The Multilateral Solar and Wind Working Group met in Madrid this November to discuss two new projects that will help speed the deployment of wind and solar technologies: a global solar and wind atlas and a joint long-term strategy on capacity building. At the workshop (the working group's third meeting this year), members shared working papers related to the two projects and discussed future implementation activities and responsibilities.
The global solar and wind atlas will combine resource data with socioeconomic information in an easily accessible geo-information system. The atlas will provide the basic information necessary to kick off the cascade toward investments in solar and wind energy technologies, which the private sector alone may not be able to do in an economically sustainable way.
The joint long-term strategy on capacity building will offer recommendations for overcoming the global shortage of human resources in the fields of solar and wind energy. Member countries and institutions are considering how to implement the strategy, taking into account the entire renewable energy value chain.
The Multilateral Wind and Solar Working Group aims to develop strategies to provide the necessary public infrastructure to accelerate the deployment of wind and solar energy technologies worldwide. Since its inception, 14 new countries and the European Commission have joined the initiative, which is led by Denmark, Germany, and Spain.