when the
project winds down; and

21

„ carry out survey activities as an integral part of the
project publicity material (posters, pamphlets, etc.) as
well as the establishment of networks in the renewable
energy field.

Despite the progress achieved in our society in relation to
the global warming debate and the increasing need for the
usage of clean and renewable energy sources, we find that
little is being done by the Higher Education Institutions
(HEIs) in this new scenario. It is estimated that HEIs will
play a key role both in research and development in the
RE field, as well as in the qualification of a new labour
force, capable of operating and managing the emerging
technologies in this new business environment. In other
words, HEIs are responsible for meeting future demands
for skilled labour in the RE sector.
In this context, the JELARE network intends to address the
relationship between HEIs and businesses operating in the
renewable energy field, trying to promote future initiatives
in academic practices of teaching, research and technology
transfer. As a result, all gaps that may emerge in terms of skilled
labour force and applied research in this sector will be filled.

Methodological procedures
The following section will describe the:
„ addressed population encompassed in this study; and

„ the main variables involved.

It was established that this study would be directed through
three different questionnaires – in which the main variables
could be found – applied to three specific populations:

22

Questionnaire 1
Public and private companies in the RE field
1. General information about the organization, company or entity
a. Nature of organization (private, NGO, public, etc.)
b. Business sector of organization (renewable and non-renewable
energy, communications, etc.)
c. Interest in developing renewable energy
d. Sector in which it is active
e. Area in the value chain in which it works or plans to work
f. Way of taking part in RE development
g. Total income of the organization in 2008 (in the national currency
of each country but converting into euros in the final analysis)
h. RE income of the organization in 2008 (in national currency)
2. Employee training and qualifications
a. Total number of permanent employees in the organization
b. Number of employees in RE
c. Attitudes towards the availability of qualified personnel in RE
d. RE-related activities where employees work
e. Educational background of the personnel employed in RE

f. Mechanism of employment applied to RE personnel
g. Problems faced to select the right RE personnel
continues...

23

h. Attitudes towards the future in the RE employment trend:
i. General
ii. In short term (next 2 years)
iii. In medium term (next 5 years)
3. Qualification requirements and market needs
a. Opportunity of more training in RE
b. New qualifications for the personnel required for RE in the future
c. Perception of the forces that move these qualifications
d. Perception of the need for new courses and RE qualifications
developed by universities
e. Necessary qualifications that universities have to develop
according to the people interviewed
4. The role of Higher Education Institutions
a. Expectations in RE innovations
b. Expectations about provided services
c. Perception of how well HEIs are updating their understanding with
respect to labour needs
5. General suggestions
a. Perception of the biggest challenges for an increase in the use of RE
in the country
b. Suggestions regarding issues not mentioned in the questionnaire

Questionnaire 1 – Public and private companies in the field of RE.

24

Questionnaire 2
Teaching and administrative staff in RE courses and degrees
1. Profile of the unit or department
a. Dedication to management, research or teaching
b. Kind of appointment
i. Number of years working in the university
ii. For teachers: number of courses currently given
iii. For teachers: whether they perform a direction or coordination
role
iv. Administrative personnel
v. Others (specify)
c. Rank of the professor. Whether there is a tenure appointment or
some other system (some countries use other variables due to a
different teaching system)
2. Kind of department at their current appointment in terms of
courses (Master’s degree in Renewable Energy, Master’s degree in
Energy Efficiency, specialization in Energy Engineering, other)
3. Area that best describes their current academic/professional
involvement in RE
4. Sector in RE in which they work or are interested in working in
5. Number of years of experience in RE
6. Number of years of experience in curriculum development
7. Number of years of experience in research management
8. Training needs
a. In RE technologies
continues...

25

b. In curriculum development
c. In teaching modules
d. In research management
9. Requirements of RE training and qualifications
a. Technical/vocational knowledge updating
b. Technical change updating
c. Learning abilities in curriculum development about RE
d. Better laboratories and equipment infrastructure and access to a
scientific RE database
e. Participation in events related to a RE network (workshops,
seminars, visits to companies, etc.)
f. Cooperation between the university and RE industry
g. Detection of priority individual training needs (quote 3 topics in order)
10. Strengthening RE
a. Perception of the need for strengthening RE (only for those who
answered YES in the previous question)
b. Need for change in market-oriented academic programs
c. Exchange programs
d. Associations with HEI for sharing knowledge
e. RE applied technological research carried out by universities and
financed by the RE market
f. Same as previous, but financed by government agencies
continues...

26

g. More student internships in the RE industry
h. Constant analysis of the design of RE occupational plans in relation
to economic behaviour and economic change
i. Specification of other initiatives
11. General Suggestions
a. Suggestions regarding other necessary strengthening actions not
mentioned above
Questionnaire 2 - Teaching and administrative staff in RE courses and degrees.

Questionnaire 3
HEIs’ departments, institutes or units involved with RE
1. RE in the university
a. Introduction of past, present and future RE practices
b. RE courses as part of already implemented programs or of future
programs
c. Policies and strategies introduced
d. Type of knowledge aquisition that the university regularly employs
e. Other practices not included in these variables
2. RE sector in which the university carries out research or
teaching activities
a. Type of energy (wind, biomass, etc.)
b. Name of the aforementioned teaching program
continues...

27

3. Departments, institutes or units specifically working in the RE field
a. Name of the department, institute or unit that is working in RE
b. Name the products that the university uses for RE teaching/
research and RE investments

Questionnaire 3 – HEIs’ departments, institutes or units involved with RE.

The following chapters are articles that demonstrate the
results of the questionnaires applied in each country of the
JELARE project.

28

Chapter 2 - Bolivia
1 – Renewable energy market in Bolivia
The Bolivian energy mix
The primary energy production in Bolivia is composed
mainly of four sources:
„ natural gas;

„ oil;

„ biomass; and

„ hydropower, which constitutes the most important
renewable energy source.

Production maintained a growing trend between 2000 and
2007 up to a level of 111.451 kilo barrels of oil equivalent
(kBOE), the major part of which (86.420 kBOE)
corresponds to the production of natural gas, Bolivia’s main
export product. It is estimated that less than 1% of the
primary energy production can be attributed to renewable
energies, without considering the large-scale hydropower
production.
The secondary energy production has increased from
14,398 kBOE in the year 2000 to 23,295 kBOE in 2007.
The energy carriers with major production volumes are:
„ diesel oil;

„ electricity;

„ liquefied petroleum gas; and

„ petrol.

In the generation of hydropower, a very slow growth can be
highlighted.
29

During the 2000–2007 period, natural gas exports to Brazil
made up 90% of energy exports. The energy balance does
not include electricity exports. Energy imports in the same
period consisted basically in diesel oil and in a lower level
of petrol imports.
In summary, Bolivia is a net exporter of primary energy,
whereby its internal supply only reaches 39% of the effective
production. The secondary energy production accounts for
an important part of the effective production. There is a
strong internal dependence regarding the primary energy
sources and a low participation of renewable energies in the
energy mix.

The potential of renewable energies
To date, Bolivia does not have final studies about renewable
energies. However, the initial investigations show a huge
generation potential, especially due to the particular
characteristics of the territory regarding the diversity of
its ecologic floors, as the following balance illustrates in a
summarized form:
„ Hydropower: the main generator of renewable
energy in the country, with an estimated potential
of 1,802–2,500 MW based on the record of water
sources of the country.

„ Solar energy: the potential is not estimated;
however, it is known that Bolivia is located inside
the geographical band with the highest solar
radiation of the continent. At almost 4,000 metres
above sea level and an air mass of 4,000 metres
inferior to the recorded at sea level, during most of
the year there is a solar radiation about of 550-650
langleys/day.

30

„ Wind energy: the effective potential is not
estimated, but it is known that wind energy has a
huge potential in four regions: (1) around the city
of Santa Cruz de la Sierra; (2) in the southwest
frontier of Bolivia with Chile and Argentina in
the Department of Potosí; (3) in the south corridor
between the cities of Santa Cruz and La Paz and
(4) in the north-south corridor between the city of
Oruro and the city of Potosí.

„ Geothermal energy: it is estimated that the
potential of generation in Laguna Colorada (the
only explored zone) is between 280 and 370 MW,
values that allow the production of electricity of at
least 120 MW for 25 years.

In 2006, the Bolivian electricity sector covered 67% of its
population. It is estimated that more than 700,000 rural
and about 70,000 urban households (concentrated in cities
with more than 5,000 inhabitants) do not have access to
this service.
In the last three decades the country has experienced an
urbanization process and since the mid-80s the urban
population has begun to outpace the rural population, but
still around 36% of the Bolivian population resides in rural
areas. Thereby 28.6% of the rural population is concentrated
in communities with between 61 and 120 households and
the remaining 71.4% in communities with 60 or fewer
households. Around 27% of the rural households have
access to basic services in general, with a rural electricity
coverage of 33% in absolute terms.
There is a high correlation between the number of rural
households in conditions of extreme poverty and the number
of households that do not have electricity; therefore 90.17%
of homes without electricity of the rural area correspond to

31

households in extreme poverty. Due to the dispersion of the
rural population, renewable energies are of great importance
for the electrification needs of these households due to their
decentralized character.

Strategic Framework of the Energy Sector
According to the National Development Plan (NDP) of
the Bolivian government, the electricity sector must re-
establish its leading and strategic role in order to guarantee
the electricity supply, ensuring universal access to this service
in a sustainable form and with social equity. To achieve this
goal, four policies and strategies are proposed:
„ Policy 1: Develop electricity infrastructure able to
satisfy the internal needs and generate surplus for
electricity exportation.

„ Policy 2: Increase the coverage of the electricity
service in the urban and rural area in order to
achieve the universalization of electricity.

„ Policy 3: Independence and sovereignty of the
energy system through the state´s declaration as
the proprietor of all the natural resources and the
use of the renewable energies.

„ Policy 4: Consolidate State participation in
the development of the electricity sector with
sovereignty and social equity.

32

The renewable energy business
The renewable energy sector has great potential in Bolivia;
however, there is not a big number of companies that operate
in the value chain of research, development and production of
these type of energies, due to the lack of a policy frame, the low
profitability and high technological costs.
An important share of the market is concentrated in the
hydropower sector, destined to electricity supply in the urban
and rural areas of the country. The companies operating in
this sector are mainly medium and large.
The business activities in other renewable energy sectors are
marginal, with the exception of solar energy, which has a
moderate penetration in the rural areas of the country.
In many cases, renewable energy enters the market with
international cooperation financing. Therefore there is a
lack of formal market structures and there is a trend leading
to the association between NGOs and companies.
The opportunities faced by renewable energy companies are
mainly related to the fact that there are wide rural zones with
low levels of electricity coverage. Decentralized renewable
energy systems can give a solution to the electrification
needs of about 90% of the households in remote areas.
The challenges faced by the companies can be categorized
as follows:
„ lack of an energy policy and regulation that
promotes the use of renewable energies;

„ distortions introduced through subsidies that create
unfair prices between renewable and conventional
energies;

33

„ lack of financing mechanisms for the
implementation of renewable energies to cope with
the low payment capacity for energy of the rural
population; and

„ deficit of qualified human resources and delays in
the technological adaptation.

Research and teaching of renewable energies at the
Bolivian Catholic University
Research and teaching about renewable energies is not
yet fully established in the Bolivian Catholic University.
Currently, there are related activities in the Institute of
Socio-Economic Studies (IISEC) that works topics in
Energy Economics. In turn, the recently founded Institute of
Applied Research (IIA) of the Faculty of Exact Sciences and
Engineering carries out research in solar energy and biofuels
from non-edible materials. In the Faculty of Architecture
research on solar architecture has been realized.
Regarding the academic program, the Faculty of Economics
offers individual courses as part of its Bachelor and
Master’s degree programs, which include the subjects of
Energy Economics and Economics of Environment and
Natural Resources. At postgraduate level, the Masters for
Development program, founded in co-operation with the
Harvard Institute for Economic Development, offers a
Diploma course in Energy Planning and Management of
Energy Systems that includes RE topics.
The Faculty of Engineering includes renewable energy topics
in the programs of Chemical Engineering, Environmental
Engineering and Industrial Engineering. The topic has
a general approach in all specializations, emphasizing
windpower, solar and geothermal energy. Subjects offered
in the Bachelor degree are Introduction to Energy and
Natural Resources, Environmental Economics and Natural
Resources and Environmental Impact.
34

2 – The JELARE surveys in Bolivia
Methodology
The aspects related to the sample design for the surveys
are briefly explained below, in addition to the general
methodology description in Chapter 1:
„ Renewable energy market survey: the initial list
of companies was obtained from the Vice Ministry
of Electricity and Alternative Energies (VMEAE).
Companies from other sectors that operate or could
be interested in working in the field of renewable
energy (communications, mining, industry, etc.)
were also identified and contacted. 80% of the
companies were interest in participating in the
survey. A total of thirty companies, NGOs and
public institutions were interviewed.

„ Staff survey: first, the university programs that
could include renewable energy topics were
identified. Next, the director of each relevant
degree program was asked to provide a list of
professors who work in or could be interested in
working with the topic. Finally, the questionnaire
was applied to nine people who were interested in
participating.

„ Benchmarking survey: for this survey the
homepages of universities of Bolivia’s four largest
cities were reviewed to identify those with
programs that could include renewable energy
topics. After confirmation by phone that there are
activities in the field of renewable energies, five,
out of ten universities, participated in the survey.

35

Surveys with people or entities located in La Paz were done
personally by previously trained interviewers. The rest of the
surveys were done by fax or email. For the evaluation of all the
surveys the Statistical Program for Social Sciences (SPSS) was
used.
Focus groups
In addition to the surveys, two focus groups were carried out.
The main purpose was to obtain qualitative information from
some of the actors previously interviewed to complement
the quantitative data of the survey. One focus group was
conducted with three professors working in the field of
renewable energies and three representatives of the market.
The second focus group was held by four professors, experts
on the topic, and two representatives of government entities
and international cooperation working with renewable
energy. The discussion was guided through a compendium
of key questions. The participants’ contributions were later
transcribed to add key quotations to the survey results.

2.1 - Market survey results
Characteristics of the renewable energy organizations
From the thirty interviewed organizations, 73.3% are private
companies, 13.3% are non-governmental organizations,
10% are government entities and 3.3% operate in the
country as international cooperation organizations. It is
worth mentioning that the sample for this survey is highly
significant and the typology of the surveyed organizations
reflects the weigh of actors in the market. Results show
i.e., solar thermal
and photovoltaic.
that most of the companies and organizations work in the
sectors of hydropower and solar energy. There are also, in
a lower scale, activities in the rural windpower generation,
biomass and biogas.

36

It is interesting to observe that most of the companies are
engaged in planning activities, whereas a small number works
in research and development. This situation reflects the huge
market set-back regarding its capacity of technological
adaptation. In functional terms most of the companies
operate in the following areas of the value chain:
„ planning, project management and marketing (63%);

„ education and training (47%); 1 - i.e. evaluation,
certification,
planning, project
„ service, maintenance and repair (37%); management,
marketing.
„ operation and administration (37%);
2 - i.e.
„ electrical engineering (33%); and mechanical
engineering
and plant
„ research and development (27%). construction.

Regarding the future perspectives of the RE market, it is
highlighted that the companies plan to operate in the short
and medium term in the sectors of windpower, hydropower,
biofuels and biomass. However, the market size is still very
small, thus most of the institutions have planned to work
in consulting areas1 and, on a smaller scale, in the project
development2 itself .
Most of the private corporations are small companies with a
total income not higher than 50,000 euros in 2008, according
to the survey. This is reflected in the organizational structure,
where more than half of the interviewed institutions range
in two ranks, from one to five or from six to nineteen
employees. Considering the specific employment in the
field of renewable energy, three-quarters of the companies
employ fewer than twenty people.

37

Bolivian companies are generally technology suppliers, not
producers. Costs of technological development are very high
considering the size of the renewable energy market. On this
subject, the manager of a small solar energy company said:
‘Imported Chinese equipment is cheaper; manufacturing is
a waste of time for me. We just adapt the systems to the
local reality and sell them for a slightly higher price.’
The renewable energy market in Bolivia does not function
in a regular way regarding price-fixing and conditions of
competition, as another businessman states: ‘You cannot give
the final client your real price, everything is subsidized by
the international co-operation; you have to associate with an
NGO to stay in the market.’

Qualification of professionals in renewable energy
Only one-third of the organizations declare that there are
university graduates and technicians available in the field
of renewable energies; the majority rates the availability as
scarce or insufficient. The bigger part of the organizations
employs technicians as well as university graduates, with a
slightly higher percentage of technicians. Only a small part
employs people with business competences.
The survey results confirm that the main areas of activity
in the renewable energy sector are related to services;
production and manufacturing are carried out on a smaller
i.e., sales,
assembly and scale and research and development activities are not
installation. significant. So the problems of the sector are clearly related
to the requirement of specialized technical qualifications.
Nearly all companies hire their employees directly, not
through external agencies. However, government entities
use public calls. The problems the organizations deal
with when hiring new professionals are, in almost every
case, the lack of specialized technical qualifications; and,

38

in a smaller percentage (40%), lack of multidisciplinary
qualifications or lack of applicants (33%). Only one out
of thirty organizations declared not to have problems in
finding adequate personnel. This situation could worsen in
the future, because in the short, as well as in the medium
term, around half of the organizations forecast a positive
tendency in employment, while another important part
envisages at least a constant trend.

Training of the companies’ staff in renewable energy
As expected, all interviewed organizations confirmed their
need for some kind of training for their staff. According to
the survey, the highest requirement is oriented to programs
of coaching and learning on the job. This result is coherent
with the need to increase the specific technical qualifications
of their personnel. Also considered as important by the
participants are the measures of in-house training with
external support and training at further education and
research institutions. Less important are programs of
e-learning and blended learning.
i.e., intensive
First of all, new specialized technical competences are seminars and
certificate
required. The strengthening of existing basic competences is courses.
also given great importance. One businessman who took part
in the focus group highlighted this:

We look for people who studied sciences,
not technology. Since we are a company
that develops technology, we do not need
people trained to read a catalog or import
certain equipment, but people who can
develop technology, who know about math,
physics and chemistry. I think the quality of
competences in these basic subjects is one of
the main deficiencies.
39

Less importance is granted to the acquisition of
multidisciplinary competences such as communication skills,
foreign languages and social competences. Nevertheless
this perception can be contrasted with the opinion of a
representative of a company in a focus group:

It would be useful to grant scholarships
to students to give them the opportunity
to go abroad. They could acquire social
competences and communication skills that
are very important.

Graphic 2.1 shows the drivers for the required new
qualifications in the field of renewable energies and their
relevance according to the surveyed organizations (multiple
answers were possible).

Graphic 2.1 – Drivers for new qualifications in renewable energy.
Source: JELARE Survey, 2009.

As can be observed in Graphic 2.1, the main motivations
for the development of the mentioned competences are
product and process innovations. Likewise, market needs and
government policies and incentives are important reasons for
the development of qualifications by the staff.

40

The representatives of the organizations agree that the
universities have to develop new courses and competences
in the field of renewable energies. However, it is not as
important to create new professions and/or occupational
profiles in the area (only 23% of the interviewed companies
are in favour), as to develop additional qualifications that
complement the initial vocational education (70% of the
interviewed organizations). One participant of the focus
group proposed:

Universities should focus on the topic
of Energy Economics. There should
be cooperation between the Faculty of
Engineering and the Faculty of Economics,
because often engineers develop solutions
lacking economic viability.

Interface between the renewable energy market and the
universities
So far, the contact and cooperation between companies and
universities is marginal. The universities research and build
prototypes that are not capitalized by the market. There is a
mutual distrust, as a professor of the Faculty of Engineering
in a focus group says, that hinders a fruitful cooperation.
The manager of a renewable energy company also mentions

[t]he lack of credibility of the universities
in other parts of the system like insurance
companies – they do not accept technologies
that are not internationally recognized, but
developed by national universities. This is one
of the reasons of the poor cooperation between
the private sector and the universities.

41

The interviewed organizations expect from the universities
a contribution at two levels: on the one hand a reform
in education and training and, on the other, a bigger
contribution in basic research and development. Almost half
of the participants also hold that the universities should
work in process innovations, such as new procedures, and a
third part expect them to work on product innovations (new
products and materials).
When asked what types of services offered by Higher
Education Institutes they would be interested
in, the organizations expressed interest in many
different services. Graphic 2.2 shows the different
services and the participant’s level of interest for
each one of them (multiple answers were possible).

Joint research and development 25%
Technology transfer 22%
Consultancy, advisory service 11%
Monitoring, evaluation 8%
Providing access to latest knowlegde 17%
Linking with business or research partners 12%
Others 5%

Graphic 2.2 – Interest in services offered by universities.

As seen in Graphic 2.2, the services the companies require
from universities are mainly related to joint research and
development and technology transfer, followed by obtaining access
to the latest knowledge through universities. A considerable
part of the companies also expect the universities to provide
linking with business and research partners and consultancy and
advisory service. However, 93% of the survey participants
maintain that the current state of the universities regarding
renewable energies is behind the market needs.
42

Main challenges for a wider application of renewable
energies in Bolivia
Among the major challenges to extend the use of renewable
energies, the implementation of supporting policies and
regulation standards stand out. The universities could play
a role in the development of regulation standards and
consultancy services for the government. Equally important
is the development of financing mechanisms and the
introduction of subsidies for renewable energy technologies
or at least the elimination of subsidies for fuel energy sources.
For the development of a competitive market of renewable
energy systems, the practice of international cooperation
organizations not to resort to the national market but to
import the equipment for their projects is considered
harmful. Finally, intensive information campaigns and a
new vision of university education have also been demanded
by the surveyed organizations.

2.2 – Staff survey results
Profile of the interviewed university staff
Analysing the description of the positions of the Bolivian
Catholic University (BCU) staff, there is an obvious emphasis
on education and administration, whereas research is not the
main focus of their activities. However, there seems to be a
contradiction in the description of the working areas as one-
third of the interviewed staff declared, in the following section
of the survey, to work in research and development as well as
in education and training. But in the focus groups conducted
later, the participating professors highlighted the incipient
activity in research and development in the universities.
Only 22.2% of the staff has senior experience (10 years)
in topics related to renewable energies, which confirms
the huge quantitative and qualitative set-back in this
43

area. At the same time, results show that only 11.11% of
the professors have experience in curriculum design and
research management. The combination of these results
allows assessing initially the huge difficulty implied when
implementing renewable energy subjects in the university.
The survey also shows a clear relationship between the
working or interest fields of the BCU staff in renewable
energies and the planned activities of the companies.
Both express their intention to operate in the sectors
of windpower, biomass and hydropower. However, this
apparent concordance is not reflected in reality, considering
the insignificant number of joint projects.

Interests and training needs of the staff
The professors’ intention to strengthen the topic of renewable
energy at the BCU is reflected in their high interest to
receive training in renewable energy technologies as well
as in curriculum design, development of teaching modules
and research management. Graphic 2.3 shows the sectors of
renewable energy technologies and the level of interest of the
university staff to receive capacity building in each area.

Graphic 2.3 – Training interest in RE technologies.
44 Source: JELARE Survey, 2009.

The graphic shows a clear preference for training in the
areas of biomass, hydropower and windpower technologies,
followed by photovoltaic and solar thermal energy,
geothermal energy and hydrogen/fuel cells in equal
terms. Concerning training in curriculum design, most
participants have a clear preference for Master’s degree
programs, but there is also interest in PhD and joint
international programs. Regarding training in research
management, a major interest in funding opportunities and
research managerial capacities is specified. Only one-third
is interested in training in research fund management.
In general, most of the participants consider it as a major
need to improve their technical/vocational knowledge
and their skills in their area of teaching or research. The
same applies to their need to keep up to date with major
technological changes in renewable energies and to acquire
skills of renewable energy curriculum development.
Moreover, the majority describes it as a very important need
to have better research infrastructure, such as laboratories
and equipment. The same applies to the need for access to
a scientific database in renewable energies and the need to
participate in networking events in renewable energy such
as workshops, seminars, conferences and/or field visits to
industries.
Finally, the need for more collaboration between the BCU
and the renewable energy industry is seen as a major or very
important need by nearly all participants. A participant of
the focus group affirmed: “What we need are agreements
between the private sector and the universities with clear
terms of reference, rights and obligations for both parties –
agreements of mutual interests”.

45

Strengthening of the renewable energy topic at the
university
All measures proposed in the survey, focused on the
introduction or strengthening of renewable energies at the
BCU, were qualified as important or very important by most
of the participants. The following table shows the percentages:

Very
No Minor Definite Major
Options Important
Need Need Need Need
Need
A – Academic programs
11.11% 11.11% 0.00% 55.56% 22.22%
devoted to market needs
B – Exchange programs
11.11% 11.11% 0.00% 44.45% 33.33%
between HEIs and RE Market
C – HEI’s partnership with RE
11.11% 0.00% 00.00% 44.44% 44.44%
market
D – Applied technological
researches funded by the 11.11% 11.11% 0.00% 33.33% 44.45%
market
E – Applied technological
researches funded by the 11.11% 11.11% 0.00% 33.33% 44.45%
government
F – Internships for students
11.11% 0.00% 0.00% 44.44% 44.44%
in RE companies
G – Constant analysis and
design of occupational plans 11.11% 11.11% 0.00% 11.11% 66.67%
in RE
Table 2.1 – Percentage received by participants for each option and need level.

An important deficit was found in all the consulted
fields in the university, especially in the aspects related to
collaboration with the market.

46

Therefore, the following measures are the most important
to strengthen:
„ partnership between the university and the
renewable energy market; and

„ internships for students in RE companies.

2.3 – Benchmark survey results
Renewable energy activities at other universities
The purpose of the benchmark survey is to compare the state of
the art of renewable energy at other universities in the Bolivian
system with the results of the UCB. A first approximation
can be done based on the balance of activities in renewable
energies and the universities’ degree of insertion in the field of
renewable energies, illustrated in Graphic 2.4.

Graphic 2.4 – Profile of universities regarding renewable energies.

47

It can be observed, on the one hand, that a great part of the
universities have offered undergraduate and postgraduate
programs on topics related to renewable energies before
2007. On the other hand, most of the institutions do not have
research programs with foreign investment in the field. This
shows that the coherence of the technology development
chain is incipient. Most of the activities financed with
external funds in renewable energies are destined for the
rural area, through technology transfer at low scale and
in many cases with obsolete technology. In this current
situation, the set-back of the technological adaptation and
innovation processes in the country is evident.
More than half of the universities have conducted some
kind of research in renewable energies before 2007, usually
exploratory. Regrettably, in none of the surveyed institutions
are these activities sustained constantly over time, despite
many of them having partnerships with national and/
or international research networks. It is important to
remark that the current conditions for the conduction of
research projects are not adequate. For instance, none of
the universities has research laboratories financed by the
productive sector. It can be established that cooperation
between the universities and the renewable energy market
in general does not exist and that the quality of research
is deficient. This is illustrated by the fact that 80% of
the universities do not have registered patents or newly
developed technologies in the last few years.
Nearly 60% of the participants declared that their university
has policies in renewable energy as well as a value system that
promotes commitment in this area. 80% of the universities
also confirm that they have a strategy in the field of renewable
energy. However, it is recommended to be careful with these
results, as it is evident that there cannot be a strategy without
a policy; therefore it is incoherent that this last percentage is
higher than the first one.

48

More than 80% of the participating universities work in
cooperation with public or private organizations and 60%
also have interdisciplinary programs about renewable
energy in their institutions. The level of market connection
of the universities in renewable energies seems interesting;
however the extension and frequency of the relationships
cannot be concluded from this information.
The survey shows that 40% of the participants use formal
practices of mentoring or coaching and the same percentage
let experienced staff from different areas of knowledge
transfer their know-how to students and teaching staff. It
is interesting that another 60% are planning to introduce
this last measure in the next two years. To receive external
training to keep up to date with the technological changes in
renewable energies is less common, which might be caused
by the fact that there is not of this kind of capacity building
on offer. Finally, none of the universities grants scholarships
in renewable energy.
The most common practice of knowledge acquirement is to
use knowledge on renewable energy obtained from other
market sources as companies and organizations, which is
applied by all participants. Another frequent practice is to
acquire knowledge from research institutions, done by 60%
of the universities before 2007 and planned by the rest of the
participants. This result demonstrates that the universities
do not have the budget to generate knowledge and therefore
need to choose, almost exclusively, mechanisms that reduce
their transaction costs (by the use of Internet sources).

49

Education and research in renewable energy at other
universities
The survey results show that in the area of renewable
energies, education prevails over research activities in all
the interviewed universities. Most educational activities are
concentrated in the sectors of hydropower, solar thermal
and photovoltaic energy, followed by windpower and biogas.
There are research activities in all renewable energy sectors
except for geothermal and hydrogen/fuel cells, but only
20% of the participants research in each sector. Graphic 2.5
shows what the research/teaching ratio looks like for each
type of renewable energy.

Graphic 2.5 – Research/teaching activities in renewable energy.

50

All the universities have specific programs or courses in
renewable energy, whereby 70% correspond to courses of
initial formation in the frame of a Bachelor’s degree and
only 30% have a higher level of specialization. Only one of
the institutions has a Master’s degree exclusively dedicated
to renewable energies. Likewise, 80% of the universities
have a department, institute or research group in the field of
renewable energy. Half of them are exclusively dedicated to
renewable energies, whereas the other half includes topics
of renewable energy.
Finally, we must emphasize that none of the participant
universities have a multi-year investment budget dedicated
exclusively to research in renewable energies and therefore
there is a lack of sustainable long-term research programs.
This shows the structural limitations and the poor financial
conditions of the higher education system in this country.

51

3 - Conclusions
Conclusions of the renewable energy market survey
The RE market in Bolivia is concentrated in the areas of
hydropower, photovoltaic and solar thermal energy. Most
of the private and public organizations operate only in one
sector, although a considerable number of them are planning
to extend their range of products, especially in the areas of
windpower, low generation hydropower and biomass and/
or biofuels.
Most of the companies currently work in planning and
training, whereas only a small number carries out research
e.g. electric and development activities or project development.
engineering This is mainly due to the lack of government policies or
or plant
construction.
incentives and the reduced market size. Therefore, the sector
operates – except for the hydropower sector – with small
companies or micro companies, which act almost exclusively
as technology suppliers.
The demand for technicians and university graduates in
RE is considerably higher than the supply. The lack of
specialized technical qualifications is the most common
problem for the companies when hiring staff. This situation
can worsen in the mid term, because most of the companies
forecast a positive or at least constant trend in their staff
requirements.
To cover the increasing requirements of RE specialists,
the organizations can also train their current staff instead
of recruiting new employees. Among the planned capacity
building opportunities, training and learning on the job is
the most common. The main motivations for these measures
are product and process innovations and, to a smaller extent,
market needs, as well as government policies and incentives.

52

According to the surveyed companies, the current state of
the Higher Education Institutions regarding renewable
energies is far behind the market needs. Cooperation
between universities and the market is minimal. However,
private and public organizations expect the universities to
contribute with more and better education and training and
to encourage research and basic development. In addition, a
strengthening of technology transfer activities as well as the
joint development of research projects is required.

Conclusions of the staff survey
The most important results of the staff survey are:
„ the insufficient research and development activity
at the university;

„ the huge quantitative and qualitative set-back in
the field of renewable energy; and

„ the lack of cooperation with the RE market.

The low number of research projects is related to the
reduced budget destined for this purpose, whereas the
quality responds more to the lack of long-term planning
and the deficit of human resources. On the one hand, the
university staff does not have the appropriate infrastructure
for research activities at their disposal and their access to
information sources is very limited. On the other, there is a
clear lack of capacities in fundraising and management and
in the development of a sustained strategy for research.
The set-back regarding renewable energies has similar
causes. There is no integral strategy for renewable energies
in any particular institute, nor formal cooperation
mechanisms between different institutes or faculties of the
university. The professors do not have financial resources at

53

their disposal to promote a greater inclusion of renewable
energy topics, nor do they have easy access to specialized
information sources or infrastructure. Furthermore, a lack
of mechanisms to detect market developments and to adjust
the study programs to their needs has to be added.
A clear correspondence between the staff ’s training
interests and the development plans of the companies can
be highlighted. Both actors manifested their intention
to operate more intensively in the sectors of windpower,
biomass and hydropower. The university staff highlights the
need to receive training that allows improving the support to
the market through the building of capacities and through
required services in the field of research. It is consequently
very important to design institutional mechanisms that
permit a stronger association among Higher Education
Institutions and companies.

Conclusions of the benchmarking survey
The survey conducted with other Bolivian universities has
fully confirmed the results obtained at the BCU. There is
also a greater emphasis in education than in research in the
renewable energy field. Although a high percentage of the
universities claim to have done research before 2007, their
activities in most cases are not constantly maintained.
This happens because none of the participant universities
has a multi-year budget exclusively dedicated to research in
renewable energies and therefore cannot often sustain long-
term research programs. At the same time, infrastructure
conditions and access to information sources are also very
limited.

54

Finally, the results show that most of the professors have not
recently received any kind of training in renewable energies.
This situation is directly related to the low quality and poor
sustainability of education and research. There is, however,
great interest in starting integrated activities related with
the RE market needs, as well as with the electrification
needs of rural population.

Lessons learned
The survey conducted by the JELARE Project with the
Higher Education Institutions and market actors in the
field of renewable energies has permitted an analysis of
this segment at different levels of interaction. In this sense,
three important lessons were learned which reflect the global
interaction of the sector as well as its structural aspects:
„ the technological cycle is not linked to the higher
education system. This is reflected in very low levels
of technology transfer, technological adaptation
and innovation and in the lack of technicians and
specialized engineers in the country;

„ education and research are not fitted for the market
needs because there are no linking and feedback
mechanisms with the renewable energy market.
Therefore the universities offer insufficient study
programs and develop technological prototypes
which do not get exploited by the market, and the
companies do not have clear incentives for the use
of education, training and research services; and

„ education and research are not sustainable because
the Higher Education Institutions lack an integral
strategy and financing mechanisms for planned
and structured activities in long-term programs.

55

Chapter 3 – Brazil
1 – Renewable energy market in Brazil
The Brazilian electrical industry is now predominantly
hydroelectric, and is complemented with hydrothermal
output. Table 3.1 shows the installed capacity of electrical
power generation in Brazil in 2006.
1 – Taking into
Source Capacity (MW) (%) account
Hydroelectric power plants (HEP)1 72,005.41 74.78 6,300 MW from
Itaipu.
Small Hydroelectric Central (SHC) 1,673.06 1.74
2 – Not
Thermoelectric power plants (TPP) 20,372.13 21.16 considering
Wind generator 236.85 0.25 imported energy.
Photovoltaic generator 0.02 0.00 3 – This fact
Thermonuclear power plants 2,007.00 2.08 depends
essentially on
Total2 96,294.47 100.00 the degree of
flexibility or
Table 3.1 – Installed capacity of energy generation at SIN (2006). inflexibility of
Source: Aneel Report, 2006. each plant.

In practice, HEP accounts for more than 90% of the
electricity generated in Brazil, due to criteria which favour
sources that cost less. Although the thermoelectric power
plants account for 23.24% of the installed capacity, they
are responsible for less than 10% of the energy produced3
because of their higher production cost. It is important to
note that, unlike many countries, approximately 89% of
Brazilian electrical energy comes from renewable sources.
Table 3.2 presents an appraisal of Brazilian electrical source
competitiveness at an installed capacity of 1,000 MW.
Note that hydropower is more competitive (in R$/MWh),
however it takes longer to build – approximately 5 years –
and has greater environmental restrictions.

57

Although the costs of production are extremely important
for defining dispatch criteria for distribution, they are not
per se investment constraints. This is because the auction
and therefore the sources are defined in advance by Aneel
and EPE.
National
Unit. Hydroelectric Biomass Nuclear
coal
Disp. MW 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000

Variable R$/Mwh 1.5 14.7 37.5 25.2
Unit Cost
R$/Kw
Fixed cost 11.3 46.0 57.8 138.0
year

Investment US$/KW 1,250 1,100 1,500 2,000

Rate of R$/ 116.4 121.1 133.3 151.6
equilibrium MWh

Table 3.2 (part 1) – Competitiveness among electricity sources.
Source: Moreira, 2008.

Unit. Imported Natural Wind Fuel oil Diesel
coal gas
Disp. MW 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000

Variable R$/ 54.3 108.6 4.5 300 500
Unit Cost Mwh
R$/Kw
Fixed cost 57.8 57.5 4.0 28.0 25.0
year

Investment US$/KW 1,500 900 2,000 800 600

Rate of R$/ 152.4 175.0 297.0 382.9 602.2
equilibrium MWh

Table 3.2 (part 2) – Competitiveness among electricity sources.
Source: Moreira, 2008.
58

Growth trends in renewable energy
Hydroelectric generation
Historically, the Brazilian electrical sector was developed
based on the country’s great hydroelectric potential, and
expansion was made possible due to the large number of
rivers, lakes and other hydrological regimes. Industries
have been developed strongly based on complementarities Which means that
among different water areas by means of the construction of wet periods occur
large reservoirs and long transmission lines. in one region
while dry periods
Large reservoirs have been used primarily to maintain the in others.
security of the system, and to offer better control of electricity
production in the dry season. Transmission lines have
allowed the optimization of water resources and helped take
advantage of rainfall regime diversity among regions.
However, the 1988 Constitution generated greater concern
about environmental issues, essentially focused on the
consequences of flooding, leading to a reduction in major
new reservoir construction.
Moreover, when it comes to water, we must not only consider
its multiples uses, but the interests of various stakeholders
as well. Fortunately, there are now significant barriers to the
Human and
construction of major new reservoirs in Brazil. animal supply,
irrigation,
It is estimated that the hydroelectric potential yet to be industrial,
tapped in the country is approximately 126 GW. From this fisheries,
total, approximately 70% is in the Amazon basin, where recreation, etc.
rivers surrounded by floodplains predominate and large
reservoir construction is impossible, so hydropower will
have to take the form of run-of-the-river plants.
Without adding the remaining non-individualized
potential (28,000 MW ), the potential in the basin is
estimated at 77,058 MW, distributed among 13 sub-

59

basins, with four of them concentrating almost 90% of
Tapajós, Xingu,
the potential. Still, according to PNE data, by 2030 (EPE)
Madeira and only 38% of the potential could be classified as exploitable
Trombetas. without easing significant environmental restrictions.
The increased use of run-of-the-river plants, which do
not require seasonal regulation, will reduce the capacity
of the system’s strategic reserve and will also require major
operational flexibility from existing reservoirs. Besides, it will
require more installed capacity for backup power plants.
i.e., thermal However, there are significant restrictions to the use of this
flexible, potential, due to social, environmental and technological
especially
in periods
issues, especially the former. As Dias Leite states (2007,
of adverse p. 549), ‘the chance of nonviability of some projects has
hydrology. to be present, since there are strong disagreements of
environmental, social and political nature.’ Take as an
example that more than 44% of the potential is directly
related to indigenous land.
Such restrictions indicate that there is a growing urgent
need for a diverse energy matrix. Moreover, it is important
to notice the need for more in depth studies on the aptitude
of this potential.

New renewable resources
Biomass, wind With regard to new renewable resources to generate
energy and solar
energy.
electricity, emphasis should be given to energy generated
from biomass, especially sugar-alcohol. The Brazilian sugar-
alcohol sector is traditionally self-sufficient in terms of
energy (Castro and Dantas, 2008a). The use of waste as
fuel accounts for 98% of the energy needs of the factories
(Corrêa and Ramon, 2002). According to Souza e Azevedo
(2006), entrepreneurs from the sugar-alcohol sector are
investing in more efficient co-generation technology to

60

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