WASHINGTON, April 2 (UPI) -- The U.S. State Department announced an international solar and wind program expansion targeting developing countries.
The Solar and Wind Energy Resource Assessment was created in 2001 and is now expanding to help more developing nations understand the extent of their solar and wind energy resources. In addition to new international partners, the program will be updating and adding to its free public database.
The U.N. Environment Program's Division of Technology, Industry and Economics manages the program in collaboration with more than 25 partners from around the world, including the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey.
Maps of wind and solar resources were created for each of the 13 pilot countries -- Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Cuba, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guatemala, Honduras, Kenya, Nepal, Nicaragua and Sri Lanka -- using satellite imagery.
The program is now working to add data on geothermal, small-scale hydropower energy and biomass and is looking for funding from governments, international financial institutions, users and others.
SWERA also became involved in a $15 billion effort in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates to fund renewable energy infrastructure and related projects and is getting data on new countries like Morocco and Tunisia.
