In October, we held the largest OnSSET Steering Committee Meeting to date. This 7th Steering Committee was held during the 10-year anniversary of the OnSSET tool and community, a decade which has seen immense growth. What started of as a tool developed and applied at KTH, with support from partners, has now grown into a tool and community used by many organizations and universities worldwide!
On the Steering Committee agenda were existing projects, capacity building, recent developments, ideas and plans for new developments, and community engagement. A short summary of what was discussed follows below:
- In the last year, OnSSET has been used in several country-specific applications and sectoral reports, including but not limited to applications in Mozambique, Kenya, Uganda, DRC and Niger.
- 2025 also provided the highest number of scientific journal publications in a calendar year (5), with a couple of months still remaining. There are now more than 30 scientific journal publications using the OnSSET tool, which you can find here: https://onsset.readthedocs.io/en/latest/references.html#contribution
- An updated code version will be launched during November, which brings together several smaller and larger developments from the last years. Keep your eyes on this page, where we will soon present more info on these developments and the updated code.
- The freely available OpenLearn course is already updated to reflect most of these developments: https://www.open.edu/openlearncreate/course/view.php?id=16177
- OnSSET featured at five Energy Modelling Platforms in 2025, two of which were led entirely by previous participants from their home regions (!), and close to 200 participants have now been introduced to OnSSET through the EMPs.
- New features to explore in the coming years include mesh-grids, accounting for existing SHS in the baseline data, improve logistics and installation costing, etc. A list of potential topics is found in the forum: https://forum.u4ria.org/t/potential-topics-for-new-developments/530
Looking forward, community engagement remains a key priority. In this regard, we want to highlight a few aspects:
- The LinkedIn page remains the main communication channel around OnSSET. If you’re working with OnSSET and want to share what you do, send a message and we’ll be happy to share your story!
- There is now a new discussion forum for OnSSET. If you need help, want to share what you’re working on or ideas for future developments, this is the place to go: https://forum.u4ria.org/c/onsset/
- OnSSET is joining the Energy Modelling Community, and a badging system will be launched before the end of the year. If you’re an OnSSET user or trainer you can soon apply to get a bronze, silver or gold badge to show your expertise.
- For academics, CCG’s FlatPack program will now provide an easy way for universities to embed energy modelling tools and knowledge into their academic curricula, with incentives available after integration.
The Steering Committee was co-chaired by SEforALL and Climate Compatible Growth (CCG), and brought together participants from the World Bank/ESMAP, World Resources Institute, IRENA, International Energy Agency, IIASA, AFDB, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Resource Matters, Strathmore University, Universidad del Pacifico, University of British Columbia, Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, Kenyatta University, West African Center for Sustainable Rural Transformation, Oxford, Politecinco di Milano (Polimi), VINCI Energies, Montebello Academy, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, CREEC (Uganda), UIPCE (Mozambique).
Many thanks to everyone who attended the Steering Committee, and everyone who has contributed to the OnSSET community in these years!