Summary Report 

Regional Workshop on

Metrology and Technology Challenges of

Renewable Energy and Climate Science (RECS)

November 6-7, 2014

Bogota, Colombia

a) Workshop Objectives:

Objectives of the OAS-NIST Workshops organized for each sub-region of SIM (Inter-American 

Metrology System) are to:

1) Assess technology, measurements, and standards needs and existing capabilities of regions and 

States of the Americas, and increase awareness of Government agencies interested in technology 

infrastructure;

2) Promote regional and international partnerships to share approaches and best practices for 

expanded utilization of renewable energy, measurement of GHGs and air pollutants, and efficient 

energy use and distribution systems; 

3) Identify measurements and standards training needs to accelerate deployment of renewable 

energy technologies while minimizing their impact on our climate. These will be based on 

priorities developed by SIM members and could be provided through regional workshops and/or 

via collaborative research between the NMIs.

At the end of each workshop, an action plan is developed to further training and regional 

collaboration activities.

b) General Observations:

1. The Renewable Energy and Climate Science Workshop was held as part of the SIM Week 

organized in Bogota, Colombia by the National Metrology Institute (INM) of Colombia. Activities 

during that week included the General assembly of SIM, SIM Council Meeting, an International 

Congress on Quality, Research, Development, and Innovation, measurement equipment exhibits, 

and related training courses.

2. The Workshop was well organized, and well attended, with participation from all ANDIMET 

Countries except Venezuela. (It should be pointed out that many attempts were made to engage 

our colleagues from Venezuela with no result.) High quality speakers from four countries (Bolivia, 

Colombia, Ecuador and Peru) included policy makers and technical experts. Participation from 

Bolivia was more modest. INM staff and contractors provided excellent logistical support, and 

their gracious hospitality was much appreciated.

3. The Workshop Steering Committee deserves our thanks for putting together a program that was 

informative and stimulated much discussion. The program allowed ample time for Q&A’s and 

discussion which was critical for success. Selection of only two general topics (Renewable Energy 
 

and GHG/Air Quality Measurements) enabled more detailed coverage and discussion of these 

topics.

4. Participation by most of the countries of the ANDIMET Region was critical for the success of the 

workshop. More than one hundred attendees participated in the workshop, representing 

government policy makers, the NMIs, other research organizations, and universities. 

Participation from metrology as well as meteorology communities enriched the discussion and 

encouraged future collaborations. Presence of metrologists from other regions of SIM, who had 

earlier attended the SIM General Assembly, also contributed to the richness of the discussions.

5. Presentations on current programs related to RECS provided clear indication that these topics 

are of critical importance for most of the region; however, the size of their economies, the natural 

resources and the needs of each country are quite different, and therefore their emphasis is at 

times on different concerns and technologies.

6. ANDIMET NMIs have, in general, limited metrology capabilities. Especially Climate Science 

related activities present new challenges for most of the NMIs, since they require chemical 

metrology expertise. Collaborations, joint activities and additional training will be of benefit for 

most of the NMIs. 

7. Three Panel Discussions helped focus us all on common experiences, issues and needs, and 

helped develop an action plan for the ANDIMET Region.

c) Summary of Presentations:

Presentations from Colombia, Ecuador and Peru demonstrated that thoughtful policies on RECS are 

in place in these countries; but they are still struggling with implementation of these policies.

ANDIMET Countries are considered quite vulnerable to impacts of climate change, in spite of their 

relatively small contributions to GHG emissions. Colombia is considered third most vulnerable 

country to climate change, because of Niña and El Niño phenomena.

Most of ANDIMET Countries are making attempts to change the energy matrix of their country and 

move as much as possible to renewable energy sources, including wind, solar, and geothermal. 

Hydro in most cases is already fully utilized and will not help meet further demands.

Most ANDIMET Countries have significant fossil energy resources; much of it is being exported to 

other countries around the globe. Ecuador is willing to stop development of fossil energy resources, 

if the international community could compensate for this loss; most of these are in dense forest 

areas.

Some of the ANDIMET Countries (e.g., Peru, Colombia) have programs to monitor air quality. They 

are working with other neighboring countries (e.g., with Argentina) to improve their capabilities.
 

Some ANDIMET countries have started efforts to provide GHG inventories, but most of these are at 

their early stages.

There is still some disconnect between regulatory agencies and metrology institutes; the workshop 

was instrumental in establishing dialogue among these institutions.

Renewable Energy:

There were presentations on implementation of renewable energy programs in Bolivia, Colombia, 

Ecuador and Peru. Bolivia has implemented a labelling program for Energy Efficient Lamps with 

assistance from PTB. They have compared performance of fluorescence and LED lighting systems. 

They have established calibration capabilities within IBMETRO which could possibly be used by 

neighboring countries.

In Peru, there is a significant effort to expand the use of solar energy systems, especially solar water 

heaters. These efforts benefit from UV energy exposure measurements and NASA data for South 

America.

There were also two excellent technical presentations from universities in Colombia and Ecuador. A 

researcher from the Universidad Libre de Colombia discussed the economic and environmental 

drivers that have promoted increased emphasis on renewable energy. These include the effect of 

air quality on human health, as well as the impacts of climate change such as more than 50% 

decrease in glacier coverage in Colombia over the 1960-2010 period, and more than 50% decrease 

in hydroelectric power generation as a result of intensified Niño phenomena from Feb. 2009 to Jan. 

2010. As a result, Colombia has increased the use of biodiesel and bioethanol in transportation fuels, 

and has increased cultivation of African palm for biodiesel production. Colombia has also increased 

the use of solar energy for processing of dried fruits, which represent a major export market.

A researcher from the Universidad Central del Ecuador discussed a very interesting project to 

produce biodiesel using microalgae. Their approach obviates the issues of food vs fuel, and 

competition for farm land. This approach utilizes non-agricultural land, and no potable water is used 

in the process. This process is also extremely efficient in terms of land usage; microalgae produce 

10 times more oil per hectare of land than other approaches. Another interesting feature is the use 

of microalgae from Antarctica. They are looking at some twenty different microalgae, to identify the 

most productive ones, as well as the best nutrients for them. In addition to inorganics such as N, P, 

Fe and Si, carbon dioxide and glucose/glycerin are used as nutrients. They are also addressing some 

of the materials issues encountered with these fuels such as thermal degradation and deposition in 

tubes.

The final presentation of the first day was from the U.S. on implementation of Smart Grid systems, 

which are important not only to improve the reliability of power distribution systems, but also to 

build more flexible power grids that enable efficient use, and interconnectivity, of distributed energy 

generation systems utilizing different technologies such as solar, hydro, wind, geothermal energy 

and fossil energy generation systems.
 

GHG and Air Quality Monitoring:

A summary of NIST Programs on Renewable Energy (Smart Grid, Solar Energy, and Building Energy 

Efficiency) and Climate Science (GHG and Aerosol Measurements) was presented. GHG 

Measurements carried out as part of recent undertakings in Indianapolis (INFLUX) and Los Angeles 

(LA Megacity Project) were discussed. Similar undertakings are being contemplated for South 

America (São Paulo) and in Asia to develop the framework for Verifying GHG Measurements in Urban 

Environments.

A comprehensive summary of GHG monitoring and inventory activities in Colombia was presented 

by a representative of ICONTEC, a non-profit organization. Colombia is a signatory of the Kyoto 

protocol, and is making every effort to comply with applicable IPCC protocols and ISO standards (e.g., 

ISO 14064, 14065 and 14066). Projected reductions in GHG emissions were discussed, and the 

importance of a trusted baseline was emphasized. The concepts of Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) and

Carbon Foot Print were discussed, and the importance of Carbon Neutralization (mitigation and 

compensation) strategies for projections was emphasized. Colombia is benefiting from programs of 

other countries, such as Mexico and Japan, in GHG inventories. Efforts to reduce GHG emissions, 

such as increased use of low-emission or hybrid vehicles, and monitoring and capture of fugitive 

methane emissions, were mentioned. They are also using British Standards PAS 2060 to demonstrate 

carbon neutrality. 

A presentation from the Climate Change Directorate of the Colombian Ministry of the Environment 

and Sustainable Development provided an excellent overview of government policies. Colombia 

contributes 4% of GHG emissions from Latin America (Brazil accounts for 58%); this corresponds to 

0.37% of global GHG emissions. Colombia National Strategy is to reduce the impact of climate 

change by reducing deforestation and reducing contributions from agriculture, industry, residences 

and transportation; the other part of the plan is to develop adaptation strategies. At the current 

growth rate, GHG emissions are expected to grow from current level of 150 million tons of CO2 to 

350 million tons by 2040. The implementation of the new National Strategy starts in 2014 and calls 

for eight sectoral action plans and implementation of a monitoring and reporting system. Each 

sectoral plan (which includes transportation, mining, electrical energy, fossil energy, industry, agroproduction, housing, and solid and water wastes) is the responsibility of different Ministries. Part of 

their responsibilities is identification of Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) for 

Colombia. Specific targets for several, energy intensive, industries (such as cement, steel and 

metallurgy, chemicals, pulp and paper, and others) have been set. New legislation (Resolution 0909 

of 2008) sets standards for admissible emissions and protocols for emission measurements. They 

expect to start reporting results at the next COP 21 Meeting in Paris (2015).

A presentation from CENAM (Mexico) provided an overview of the measurement capabilities 

required for effective monitoring of air quality and GHG emissions, and national inventories that 

could be reported to UNFCCC. This presentation gave a detailed look at measurement and 

calibration capabilities, as well as internationally recognized standards such as CRMs, that will be 

needed to perform reliable measurements with the appropriate accuracy levels and to ensure 
 

mutual recognition by other countries and international organizations. GHG and air quality 

measurements from fixed and mobile emission sources will be required.

Another presentation from the Colombian Ministry of the Environment focused on health effects of 

urban air quality, which are estimated to be about $5.7 billion (corresponding to 1.1% of their GDP); 

about 5,000 premature deaths per year are attributed to air quality problems. New Policies for 

Prevention and Control of Air Contamination (2010) require: a) Diagnostics and Evaluation (include 

Air Monitoring Program, Inventory of Emissions, Vigilance System for Air Quality, and Dispersion 

Modelling); b) Standards Development; and c) Tool Development. Regulations such as Decree 948 

(1995) set permissible emission and fugitive emission levels as well as protocols for fixed sources and 

mobile sources. It also requires measurements to be adjusted for altitude and meteorological 

conditions at tropical forests. Specific requirements are set for automotive and diesel emissions; use 

of USEPA Methods is required; the regulation also sets the requirements for Diagnostic Centers. Part 

of the current challenge is to meet USEPA as well as EU requirements.

The next two presentations were from the meteorological communities in Peru and Colombia, 

focusing on measurement capabilities and standards that are needed to improve reliability of 

measurements and data quality. The presentation from Peru’s National Meteorology and Hydrology 

Service (SENAMHI) described the challenges they face on an ongoing basis; their country represents

27 different weather categories ranging from tropical to glacier covered areas, representing a wide 

range of biodiversity. Impact of climate change in Peru is already highly visible, both in terms of 

reduced glacier coverage, increased desertification, reduced biodiversity, variability in hydrological 

resources, as well as increasing number of natural disasters, partly due to El Niño phenomena. These 

result in increased disease events, effecting both humans and animals; agricultural cycles are also 

modified, reducing yield and productivity. Peru and SENAMHI are active in the international 

community; they are a member of WMO (actually there are 13 members in So. America); they are in 

close collaboration with laboratories in U.S. (NOAA/ESRL), Switzerland (EMPA), and Finland. They 

work closely with their National Metrology Institute INDECOPI; most of their instruments are 

calibrated by them; they get occasional help from Finland. They maintain a Network of 

Meteorological Monitoring Stations in Peru; these include 693 manually operated, and 152 

automated stations. They also maintain 134 hydrological stations to monitor river levels. In addition, 

they have a UV Radiation Monitoring Network (9 stations) and an Air Quality Network, primarily near 

urban areas where they measure ozone (O3), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and oxides of nitrogen (NO2, NO, 

and NOx). They also expect to set up new stations at high elevations as part of the GAW Network. 

A presentation from IDEAM (Instituto de Hidrologia, Meteorologia y Estudios Ambiental) provided 

an overview of their meteorological monitoring activities in Colombia. This organization was 

established back in 1958; the name of the organization was changed couple of times, and now they 

are more focused on Forecasts and Alerts, and is considered as part of their Risk management 

System. They have a large network, which includes 2414 conventional stations and 284 automated 

stations. Some are used primarily for alerts, some serve special/local purposes, but most of them 

are part of the national network. Part of their objective is to monitor susceptibility to floods and soil 

erosion; they also provide services to establish susceptibility to fire, and meteorological modelling.
 

A Panel Discussion on GHG/Air Quality Measurements provided the opportunity for further 

discussion and identification of common areas of concerns.

Finally, a Panel Discussion was held towards development of an Action Plan for the Region. Some of 

the NMI Directors from other regions who were present (they had earlier attended the SIM GA) were 

invited to join the discussion. The participants were asked to keep the following three questions in 

mind during the discussions:

- Is your country prepared to meet Metrology and Technology Challenges presented by 

Renewable Energy and Climate Science policies?

- Does your NMI have the necessary metrology and technology capabilities to meet these 

challenges?

- What type of assistance would be useful for your NMI (specific areas, equipment needs, 

training needs, etc.)? Would regional cooperation be productive?

Participants generally agreed that the Workshop was highly valuable; it catalyzed interactions and 

much discussion among NMIs of different countries, among members of the metrology and 

meteorology communities, and among policy making organizations and NMIs. It also highlighted 

much of the R&D activities on Renewable Energy and Climate Science that are being carried out in 

the Americas, and emphasized the importance of metrological contributions to these efforts.

It was also agreed that:

- Policy makers don’t always understand the measurement and other infrastructural 

requirements to implement policies.

- They are sometimes unaware of metrology capabilities in their own countries; such 

workshops improve interactions and communications among different agencies.

- There is a general lack of resources; regional efforts would be much more effective for 

more efficient use of resources.

- Most of the countries in the region have only some of the metrology capabilities at hand; 

they need to develop additional tools and capabilities.

- Implementation of Renewable Energy resources will require new standards and 

measurement capabilities; for example, for management of natural gas quality (calorific 

value), standards to ensure quality of biodiesel and bioethanol, etc.

- Solar panel market is dominated by China, but capabilities for quality control of imported 

panels is still needed.

- Much more work is needed for implementation of Smart Grid.

- Implementation of a simpler version of the NIST NZERTF would be educational.

d) Action Items under Consideration:

Highest priority action items identified during this Panel Discussion, as well as during the earlier 

discussions, are summarized below:
 

1. Organize a meeting to discuss GHG emission inventories to develop more consistent 

(standardized?) approaches and methodologies.

2. Hold a Workshop on GHG measurements to develop a regional plan (perhaps for all of Latin 

America) to develop GHG instrument calibration capabilities and initiate joint efforts to 

develop CRMs that could be shared regionally. (Items 1 and 2 may be combined)

3. Develop training opportunities for measurement of emissions from fixed and mobile sources 

(e.g., automotive vehicle emissions); this is an area of interest for CAMET and SURAMET

countries as well.

4. Organize a discussion group for CRMs needed for monitoring of atmospheric GHG levels and 

the required accuracy levels. 

5. Develop training opportunities for Energy Efficiency labelling for appliance (e.g., 

refrigerators), lighting, solar panels, and building energy systems to establish ratings (e.g., 

LEED ratings).

6. Promote enhanced collaboration between metrology and meteorology communities in 

ANDIMET.

A complete agenda and copies of all presentations can be found at the following website:

http://www.nist.gov/iaao/upload/ANDIMETWorkshop.pdf

5/5/2015