REI Alumnus Spotlight – United Nations UNDP, Nar Bahadur Khatiwora

GMC Certificate Achievers & REI Alumni Spotlight United Nations UNDP – Nar Bahadur Khatiwora

The Renewable Energy Institute (REI) is pleased to focus on the achievements of those who have attended REI courses and attained the internationally recognised Galileo Master Certificate to further their careers in the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency sectors. The REI, which works with the United Nations Environment Programme and major universities to promote best practice in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, this month is delighted to speak with Nar Bahadur Khatiwora, who attended the Renewable Energy Management and Finance course in London, travelling from the United Nations Development Programme in Bhutan.

1. Why did you choose to attend a course at the Renewable Energy Institute?  In addition to my qualifications, experience and background in leading successful projects for top clients at the United Nations Development Programme, I am also passionate about learning new things and continuously increasing my knowledge. I see training courses as an opportunity to continue to develop both professionally and personally. I am driven to deliver high-quality work and therefore, internationally recognised courses are appropriate and helpful for me to keep abreast of new innovations and adapt to the changing dynamics and new developments in the areas of Climate Change, Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, the core area of my work. The courses offered by the Renewable Energy Institute at world-class Universities in the United Kingdom are appropriately delivered with practical case studies to demonstrate the latest developments in the growing field of climate change, renewable energy and energy efficiency.

I can hardly describe the rewarding feeling that one gets when obtaining the internationally recognised Galileo Master Certificate (GMC), which takes the level of your competency to a greater height and gives you more confidence to work much harder independently, in improving the health of our planet and the livelihood of the world’s population.

2. How will you use the skills that you gained at the course run by the Renewable Energy Institute?  Although I was technically sound and multi-functional in the core areas of my work – Climate Change, Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency – I did not have sufficient knowledge on the financing aspect of these topics. After attending the Renewable Energy Management and Finance Course and obtaining the Galileo Master Certificate (GMC) at the University of London, organised by the REI, I feel I have gained the required skills and knowledge to carry out the detailed financial analysis of any projects or programmes pertaining to Climate Change, Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency. I am now well versed with additional skills and knowledge in making sound financial models and conducting detailed economic analysis through the life cycle cost assessment method – recognising that each technology and project intervention may require a different financial model.

The skills and knowledge obtained through attending the courses offered by the Renewable Energy Institute are crucial for my current role and future career. The current interventions targeted towards climate action, renewable energy and energy efficiency initiatives are more expensive than conventional forms of energy interventions. However, these are at the heart of a sustainable future for our planet, and it is essential to address the issues. Along with the initial investment, it is important to take into consideration the benefits that these clean initiatives entail over the life of the project or programme intervention: the life cycle assessment, using sound financial modelling and detailed economic analysis, forms a crucial part of attracting such investment. As I work and will continue working in the clean energy industry, I will utilise the skills obtained from the Renewable Energy Management and Finance course on every project that I undertake throughout my career. Financing modelling and economic analysis form the backbone of my work and therefore I will be using these skills on all programmes, small or large, to prove that the investment choice on green and clean initiatives is worth looking at over the life of the interventions, including life cycle assessment.

3. What is your background and experience in the Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency and Climate Change sectors? I am an Engineer with demonstrated technical expertise in the field of Climate Change, Energy, Energy Conservation and Efficiency improvement, including project management, monitoring and evaluation. I have more than 13 years of experience and I am now working as a Programme Implementation analyst at the United Nations Development Programme Bhutan Country Office. My work includes policy and planning, analysis and technical design, research, development and demonstration, strategic partnership building and resource mobilisation. My role also involves supervision and quality control, along with the monitoring and evaluation of various climate change and energy interventions. Renewable Technologies involved with my work include Biomass, Biogas, both on-grid and off-grid Solar PV Systems, Solar Thermal Systems, Wind Energy and Mini/Micro Hydro, transport sector policy reforms, municipal waste management interventions, etc. In addition, I have also worked on the energy conservation and efficiency improvement of residential and commercial buildings and industrial applications. I obtained an MSc. in Renewable Energy from the University of Oldenburg, Germany and graduated in electrical engineering with first class honours degree from the University of Rajasthan, India.