Berkeley-Berlin Energy Access Group

The Berlin-Berkeley Energy Access Group (BBEAG) is a collaboration between RLI and the Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory (RAEL) at the University of California, Berkeley. The collaboration was created in order to jointly work on research topics that aim to improve access to sustainable energy for all people worldwide.

Both institutions are involved in research regarding electrification strategies based on renewable energy for developing regions. Both are committed to the Seventh UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG7) that calls for universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy. Expertise developed in this context at RLI and RAEL is bundled within BBEAG.

The aims of the partnership are:

• jointly work on models and tools for electrification modelling and planning
• explore new fields of sustainable energy-water-food supply and transport
• providing advice for public and private decision-makers
• jointly develop projects and apply for project funding
• establish academic exchange among both institutions and other international partners

The core of the collaboration is a public BBEAG Workshop, which will take place in April 2018 in Berkeley. The workshop will bring together experts from the energy and digital sectors in order to discuss the possibilities of sustainable energy access with regard to digital solutions. The agenda also includes visits of the BBEAG to Silicon Valley companies that are involved in the topic. The BBEAG Workshop is funded by the Transatlantic Climate Bridge partnership between Germany and the United States.

The BBEAG Workshop on April 17th 2018 is funded by the Transatlantic Climate Bridge partnership between Germany and the United States.