The Energy Section at SDPD has been implementing a DA project on "Capacity Building on Climate Change Mitigation for Poverty Alleviate in Western Asia", since March 2011. This project aims at encouraging the use of Renewable Energy (RE) applications in poor rural areas in some ESCWA member countries (where most people mainly rely upon traditional biomass to meet their energy needs) through raising awareness and building the capacity of concerned stakeholders to benefit from RE technologies for the economic and social development of these areas.

The last phase of the project includes the establishment of a center with operational models of appropriate RE technologies to be used as hands-on training tools and show cases in workshops and training activities at both national and regional levels.

As such, ESCWA has selected a training/educational facility to be equipped with models of RE applications, from a number of training centers in ESCWA MCs, who have expressed an interest to host such a facility and are specialized in related technologies. The selection was based on a bidding process, which concluded with the selection of, AUB's farm (the Agricultural Research and Education Center (AREC) as the training center to be equipped with the required renewable energy technologies.

AUB then initiated the renovation of one of its existing poultry houses to be converted and used as a model for sustainable and energy efficient building for poultry farming.

Therefore, an official inauguration of this Clean Technologies Innovation Center took place at AUB's main campus on the 27th of June 2014 from 3 to 5 pm. This inauguration included a welcoming note by ESCWA and a detailed presentation by AUB team on the Center and planned activities, and was followed by a Q&A session.