REN@EARTH - Facilitating Clean Energy Knowledge Acquisition (for Students) in the Humid Tropics with a Multiplier Effect

The project “REN@EARTH” implemented capacity-building on renewable energy in the humid tropics. The aim to strengthen the basis for an increased use of renewable energy technologies in order to reduce carbon emissions and energy imports was reached by facilitating know-how transfer to students, industry and other stakeholders, the foundation for a sustainable local value creation shall be built. The project implemented an overview course on renewable energy at EARTH University, courses for the interested public, an training center for practical education, further education seminars for engineers of Costa Rican industries as well as Train-the-trainer seminars on various technologies.

Project data

Countries: Costa Rica
IKI funding: 959,228.52 €
Duration: 03/2011 till 12/2013
Status: completed
Implementing organisation: EARTH University Foundation, Inc. - Costa Rica
Political Partner: Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) - Costa Rica
Implementing Partner: EARTH University Foundation, Inc. - Costa Rica
Online: http://www.earth.ac.cr/?lang=en

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State of implementation/results

Project completed.
Implementation of the training center CIDER (spanish: Center for Research and Development of Renewables Energies) at EARTH University, equipped with the corresponding, partly German renewable energy technologies.
Development of training materials for the Regional Training Center.
Development of curricula and study materials for a course on renewable energy for rural development (class content: biomass, biogas, biofuel, solar thermal energy, photovoltaic, wind and water power, geothermal energy, storage technologies, hydrogen technologies); students from Costa Rica, Colombia, Haiti, Kenya, South Africa and Switzerland took part.
Establishment of a weekend seminar on renewable energies open to interested members of the public.
Implementation of train-the-trainer seminars in Berlin; participants to date are from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama.
TV report about the project.

Latest Update:
12/2025