The impact of renewable energy technologies on global energy efficiency

UN Chronicle ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 14-16
Author(s):  
Christine Lins ◽  
Hannah E. Murdock
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 92-110
Author(s):  
Oluwaseun Viyon Ojo

Climate change and global warming are undeniably undermining global development with developing or emerging economies being the worse hit in this unfortunate development. In recent times, it has become necessary to adopt effective adaptation measures that mitigate the impact of climate change on the social, political, and economic environment. A global shift to low-carbon energy technologies through the gradual integration of renewable energy resources in the global energy mix has been generally proposed. Whilst legal and regulatory initiatives are indeed crucial in driving this global energy transition, it is equally imperative that the necessary capital is unlocked to finance the construction, development, and expansion of renewable energy projects in Africa. This paper focused on examining the impact of renewable energy technologies on climate change mitigation, and analysed the role of Development Financial Institutions (DFIs) in unlocking the vast opportunities associated with renewable energy technologies or projects, with a view to driving the clean energy transition in Africa.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (15) ◽  
pp. 4440
Author(s):  
Bader Alshuraiaan

The purpose of this study is to identify the most relevant renewable energy technologies for buildings and to assess the effectiveness of their implementation in the long term for Kuwait. Methods of analogies and comparisons were used to determine the features of energy efficiency based on the technologies under study. The study proposes the methodological approach to assessing the effectiveness of the introduction of renewable energy technologies, determining the direction of increasing the energy efficiency of buildings and the investment efficiency of introducing these technologies. Renewable energy efficiency analysis for buildings in Kuwait confirms that solar energy systems have been the most widely available for widespread use of solar energy over the past three years. An increasing level of energy efficiency with a decrease in the notional cost of increasing energy savings is characteristic of solar collectors with booster reflectors. The proposed model for assessing the level of energy saving provides an opportunity for economic justification of introducing renewable energy technology in buildings.


2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 7-12
Author(s):  
I. L. Cîrstolovean

Abstract The goals of this paper are: to estimate the carbon emission reduction on energy efficiency measurements in a laboratory building in Transilvania University from Braşov, Romania, in accordance with the European Directive 2009/28/EC and to estimate the contribution of renewable energy to energy efficiency of the building using the performance indicator named Renewable Energy Ratio - RER. We will detail the methods of calculation for CO2 emissions and we will present the results for gas condensing boiler, and ground source heat pump for the laboratory building. The results show that conventional energy efficiency technologies and renewable energy technologies can be used to decrease CO2 emissions in buildings by 20–30% on average and up to over 40% for some building types and locations. The contribution of renewable energy is between 40 and 50 % from total energy use and only for heating is 58%. This value could rise to 0.63 if we apply to electricity produced by photovoltaic panels.


Author(s):  
Jarod C. Kelly ◽  
Deepak Sivaraman ◽  
Gregory A. Keoleian

Many studies that examine the impact of renewable energy installations on avoided carbon-dioxide utilize national, regional or state averages to determine the predicted carbon-dioxide offset. The approach of this computational study was to implement a dispatching strategy in order to determine precisely which electrical facilities would be avoided due to the installation of renewable energy technologies. This study focused on a single geographic location for renewable technology installation, San Antonio, Texas. The results indicate an important difference between calculating avoided carbon-dioxide when using simple average rates of carbon-dioxide emissions and a dispatching strategy that accounts for the specific electrical plants used to meet electrical demands. The avoided carbon-dioxide due to renewable energy technologies is overestimated when using national, regional and state averages. This occurs because these averages include the carbon-dioxide emission factors of electrical generating assets that are not likely to be displaced by the renewable technology installation. The study also provides a comparison of two specific renewable energy technologies: photovoltaics (PV) and wind turbines. The results suggest that investment in PV is more cost effective for the San Antonio location. While the results are only applicable to this location, the methodology is useful for evaluating renewable technologies at any location.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wallace Matizamhuka

Magnetic materials specifically permanent magnets are critical for the efficient performance of many renewable energy technologies. The increased reliance on renewable energy sources has accelerated research in energy-related technologies the world over. The use of rare-earth (RE) metals in permanent magnets continues to be a source of greater concern owing to the limited RE supply coupled with dwindling reserves on the globe. This review focuses on how this has impacted on the state-of-the-art magnetic materials that continue to play a pivotal role in driving renewable energy technologies. Magnetic materials are perceived as key in driving the 21st century industrial revolution, and the participation of South Africa in this energy paradigm is critical in driving a new industrial revolution within the African continent. A number of opportunities are highlighted, and clarity is given on the several ubiquitous misconceptions and the risks on the heavy reliance on a single source for RE magnetic materials.


2020 ◽  
pp. 0958305X2098158
Author(s):  
Hanee Ryu ◽  
Hyejae Jung

Our study concentrates on the impact of public research and development (R&D) as solar PV market matures. This paper tried to distinguish the concepts of market maturity and technology maturity and to approach them measurably. Considering the concept of cost reduction rate and number of patent change rate, we estimates maturity indicator respectively. Next, we estimate how market and technology maturity interact with public R&D. Finally, we examine whether the R&D effect varies depending on market maturity. This study suggests the implications of the R&D policy of renewable energy technologies at various maturity levels by making the concept of market maturity which is commonly used and measuring the R&D effect according to market maturity.


2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Puleng Matatiele ◽  
Mary Gulumian

AbstractRenewable energy technologies (wind turbines, solar cells, biofuels, etc.) are often referred to as ‘clean’ or ‘green’ energy sources, while jobs linked to the field of environmental protection and energy efficiency are referred to as ‘green’ jobs. The energy efficiency of clean technologies, which is likely to reduce and/or eliminate reliance on fossil fuels, is acknowledged. However, the potential contribution of green technologies and associated practices to ill health and environmental pollution resulting from consumption of energy and raw materials, generation of waste, and the negative impacts related to some life cycle phases of these technologies are discussed. Similarly, a point is made that the green jobs theme is mistakenly oversold because the employment opportunities generated by transitioning to green technologies are not necessarily safe and healthy jobs. Emphasis is put on identifying the hazards associated with these green designs, assessing the risks to the environment and worker health and safety, and either eliminating the hazards or minimizing the risks as essential elements to the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of green technologies. The perception that it is not always economically possible to consider all risk factors associated with renewable energy technologies at the beginning without hampering their implementation, especially in the poor developing countries, is dismissed. Instead, poor countries are encouraged to start implementing environmentally sound practices while transitioning to green technologies in line with their technological development and overall economic growth.


2017 ◽  
Vol 139 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Baqer Ameer ◽  
Moncef Krarti

In this paper, a general methodology for designing carbon-neutral residential communities is presented. Both energy efficiency measures and renewable energy technologies are considered in the design approach. First, energy end-uses for the buildings within the community are optimized based on a set of cost-effective energy efficiency measures that are selected based on a life-cycle cost analysis. Then, renewable energy technologies are considered to meet the energy needs for the residential community and ensure carbon-neutrality on an annual basis. The methodology is applied to design optimal and carbon-neutral hybrid electrical generation systems for three Kuwaiti residential communities with different sizes and energy efficiency designs. For Kuwait, it is found that wind turbines can cost-effectively generate significant electricity to meet most of the energy needs for the residential communities and thus reducing the country's reliance on fuel-based power plants. Specifically, it is found that wind turbines can generate electricity at a cost of $0.068/kWh well below the current grid power production costs of $0.103/kWh. Moreover, the analysis indicates that concentrated solar power (CSP) can be utilized to achieve carbon-neutral residential communities but at a levelized energy cost of $0.13/kWh slightly lower than the current grid power generation and distribution costs of $0.133/kWh.


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