The Green Energy Research Unit (GERU) at Makerere University Business School (MUBS) is hosted under the Department of Energy Science and Technology. GERU is being established within the framework of a two-year TWAS-BMBF funded project titled “Solar- biogas hybrid energy system for energy transformation.” GERU provides an environment in which staff and students can research and collaborate to support efficient energy use and promote green energy for transformational and sustainable development.
Current research and training topics cover different aspects ranging from solar and biogas systems to energy management, energy transition, gender and energy, and sustainable energy governance. Since the last reporting period, the Green Energy Research Unit has contributed to the mandate of MUBS in the following ways.
Research and capacity building: GERU is currently supporting research activities of three Master of Energy Economics and Governance (MEEG) students. Of the three students, one (Ms. Nashua Kimuli) has successfully defended her master’s thesis titled, “Economic Viability of Biogas Energy Systems in Uganda: A Case of Solar Backed Systems for Households” Another student (Mr. David Nankunda) who is working on the thesis titled, “Energy Business Models for Widespread Adoption of Biogas Energy Systems” is currently at the level of data analysis, while the third student (Mr. David Wamananu) whose topic is “Applicability and Feasibility of Locally Available Biogas Purification Options” is currently undertaking experimental analysis aiming to assess the effectiveness of different materials for biogas purification. Other MEEG and PEEG students supported by GERU researchers are working on topics such as Waste Management, Energy Access, Energy Transition, Clean Cooking, and Electric Mobility among others.
Collaborations: The green energy research unit is also fostering collaborations with external partners. The unit has supported Dr. Fabio Ionnane, from the Sustainability Management Laboratory at Santa Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa – Italy, to apply for the Global Post-doctoral Fellowship under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions of the European Commission. If successful, Dr. Fabio, will spend at least twelve (12) months at MUBS undertaking research and capacity building activities in renewable energy management.
The Green Energy Research Unit has also established a strong collaboration with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development (MEMD) and National Renewable Energy
Platform (NREP). Through this collaboration, GERU researchers are taking a leading role in facilitating the link between academia, policymakers and other stakeholders in the energy space. Specific on-going activities include the organization of the Renewable Energy Conference 2024 and Expo (REC24 & EXPO) from 31 st October – 02 nd November 2024.
Apart from supporting the conference organization, GERU researchers will be actively involved in the REC24 & EXPO as session chairs and panelists while students will also have an opportunity to showcase their research outputs through a dedicated session.
Events: On the 19th of August, 2024, researchers at GERU and the department of energy science and technology convened the second Energy Symposium themed “Bridging the Policy, Academia, Industry and Development (PAID) Gap” at the ADB building at MUBS.
The event brought together experts from academia, private sector, development partners and government to discuss mechanisms collaborations.
Projects: In addition to the TWAS-BMBF funded project, researchers at GERU are also involved in other collaboration projects. Within the frame of the Impulsouth II Project which is implemented by — Fundación Avina and United Nations University (UNU) — and funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), GERU researchers are supporting the development of a Train-the-Trainers program on the topic of “Gender-Just Energy
Transition in the Global South” by providing insights on key capacity building needs and gaps in Uganda’s context. Through this project, it is anticipated that GERU and MUBS at large will benefit from available small grants that support gender-just energy transition capacity-building projects.
Working space: At the GERU offices, postgraduate students have also been provided with a conducive/quiet space and environment to research and study.