How does FOCAEP operate?
FOCAEP Implementation Structure
For its implementation, FOCAEP is executed through the BUN-CA Energy Network Foundation as Technical and Administrative Secretary. It also has a Coordination Committee that is the governing body, in charge of directing FOCAEP actions, for the proper execution of resources.
As for the Technical and Administrative Secretariat of FOCAEP (operating entity of the Fund), it is located in San José, Costa Rica, and currently operates in 3 countries of the Central American region: Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala, under the following scheme:
Access to the FOCAEP Financing Lines
FOCAEP is proposed as a mechanism for accessing financing that directly benefits «ineligible» users in the conventional financial system, being the first Central American business model that links the energy-poverty aspects-and access to financing.
As a Regional Fund, FOCAEP has been created to support the development of renewable energy and energy efficiency markets with an innovative approach, in order to improve the quality of life of the most vulnerable Central American populations, with emphasis on:
- Reduce dependence on firewood consumption in rural areas, through the use of improved wood stoves.
- Promote small hydroelectric plants, given the high potential of low power hydraulic generation at the regional level.
- Promote projects of energy efficiency and efficient use of energy through energy saving equipment and use of other sources such as solar systems and photovoltaic thermal systems.
- Raising awareness and approach of Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) on sustainable energy issues and their potential investments.
In addition, it has technical-financial and social assistance mechanisms to address the needs of poor people in an integral manner, promoting the development of markets with a business vision, guaranteeing efficiency, quality and security of technological appropriation, as well as than any conventional commercial product or service.