scholarly journals The Sustainability of Decentralised Renewable Energy Projects in Developing Countries: Learning Lessons from Zambia

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (13) ◽  
pp. 3757
Author(s):  
Susann Stritzke ◽  
Prem Jain
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Financial Data ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Energy Access ◽  
Solar Pv ◽  
Social Dimensions ◽  
Sustainability Challenges

Decentralised renewable energy (RE) systems such as solar PV mini-grids (MG) are considered to be a cornerstone for the strategic achievement of the UN’s energy access goals in the developing world. Many of these systems implemented however face substantial technical, financial and social sustainability challenges which are also a recurring theme in the relevant literature. MG analyses however often lack detailed technical or financial data or apply ‘silo-approaches’ as a comprehensive review of MG case study literature presented in this article reveals. Consequently, this study aims to enhance the understanding of RE MG sustainability in the developing context based on the integrated evaluation of the technical, financial and social dimensions of MG operation through empirical data from community surveys on energy use from Uganda and Zambia and two in-depth MG case studies from Zambia. By presenting detailed technical and financial data in combination with energy consumer perception, the study aims to close existing data gaps on sustainable RE MG operation and offers an approach to evaluate and optimise the operational sustainability of an MG in its individual local context. The article finds that the complex rural community ecosystem is a central, but yet undervalued determinant of MG sustainability in rural developing contexts. The mismatch between energy affordability and MG tariffs threatens MG sustainability and the scaling of energy access projects if not addressed specifically during project development and implementation. Consequently, the article calls for a strategic inclusion of community-ecosystem parameters and MG planning based on realistic energy affordability levels and an added value approach that includes dynamic MG financing mechanisms and targeted measures to generate added value through energy consumption as integral parts of RE MG projects.

scholarly journals Realization of a Small Residential Building with Zero CO2 Emissions Due to Energy Use in Crete, Greece

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 112 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Vourdoubas
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Co2 Emissions ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Residential Building ◽  
Energy Systems ◽  
Solar Pv ◽  
Renewable Energy Systems ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Solid Biomass

European buildings account for large amounts of energy consumption and CO2 emissions and current EU policies target in decreasing their energy consumption and subsequent CO2 emissions. Realization of a small, grid-connected, residential building with zero CO2 emissions due to energy use in Crete, Greece shows that this can be easily achieved. Required heat and electricity in the building were generated with the use of locally available renewable energies including solar energy and solid biomass. Annual energy consumption and on-site energy generation were balanced over a year as well as the annual electricity exchange between the building and the grid. Technologies used for heat and power generation included solar-thermal, solar-PV and solid-biomass burning which are reliable, mature and cost-effective. Annual energy consumption in the 65 m2 building was 180 KWh/m2 and its annual CO2 emissions were 84.67 kgCO2/m2. The total capital cost of the required renewable energy systems was estimated at approximately 10.77% of its total construction cost, and the required capital investments in renewable energy systems, in order to achieve the goal of a residential building with zero CO2 emissions due to energy use, were 1.65 € per kgCO2, saved annually. The results of this study prove that the creation of zero CO2 emissions buildings is technically feasible, economically attractive and environmentally friendly. Therefore they could be used to create future policies promoting the creation of this type of building additionally to the existing policies promoting near-zero energy buildings.

Solar futures: a systematic review of long-term global solar photovoltaic adoption scenarios

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc Jaxa-Rozen ◽  
Evelina Trutnevyte
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Solar Photovoltaic ◽  
Energy Access ◽  
Solar Pv ◽  
Global Energy ◽  
Energy Transitions ◽  
Term Energy

<p>Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology has been the fastest-growing renewable energy technology in recent years. Since 2009, it has in fact experienced the largest capacity growth of any power generation technology, with benchmark levelized costs falling by four-fifths [1]. In addition, the global technical potential of PV largely exceeds global primary energy demand [2]. Nonetheless, PV typically only appears as a relatively marginal option in long-term energy modelling studies and scenarios. These include the mitigation pathways evaluated in the context of the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which rely on integrated assessment models (IAMs) of climate change and have in the past underestimated PV growth as compared to observed rates of adoption [2]. Similarly, global energy projections, such as the International Energy Agency's World Energy Outlook, have been relatively conservative regarding the role of solar PV in long-term energy transitions.</p><p>In order to better understand the long-term global role of solar PV as perceived by various modeling communities, this work synthesizes a broad ensemble of scenarios for global PV adoption at the 2050 horizon. This ensemble includes 784 IAM-based scenarios from the IPCC SR15 and AR5 databases, and 82 other systematically selected scenarios published over the 2010-2019 period in the academic and gray literature, such as PV-focused techno-economic analyses and global energy outlooks. The scenarios are analyzed using a descriptive framework which combines scenario indicators (e.g. mitigation policies depicted in a scenario), model indicators (e.g. the representation of technological change in the underlying model), and meta-indicators (e.g. the type of institution which authored a scenario). We extend this scenario framework to include a text-mining approach, using Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) to associate scenarios with different textual perspectives identified in the ensemble, such as energy access or renewable energy transitions. We then use a scenario discovery approach to identify the combinations of indicators which are most strongly associated with different regions of the scenario space.</p><p>Preliminary results indicate that the date of publication of a scenario has a predominant influence on projected PV adoption values: scenarios published in the first half of the 2010s thus tend to represent considerably lower PV adoption levels. In parallel, higher projected values are more strongly associated with renewable-focused institutions. Increasing the institutional diversity of scenario ensembles may thus lead to a broader range of considered futures [3].</p><p> <br>References<br>[1] Frankfurt School-UNEP Centre, “Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2019,” Frankfurt, Germany, 2019.<br>[2] F. Creutzig, P. Agoston, J. C. Goldschmidt, G. Luderer, G. Nemet, and R. C. Pietzcker, “The underestimated potential of solar energy to mitigate climate change,” Nat Energy, vol. 2, no. 9, pp. 1–9, Aug. 2017, doi: 10.1038/nenergy.2017.140.<br>[3] E. Trutnevyte, W. McDowall, J. Tomei, and I. Keppo, “Energy scenario choices: Insights from a retrospective review of UK energy futures,” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 55, pp. 326–337, Mar. 2016, doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2015.10.067.</p>

scholarly journals Contribution of Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs) in Climate Resilient Approach and SDG 7

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 393-401
Author(s):  
Ram Chandra Khanal ◽  
Shree Raj Shakya ◽  
Tri Ratna Bajracharya
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Local Context ◽  
System Modelling ◽  
Solar Pv ◽  
Adaptation To Climate Change ◽  
Ghg Mitigation ◽  
Renewable Energy Technologies ◽  
Energy Technologies

Renewable energy can contribute to adaptation to climate change, mitigation and development and may play an important role in resilient development ambition of Nepal. It has been emphasized in Nepal's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and climate change policy but its potential impact on SDGs era has not been fully explored and implemented. The study used employed energy system modelling by using optimization software, reviewed literature and interacted with various experts. It has been found that renewable energy technologies (RETs) provide socio-economic and environmental benefits to people that contribute to adopting and ensuring a better adaptation to climate change based on the local context. They contribute to adaptation processes by contributing to reducing the vulnerability of people, improving adaptive capacity, and minimizing climate change risk in line with SDG 7. But these are not without challenges either. Financial, technical, institutional, policy and legal issues are major challenges to promote RETs. This study shows that theoretically altogether 4.45 million tons of CO2e of the GHG emission can be mitigated per year if all the remaining technical potential of deploying seven major RETs consisting of biogas, improved water mill, stand-alone micro-hydro plants, mini-grid micro-hydro plants, solar PV home systems, mud-ICS and metal-ICS were installed after 2012. Considering the average annual installation of these RETs, altogether 30.71 million tons of CO2e can be mitigated between the periods of 2013 to 2030 at an annual additional installation equal to average installation done in recent past three years. The initial technology investment required for implementing the above mentioned RETs ranges from NRs 97 to NRs 23,247 per ton of CO2e mitigation. This indicates that though a moderate level of the initial investment is required for promoting RETs, the GHG mitigation potential seems to be quite promising. There is no liberty of inaction, so RETs can be a good case for a triple win strategy to address mitigation – adaptation – development nexus for climate compatible development in Nepal.

scholarly journals Remote Microgrids for Energy Access in Indonesia—Part I: Scaling and Sustainability Challenges and A Technology Outlook

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (20) ◽  
pp. 6643
Author(s):  
Ilman Sulaeman ◽  
Desmon Petrus Simatupang ◽  
Brandon Kristiano Noya ◽  
Amalia Suryani ◽  
Niek Moonen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Practical Knowledge ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
Preliminary Survey ◽  
Energy Access ◽  
Sustainability Challenges ◽  
High Level

Although Indonesia’s electrification ratio reached 99.2% in 2020, it has shown stagnating electrification since 2018. This is because most of the remaining areas that need to be electrified are remote and have unique characteristics that hamper implementation of microgrids for providing energy access. Furthermore, not only the deployment but also the long-term sustainability of microgrids is crucial for ensuring continuity of energy access. This paper aims to investigate the scaling and sustainability challenges of remote microgrid development in Indonesia by analyzing microgrids in the Maluku and North Maluku provinces. This study is a two-part publication; the first part focuses on identifying challenges in Indonesia’s remote microgrid development, while the second part focuses on potential technology solutions. In the first part, an assessment of energy access within a multi-tier framework was conducted, which was then analyzed using a multi-dimensional (institutional, social, technical, economic, environmental, and policy) approach adapted from the literature. The framework was expanded by mapping the challenges onto specific phases of the microgrid development, which is intended to be helpful for the parties involved in specific phases. It is shown that the challenges related to unclear land status, lack of social engagement, preliminary survey, technical and practical knowledge, and O&M procedures—especially for remote microgrids with renewable energy sources—are the most prominent issues. Additionally, issues caused by electrical events and environmental conditions such as relatively humid and high-temperatures, and uncontrolled vegetation, rodents, insects, and lizards are often found. Furthermore, a high-level technological outlook to address some of these issues is presented.

scholarly journals The Transition in Solar and Wind Energy Use in Gulf Cooperation Council Countries (GCCC)

2022 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 4
Author(s):  
Naser Waheeb Alnaser ◽  
Hanan Mubarak Albuflasa ◽  
Waheeb Essa Alnaser
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Wind Energy ◽  
Energy Security ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Emissions ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Gulf Cooperation Council ◽  
Water Desalination ◽  
Water Withdrawal ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Energy Access

The Gulf Cooperation Council Countries (GCCC) are largely engaged in renewable energy compared to other sources of energy for achieving sustainable development, i.e., maintaining balance between environmental, socio-economic and energy security and governance; this include mitigating climate change, reducing air pollution, improving energy access and enhancing energy security. According to IRENA report, by 2030, the GCCC could save 354 million barrels of oil equivalent (a 23% reduction), create more than 220,500 jobs, reduce the power sector's carbon dioxide emissions by 22%, and cut water withdrawal in the power sector by 17% based on the renewables targets already in place. The GCCC have been undertaking renewable energy projects for more than 30 years but recently a trend for increasingly ambitious projects is being witnessed. These are being supported by renewable energy targets, innovative research and development, and investments across the entire industry value chain. The renewable energy targets in GCCC are as follows: Bahrain; 5% by 2025 (250 MW) and 10% by 2035, UAE; 30% by 2030 (5000 MW), KSA; 30% by 2040 (5400 MW), Oman 10 by 2020 (600 MW), Kuwait; 15% by 2030 (11,000 MW) and Qatar; 20% by 2030 (1800 MW). The paper highlight on the vast investment and applications carried in GCCC which can be considered as a transition phase in solar and wind energy use in these countries. It also suggests advantageous investments in sustainability in GCCC like investing in Electric Vehicle, Building Integrated PV or Building Integrated Wind Turbine, Rooftop PV for small −scale installation, and Solar and Wind Water Desalination.

Renewable Energy in the East African Communitys and its Role in Sustainable Development

2018 ◽  
pp. 25-38
Author(s):  
Liudmila Kalinichenko
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Security Policy ◽  
Private Investment ◽  
Policy Framework ◽  
Solar Pv ◽  
East African ◽  
Geothermal Resources ◽  
East African Community

The article analyses the role of renewable energy in the process of the development of the energy market of the East African Community (EAC) . The author underlines the necessity of finding solutions for such challenges as rising wood and charcoal prices, deforestation, lack of affordable and reliable electricity for a large number of consumers. The study reveals that nowadays the percentage of people with access to modern sources of energy is very low, varying from 7 % in Burundi to 36% in Kenya, although the EAC countries made significant progress in 2000s. Most people in rural areas rely on traditional biomass for cooking and heating, which leads to ecological and health problems. The author concludes that renewable energy development is considered by the Community as one of the prospective ways for providing energy to remote regions in view of abundant solar, wind and geothermal resources. Their strategy aims at the construction of micro and mini hydro stations, stand-alone solar PV systems and off-grids for rural population usage. The study shows that the investment in off-grid renewables has been steadily rising in recent times . Analyzing grid-connected power generation electricity, the author elicits that it is also based on renewable electricity, which accounts for 65% of the total amount. Kenya, with the highest installed capacity in this sector, is investing mainly in geothermal, solar and wind sources of energy, while the others are focusing on hydropower and solar. For the purpose of attracting private investment, the EAC partner states adopted different regulations, including Feed-in Tariff, zero-VAT and GET FIT Programme. The author assumes that renewable energy financing is one of the main challenges despite the support of different international financial institutions, such as the World Bank, UNIDO, AfDB and others. Nowadays energy efficiency measures are becoming important instruments for the EAC countries resulted in power savings. The other important trend is increasing cooperation among them due to their grid-connected power systems in the East African Power Pool. In this context, in November 2017, the EAC Partner States adopted Energy Security Policy Framework, in order to ensure the sustainable development of their energy sector.

European Energy Security

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Almas Heshmati ◽  
Shahrouz Abolhosseini
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Energy Policy ◽  
Energy Security ◽  
Energy Supply ◽  
Alternative Energy ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Primary Energy ◽  
The European Union

This chapter reviews relevant literature on the current state and effectiveness of developing renewable energy on energy security in general, and on energy security in the European Union (EU) in particular. The chapter elaborates on primary energy import sources, possible alternatives, and how energy security is affected by the sources of supply. It also gives an analysis of the effects of the Ukrainian crisis, the isolation of Iran on diversification sources, and on European energy security. It examines EU’s energy policy, analyses the best motivation for a new energy policy direction within Europe, and suggests alternative solutions for enhanced energy supply security. The aim is to suggest suitable solutions for energy security in Europe through energy supply diversification. Supply diversification includes alternative energy corridors for reducing dependency on Russia as a supplier and enhancing the power generated by renewable energy sources under the European Union 2020 strategy.

Price and subsidy under uncertainty: Real-option approach to optimal investment decisions on energy storage with solar PV

2021 ◽  
pp. 0958305X2199229
Author(s):  
Jingyu Qu ◽  
Wooyoung Jeon
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Energy Storage ◽  
Real Option ◽  
Financial Burden ◽  
Investment Decisions ◽  
Optimal Investment ◽  
Investment Incentives ◽  
Solar Pv ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Trigger Price

Renewable generation sources still have not achieved economic validity in many countries including Korea, and require subsidies to support the transition to a low-carbon economy. An initial Feed-In Tariff (FIT) was adopted to support the deployment of renewable energy in Korea until 2011 and then was switched to the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) to implement more market-oriented mechanisms. However, high volatilities in electricity prices and subsidies under the RPS scheme have weakened investment incentives. In this study we estimate how the multiple price volatilities under the RPS scheme affect the optimal investment decisions of energy storage projects, whose importance is increasing rapidly because they can mitigate the variability and uncertainty of solar and wind generation in the power system. We applied mathematical analysis based on real-option methods to estimate the optimal trigger price for investment in energy-storage projects with and without multiple price volatilities. We found that the optimal trigger price of subsidy called the Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) under multiple price volatilities is 10.5% higher than that under no price volatilities. If the volatility of the REC price gets doubled, the project requires a 26.6% higher optimal investment price to justify the investment against the increased risk. In the end, we propose an auction scheme that has the advantage of both RPS and FIT in order to minimize the financial burden of the subsidy program by eliminating subsidy volatility and find the minimum willingness-to-accept price for investors.

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