Renewable and Sustainable Energy Laboratory -RSEL

We are pleased to invite you to Part 3 of ‘Strengthening Research Capacity through Seminars’!

In this session, esteemed experts from Tribhuvan University and Kathmandu University will present critical scientific insights on household air pollution and the clean cooking transition in Nepal.

Speakers & Topics:
• Prof. Rejina Maskey Byanju (Tribhuvan University): From Measurement to Mitigation: Scientific Evidence on Household Air Pollution in Nepal
• Prof. Sunil Prasad Lohani (Kathmandu University): Clean Cooking Transition: How Technology and Socio-economic Context Shape Adoption Pathways

Event Details:
• Date: August 12, 2026
• Time: 12:00–14:00 (UTC+5:45, Nepal) / 09:15–11:15 (UTC+3, Finland)
• Platform: Online via Microsoft Teams

This seminar is organized as part of the SmokeFreeHomes Nepal project to foster scientific collaboration and knowledge exchange. We warmly welcome researchers, students, and professionals to join us.

Register here: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=Lp-HhwRz8ku68mPn-D88NPEkPorf9CtFgQfSzIt9Uo1UQlY0NE5VUTZCWVQ4VDlXSFdOSTM4TzNLUi4u&route=shorturl

RSEL congratulates Geeta Bhatta on the successful defense of her PhD dissertation, “Pathways to 100% Renewable Energy in Nepal,” at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kathmandu University.

The PhD evaluation committee highly commended her work, recognizing it as a valuable contribution to the scientific community.

We wish you continued success and fulfillment in your academic and professional journey.

The Renewable and Sustainable Energy Laboratory (RSEL), Kathmandu University, successfully hosted the "Science to Impact Communication Masterclass: Strengthening Public Engagement & Bankable Research Narratives" on 29 July 2026 at Kathmandu University.

Led by facilitators Saurav Dhakal and Kishor Rimal from Story Cycle, the interactive masterclass explored how complex research ideas can be transformed into clear, engaging, and action-oriented public narratives.

We extend our sincere thanks to the facilitators and all participants for their active involvement!

📢 Exciting Announcement!

We are pleased to announce that the International Conference on Renewable and Sustainable Energy Transition (ReSET 2026) has established a journal partnership with SCI Sustainability (Wiley).

Selected high-quality papers presented at ReSET 2026 will be invited for submission to a Special Issue of SCI Sustainability (Wiley). All submissions will undergo the journal's standard editorial assessment and rigorous peer-review process, and only manuscripts meeting the journal's quality standards will be accepted for publication.

🗓️ Abstract Submission Deadline: 31 July 2026

We warmly invite researchers, academics, industry professionals, policymakers, and students to submit their abstracts and join us at ReSET 2026.

🌐 Conference: https://reset.rselab.ku.edu.np/

📖 Journal: https://scijournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/.../open-access

We look forward to your submissions!

SCI Sustainability All articles accepted and published in SCI Sustainability are fully Open Access: immediately freely available to read, download, and share.

“𝗥𝗦𝗘𝗟 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: 𝗔 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 (𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟭–𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁)”

This week we feature:

Role of vernacular architecture in enhancing the environmental sustainability of the building sector

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esd.2025.101695

Authors: Ajay Kumar K.C., Brijesh Mainali, Anish Ghimire, Bikash Adhikari, Sunil Prasad Lohani, Bivek Baral

Key highlights:

This Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) evaluates the energy use and carbon emissions of traditional Nepalese architecture amidst the rapid transition to modern Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) buildings.

Findings reveal that traditional structures have substantially lower life cycle energy use and emit significantly less carbon than their modern RCC counterparts.

The incorporation of natural, biogenic materials in traditional buildings provides a built-in mechanism for carbon sequestration, actively reducing overall environmental impact.

Given Nepal's low operational energy demands, the study emphasizes that leveraging traditional building practices is a highly effective strategy for minimizing embodied carbon and advancing sustainable development.

The Renewable and Sustainable Energy Laboratory (RSEL), Kathmandu University, successfully organized the ReSET 2026 Stakeholder Workshop on 8 July 2026 at the Kathmandu University School of Management, Balkumari, as part of the preparations for the Conference on Renewable and Sustainable Energy Transition (ReSET 2026), to be held on 2–3 December 2026 at Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel.

The workshop brought together 19 participants representing 14 organizations, including 6 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and 8 private sector and other institutions, to discuss the challenges, opportunities, and collaborative pathways for advancing Nepal's renewable energy sector.

The discussions focused on practical experiences, research priorities, and technical, institutional, and policy challenges across renewable energy technologies. The workshop underscored the importance of stronger collaboration among academia, government, industry, and development partners to accelerate Nepal's renewable energy transition. The insights generated will help ensure the conference addresses nationally relevant challenges with evidence-based solutions.

We sincerely thank all participating organizations for their valuable contributions and look forward to welcoming researchers, policymakers, industry professionals, development partners, and practitioners to ReSET 2026 on 2–3 December 2026 at Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel.

🌐 Learn more: https://reset.rselab.ku.edu.np/

“𝗥𝗦𝗘𝗟 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: 𝗔 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 (𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟭–𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁)”

This week we feature:

Rethinking clean cooking solutions: Assessing the impact of subsidy and distribution modality on improved cook stove programs in Nepal

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2025.104027

Authors: Sunil Prasad Lohani, Rosy Pradhan Shrestha, Mandip Shrestha, Henna Rinta-Kiikka, Jarkko Tissari

Key highlights:

This mixed-methods study evaluates a government-financed improved cook stove (ICS) program in rural Nepal to understand how subsidies and distribution modalities impact long-term, sustained use.

Findings reveal a stark gap between policy goals and actual practices; despite being distributed for free, sustained use was not ensured, and surprisingly, 35% of low-income users exchanged their stoves for onions.

The research emphasizes that successful adoption is ultimately dictated by the end-user's daily preferences, highlighting the critical need to prioritize local requirements over top-down distribution.

These insights urge policymakers to reevaluate current clean cooking interventions in Nepal, offering valuable lessons for designing better sustainability programs in other low- and middle-income countries.

“𝗥𝗦𝗘𝗟 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: 𝗔 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 (𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟭–𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁)”

This week we feature:

Harnessing solar PV potential for decarbonization in Nepal: A GIS based assessment of ground-mounted, rooftop, and agrivoltaic solar systems for Nepal

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esd.2024.101618

Authors: Geeta Bhatta, Sunil Prasad Lohani, Manisha KC, Ramchandra Bhandari, Debajit Palit, Timothy Anderson

Key highlights:

This study utilizes Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to map Nepal's untapped solar resources across various topographies and land uses.

Findings reveal a massive solar PV potential of up to 552 TWh/year, vastly exceeding the current 12.3 TWh national demand, at a competitive cost of $56–$72 per MWh.

Agrivoltaics emerged as a particularly promising solution for rural regions, allowing for significant clean electricity generation without compromising agricultural production.

To achieve net-zero targets, the authors recommend prioritizing utility-scale ground-mounted PV, urban rooftop systems, and rural agrivoltaics, backed by robust Power Purchase Agreements.

“𝗥𝗦𝗘𝗟 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: 𝗔 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 (𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟭–𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁)”

This week we feature:
Bearing the Burden: Understanding the Multifaceted Impact of Energy Poverty on Women

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su17052143

Authors: Rosy Pradhan Shrestha, Brijesh Mainali, Charafeddine Mokhtara, Sunil Prasad Lohani

Key highlights:
This systematic review addresses a critical research gap by exploring the often-overlooked gender dimension of energy poverty, utilizing literature from Scopus and Web of Science.
Energy poverty acts as a significant barrier globally, depriving women of their potential to fully participate in family, communal, and economic activities.
The findings demonstrate profound, multifaceted impacts on women’s lives, specifically affecting their physical health, emotional well-being, income, workload, and the perpetuation of existing inequalities.
Socio-economic conditions, cultural norms, and traditional divisions of labor are identified as key factors that compound and increase women’s vulnerability.
While the specific challenges differ between the Global South and North, implementing coherent policies focused on women’s empowerment and economic opportunities is essential to minimizing the risks of energy poverty.
The study underscores the urgent need for interdisciplinary, gender-inclusive approaches to effectively understand and tackle energy poverty and ensure energy justice.

Congratulations to the selected candidates!