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Smart Energy Solutions for Africa to Host Fourth Regional Event in Marrakesh, Morocco Focused on E-Mobility

Smart Energy Solutions for Africa to Host Fourth Regional Event in Marrakesh, Morocco Focused on E-Mobility

by | Oct 14, 2024 | News

Green Energy Park (UM6P, IRESEN), in collaboration with Cadi Ayyad University, is proud to host the Fourth Regional Event of the Smart Energy Solutions for Africa (SESA) project from October 14-16, 2024, in Marrakesh, Morocco. This three-day event, funded by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 program, will bring together key stakeholders from Africa and Europe to discuss developments in sustainable energy, with a particular focus on electric mobility (e-mobility) and renewable energy solutions.

The event is supported by SESA Partners: ICLEI Europe, ICLEI Africa, Technical University Berlin, Siemens Stiftung, CENEX Netherlands, uYilo e-Mobility Program, WeTu, Blekinge Institute of Technology and F6S.

The Fourth Regional Event in Marrakesh aims to foster collaboration and dialogue on sustainable energy solutions. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in discussions, share best practices, and explore innovative ideas that could pave the way for more sustainable energy access across Africa.

SESA’s regional events, including this one in Morocco, serve as key components of the project’s regional capacity-building activities. By working closely with local stakeholders, the project aims to identify policy gaps and implement energy technology solutions that address the unique needs of African communities.

Event Highlights

Capacity Building Program on E-Mobility

The event on October 14th will feature a Capacity Building Program on E-Mobility, offering in-depth knowledge and practical skills. Participants will explore technological trends, conversion techniques, battery recycling, and adoption challenges through expert presentations and discussions. The program aims to equip professionals and decision-makers to lead the shift to electric mobility.

Official Launch of the SESA Toolbox

The official launch of the SESA Toolbox will take place on October 14th. This web-based platform offers open-access resources on sustainable energy, organised into seven categories: Agriculture, Economics, Energy, Environment, IT, Mobility, and Social. Users can filter content by category for quick access to tools, videos, and documents. Designed for policymakers, entrepreneurs, educators, and citizens, the Toolbox supports energy solutions across Africa. Developed by the SESA consortium, with coordination by ICLEI and Cenex NL.

Morocco Policy Dialogue

On October 15th, the Morocco Policy Dialogue will bring together government officials, industry leaders, and academics to validate findings on e-mobility barriers in Morocco. Discussions will focus on policy solutions for infrastructure, regulatory, and technological challenges, while showcasing local innovations like solar-powered mini-grids and second-life battery storage.

Key attendees include Minister Leila Benali, Minister Riad Mezzour, Governor Farid Chourak, IRESEN’s Samir Rachidi, and Green Energy Park’s Mohamed Bousseta, along with European representatives from Barcelona and Cascais. The event aims to align policy with innovation for sustainable mobility in Morocco.

Peer-to-Peer Exchange – Empowering Cities for Renewable Energy and E-Mobility

On October 16th, a Peer-to-Peer Exchange will bring together representatives from Moroccan and European cities to discuss collaboration between local ecosystems—municipalities, businesses, and communities—on renewable energy and e-mobility initiatives. Case studies from Africa and Europe will highlight practical solutions like energy consumption, shared mobility, and energy sharing. Insights from SESA partners involved in smart energy projects will emphasise municipal collaboration and local engagement.

SESA Fourth Regional Event Agenda

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About SESA

SESA (Smart Energy Solutions for Africa) is a collaborative project between the European Union and nine African countries aimed at providing energy access technologies and business models. It facilitates the co-development of scalable and replicable energy access innovations, to be tested, validated, and later replicated throughout the African continent.

Download the official press release here
The Journey of the SESA Toolbox: From Idea to Product

The Journey of the SESA Toolbox: From Idea to Product

by | Aug 19, 2024 | News, Toolkit

The global drive toward sustainable energy solutions has never been more critical, especially in regions where energy access can transform lives and economies. SESA—Smart Energy Solutions for Africa—is at the forefront of this movement, representing a collaborative effort between the European Union and nine African nations: Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, and Tanzania.

A Collaborative Vision for Africa’s Energy Future

Funded by Horizon 2020, SESAs mission is to deploy scalable energy technologies and business models that can be easily replicated across different regions. This initiative isn’t just about introducing technology; it’s about sparking economic development and fostering social cohesion throughout Africa. Each of the nine participating countries will host one or more living labs where technologies and business models are applied for use cases like emobility, microgrids or clean cooking during the project’s timeline and will continue beyond. The  SESA projects aims to capture the valuable knowledge and learnings gained by those involved.

The end goal? To compile these insights into accessible toolkits comprising videos, guides, reports, and more, all housed within an open database.

Introducing the SESA Toolbox

This database, known as the SESA Toolbox, will soon become a freely accessible resource for anyone interested in various aspects around sustainable energy solutions. We look forward to the official launch at the SESA 4th Regional Event taking place in Morocco from 14 – 16 October 2024. From that day the toolbox will be available. The platform promises to be a game-changer for policymakers, entrepreneurs, educators, and anyone invested in the future of energy in Africa. But how did we get there?

Access the Toolbox

Crafting the Content: A Collaborative Effort

With 30 partners and additional SMEs participating, content creation is a collaborative and dynamic process. To manage this effectively, a shared spreadsheet—overseen by ICLEI World Secretariat—was developed to track and monitor the progress of upcoming toolkits. Every two weeks  key representatives from the many activities in SESA meet and update the spreadsheet, ensuring that content development remains on track and organized until the project’s end.

 

From Mock-Up to User-Friendly Design

Given the expected volume of toolkits, it was crucial to design an intuitive platform where users can easily navigate the available content. Cenex Netherlands, one of the project’s partners, led the creation of a mock-up (Figure 1) and wireframe for the toolbox. This design features a filtering system that categorizes toolkits by different colours, making it easy for users to identify and select relevant content.

For more specific searches, users can refine their selection using filters on the left-hand side of the page or by utilising the search bar. Additionally, a tour guide function was incorporated to help visitors understand how to make the most of the website (Figure 2).

Figure 1 Mock-up SESA toolbox
Figure 2 Mock-up of the Toolbox Tourguide Overlay

Engaging with the Tools

Once users have filtered through the content and identified a content of interest, they can simply click on it to access more detailed information. Each page is designed to be comprehensive, featuring descriptions, embedded videos, external links, and contact options for further inquiries (Figure 3). Keywords associated with each entry ensure that content is easily searchable. A rating system was proposed to allow users to gauge the quality and usefulness of each tool, but the value of this feature was considered low given the variety of reasons for people to access certain content. Which is why this feature was ultimately not pursued.

Figure 3 Mock-up of the Toolkit page

The Final Design: A Collaborative Achievement

In collaboration with project partners the final iteration of the SESA Toolbox website was developed under a subdomain of the main SESA website, making it easy to switch from one to the other. With the final version nearing completion, tools are now uploaded in preparation for the official launch.

Figure 4 A preview of the final design