The Clean Energy Solutions Center (the Solutions Center) offers no-cost expert policy assistance to government policy makers. It also serves as a knowledge portal for clean energy resources—including policy best practices, data, and analysis tools—and shares these resources with a global forum of energy experts, policy makers, and other stakeholders. In addition, the Solutions Center offers online training and webinars and peer-to-peer learning to help countries tailor solutions to their needs and foster international collaboration on policy innovations.

• The Solutions Center is partnering with Leonardo Energy and the Clean Energy Ministerial’s (CEM’s) 21st Century Power Partnership to develop a Clean Energy Regulator Initiative (CERI) that will build a network for regional energy regulator organizations. This initiative will support and inform these regulator organizations on current clean energy developments and best practices, foster information sharing and peer-learning across established networks, and strengthen and disseminate relevant topical knowledge and expertise.
• Having established a robust presence for the Solutions Center, the initiative is working to increase marketing and promotion and further develop strategic partnerships so that expert assistance is linked to longer-term programs and deeper support.
• The Solutions Center is also looking to develop in-depth policy engagement with key countries and/or organizations, including CEM countries and other CEM initiatives. Planning has also begun on several sector-based peer-to-peer networks to facilitate the sharing of best practices.
• The initiative will also continue to increase the scope and depth of the resource library as well as provide new and interesting analytical tools, including more emerging policy analyses.

Progress

• Thirty-three international experts have now been recruited to serve on the Solutions Center expert policy assistance team to deliver the Ask-an-Expert service. These experts work in multiple languages (e.g., English, French, Spanish, Mandarin, Russian, Portuguese, and Thai) and cover a wide range of clean energy policy topics.
• Since its launch in January 2012, the Ask-an-Expert service has responded to more than 130 requests for advice and assistance from policy makers from nearly 70 countries, which has resulted in concrete impacts that strengthen country policies.
• The first-ever database featuring federal and sub-federal clean energy and energy efficiency policies and incentives in India was developed through the support of the Solutions Center. The India Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Policy Database (IREED) has been released in beta version. It is based on the highly popular U.S. DSIRE(Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency).
• The Solutions Center has hosted a successful series of online trainings in partnership with international organizations, other governments, and technical experts. The trainings deliver relevant policy information and encourage peer-to-peer discussions. To date, approximately 6,000 participants have participated. View the Solutions Center's online training resources.
• More than 2,200 technical resources are now available through the Solutions Center's curated library of reports, data, and tools.
• The Solutions Center conducts an annual analysis of high-profile emerging policy topics. This has resulted in the release of a set of well-received case studies on integrating variable renewable energy and mini-grids, and on upcoming work including best practices for renewable energy policy design and successful finance and business models for energy access.
• In partnership with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the Solutions Center launched the Renewable Energy Policy Advice Network (REPAN). Under the REPAN umbrella, advice will be available in several distinct areas. The network will engage practitioners from around the globe to participate in the renewable readiness assessments that IRENA conducts in member countries to identify priority actions for accelerating renewables. The Solution Center’s Ask-an-Expert service will be expanded to include experts from a broader range of countries; these experts will provide fast and accurate technical advice at no charge to requesting countries.