The International Centre for Sustainable Development (IZNE) is an interdisciplinary research institute at Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences. Its aim is to integrate and promote the guiding principle of sustainable development within the area of education, research and science transfer. The overall approach is applied, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary. The Centre’s key topics include current regional, national and international research issues within the following research areas: a) Responsible management and natural resources, b) social protection and health, c) sustainable technologies, and d) Soil and biomass.

The partner Cologne Institute for Renewable Energy (CIRE) is a joint institute of the engineering faculties at TH Köln. It is bundling the expertise and experience of more than 18 professors from the faculties of Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and the Institute for Technology of the Tropics and the Subtropics (ITT). The professors have practice-oriented expertise and experience from their previous work in energy industry or manufacturers of technical equipment.

The Chair of Regional Climate and Hydrology of the University of Augsburg (UoA) under the direction of Prof. Harald Kunstmann has longstanding experiences in the analysis of weather, climate and hydrology in West Africa. Previous work has focused on the impact analysis of climate change on the terrestrial hydrology, the analysis and prediction of hydrometeorological extremes such as floods and droughts, the development of coupled regional climate models and seasonal forecasting models and the advancement of statistical approaches used in weather and climate prediction, among many other issues. Together with the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL) and further West African and German partners, the University of Augsburg has established several hydro-meteorological observatories and corresponding meteorological datasets in recent years in West Africa. The partner IGUA (University of Augsburg) makes significant contributions to all WASCAL activities. Prof. Dr. Harald Kunstmann, the Chair for Regional Climate and Hydrology is responsible for the coordination and realization of the Research Cluster “Climate and Weather” within the core research program of WASCAL. The primary objective is the development of a regional climate modelling system and is accompanied by an installation of climate and eddy covariance stations for monitoring climate variables and for measuring landatmosphere exchange processes. The cooperation will improve the understanding of energy meteorological needs for hybrid energy system operation within the WASCAL community and it will lead to improved high resolution energy meteorological data that can be employed for system optimization.

The partner Reiner Lemoine Institute (RLI) is an independent non-profit research institution that contributes to a transformation towards a sustainable energy supply based on 100 % renewable energy. Our three research fields are “Transformation of Energy Systems”, “Mobility with Renewable Energy”, and “Off-Grid Systems”. We conduct applied research to scientifically support the long-term transition of the energy supply system towards renewable energy. The RLI’s research group Off-Grid Systems, headed by Dr. Philipp Blechinger, focuses on rural electrification with renewable energy and the substitution of fossil-fuel-based power generation with renewable energy in isolated energy systems. Geospatial Electrification Planning is a key competence of the RLI and our GIS analyses enable to map and prioritize off-grid rural electrification and grid extension.

The West African Science Service Center on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL) is based on joined climate research activities involving experts from German climate research and from West African weather and hydrological services. WASCAL will be providing meteorological data from our climate stations for UniA’s data assimilation. Our data manager will liaise with UoA to develop a simple time-series application onto which data from the met stations will be uploaded for subsequent use by UoA. WASCAL will also act as the interface between the project and the Ghana Meteorological Agency in order to get access to, and use, data from some of their stations.

The associated partner University for Development Studies (UDS), Ghana is located in the northern parts of Ghana. The cooperation is based on the excellent experiences made – both with respect to the quality of the scientific input and reliability – during the SHPIG-project. The university’s principal objective is to address and find solutions to the environmental problems and socio-economic deprivations that characterize northern Ghana in particular, but are also found in other areas in Ghana.

The associated partner The Brew-Hammond Energy Centre (TBHEC) at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi (KNUST), Ghana, is a novel institutional mechanism which allows researchers from different disciplines in the university to work on energy related issues of national and international relevance, thereby contributing towards the development of the energy sector and towards the achievement of the Sustainable Developments Goals. TBHEC offers contract research services for the design, construction, testing and demonstration of new sustainable energy technologies and systems and provides training and expert advisory services in energy management and policy, including energy auditing, strategic planning and policy analysis. There will be benefit from know-how exchange in the field of renewable energy technology. The partner brings in local R&D expertise in the field of renewable energy, can provide technical support and management experience to the project and can serve as a door-opener to local health facilities (e.g. Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital) and political institutions (e.g. MoH).

The partner WestfalenWIND is a pioneer in the deployment and promotion of renewable energy solutions in Germany. For many years they have successfully implemented wind power and photovoltaic technologies at the regional level. Today, their contribution to Germany’s energy transition is substantial – already 80 percent of the annual electricity consumption in their region is supplied by renewable sources. They have also successfully developed and implemented a range of innovative models to engage local citizens and guarantee cost-effective, reliable and transparent energy supply directly to households and industries.

The associated partner EADI is the leading European network in the field of development research and training. EADI is a Europe-wide network of institutes, researchers and students of various disciplines in the field of development studies. It organizes activities and offers facilities for the international exchange of knowledge and experience in the professional field.