Education for Sustainability
working in support of the
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Mission Statement
The Mission of The Renewable Nations Institute is to accelerated the rate at which all nations can meet 2030 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and 2050 Net-Zero Energy (NZE) emissions goals under the Paris Agreement by developing, managing, and replicating a global "Energy Education Workforce."
History
The Renewable Nations Institute was established in 1998 as a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) based instructional technology program of EcoSage Corporation under the SolarQuest™ brand name. From 2004-2014, SolarQuest™ operated as the non-profit SolarQuest Education Foundation, Inc. In 2015, SolarQuest™ merged with The Global Challenge Award, Inc., d.b.a. The Renewable Nations Institute.
Certificate of Congressional Recognition - 2017
| Certificate of Congressional Recognition |
Proof-of-Concept Projects
(PARTIAL LISTING)
U.S.-Africa Energy Ministerial Meetings, 1999-2001:
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SolarQuest Co-sponsored the U.S.-Africa Energy Ministerial Meetings from 1999-2001, providing renewable energy and energy efficiency technical assistance and human capacity building services to 52 African Nations.
This effort led to over 2,500 solar energy systems installed throughout sub-Saharan Africa, including solar systems in support of Solar Lights for Africa, the first faith-based partnership with the United States Department of Energy. See CNN feature video below: |
Note: The Renewable Nations Institute is a private, non-profit corporation. It is not affiliated with a faith-based organization.
Project ERGAL (Renewable Energy Galapagos), 2002-2009:
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Project ERGAL (Renewable Energy Galapagos), Province of the Galapagos (Republic of Ecuador), was one of the first Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects in Latin America under the Kyoto Protocol.
The project was developed in under the umbrella of the United Nations Foundation, the Global Sustainable Electricity Partnership (formerly, the e8 Network for Expertise on the Global Environment), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Fund for International Partnerships (UNFIP), and the Government of the Republic of Ecuador. |
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Project ERGAL included the cooperation of over 36 international organizations and private industry partners, and provided the framework for the participation of SolarQuest L3C as a Technical Assistance and Human Capacity Building Partner of the United Nations Development Program. See Project ERGAL Organizational Ecosystem diagram, below:
Project publications:
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Global Challenge / M-SOS-W, 2009-2019:
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2008 - 2019: SolarQuest™ worked in collaboration with the University of North Texas on M-SOS-W: Middle Schoolers out to Save the World. Approximately 600 sixth graders from seven states and twenty-two school districts monitored home energy use to develop optimum scenarios for conserving energy and reducing production of greenhouses gases in local communities.
ITEST Grant #DRL-083376. Award: $1,500,000 ITEST Grand #1312168. Award: $2,000,000. |
2006 - 2009: SolarQuest™ worked in collaboration with the Global Challenge Award, Inc. and the University of Vermont to engage young women and minority high school students from around the world --- including student from developing countries --- to create innovative business solutions to address global climate change. Students worked in eLearning teams to develop their business plans, and to present their plans to industry professionals.
ITEST Grant #DRL-0624663. Award: $924,000 |
Renewable Nations Summer Institute, 2017:
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2017: The Renewable Nations Summer Institute was a prototype international sustainability leadership program leading to the designation as a United Nations Junior Ambassador.
The 2017 Summer Institute hosted students from the People's Republic of China at Norwich University (Northfield, Vermont) for two-weeks of intensive training in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) followed by 200 hours of community service in their communities. |
Healthcare Facility Electrification in the Developing World, 2020-2021:
The Renewable Nations Institute (RNI) and the Vermont Technical College (VTC) collaborated on the 2021 MEC 4722 Renewable Energy Capstone Project to demonstrate the efficacy of undergraduate engineering students to provide remote technical assistance, human capacity building, and decision support services for healthcare facility electrification in the developing world. Visit the project website at www.renewablenations.online. Healthcare facility electrification in the developing world is emerging as major Service-Learning and Work-Learning-Service programs of the Institute.
VISIT RENEWABLE NATIONS ONLINE FOR MORE INFORMATION
Municipal Building Energy Resilience Program
The Vermont State University (VSU) at Vermont Tech and the Renewable Nations Institute collaborated on the 2023 MEC 4722 Renewable Energy Capstone Project (MEC 4722). The MEC 4722 Capstone Project offers graduating seniors in the VTC Renewable Energy Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Degree Program the opportunity for real-world experience in the design and engineering of energy efficiency and renewable energy (EERE) systems in the context of Vermont Act 172 of 2022 — the Municipal Building Energy Resilience Program (Act 172). More information on the program is available at: http://www.2023mec4722.online
VISIT 2023 MEC 4722 ONLINE FOR MORE INFORMATION