Estimating Solar PV Potential for Sustainable Energy Planning in Tier-II Cities of India: Case of Bhopal City

<p>Fossil fuels and hydropower dams have long been at the backbone of power supply systems in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), an energy policy catalyzed by the direct availability of these resources, the backing of foreign investments, and the limited coordination among the many decision-makers. Such policy has resulted in large externalities: gas and coal-fired plants contribute to the carbon footprint of all GMS countries, particularly Thailand; dams have affected the riverine ecosystems, impacting entire economic sectors. According to the official energy plans, coal will be soon sidelined, but dams will keep playing an important role. That is despite the availability of solar and other renewable resources. Is it possible to design more sustainable energy plans for the GMS? Can we limit the number of dams that will be built in the near future? What are the main technologies and policies that should be prioritized? To answer these questions, we developed a spatially-distributed numerical model that co-optimizes capacity expansion as well as hourly dispatch of generation, transmission, and storage. The model is applied to Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia, over a planning period spanning from 2016 to 2037. Optimization results show that the generation capacity planned by these countries could be met in a more sustainable manner by relying on solar PV, which could supply about one third of the projected electricity demand. Investments in renewable energy should be supported by cross-border grid interconnections, which would connect load centers to more production sites, easing the supply-demand balancing. To put the analysis in a broader water-energy context, we also assess the impact of current and proposed energy plans on river connectivity and flows. Overall, our analysis demonstrates that there are untapped opportunities for untying the fate of the Mekong River basin from that of power supply and economic development.</p>

Download Full-text

A System of Systems (SoS) Approach to Sustainable Energy Planning:

Environmental Challenges in the MENA Region ◽

10.2307/j.ctvnjbg08.14 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 184-203

Author(s):

Maral Mahlooji ◽

Ludovic Gaudard ◽

Kaveh Madani

Keyword(s):

Sustainable Energy ◽

System Of Systems ◽

Energy Planning

Download Full-text

Optimization of sustainable energy planning with consideration of uncertainties in learning rates and external cost factors

Computer Aided Chemical Engineering - 21st European Symposium on Computer Aided Process Engineering ◽

10.1016/b978-0-444-54298-4.50161-6 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 1914-1918 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Seunghyok Kim ◽

Jamin Koo ◽

En Sup Yoon

Keyword(s):

Sustainable Energy ◽

Energy Planning ◽

External Cost ◽

Learning Rates ◽

Cost Factors

Download Full-text

Solar PV and Biomass Resources-Based Sustainable Energy Supply for Off-Grid Cellular Base Stations

IEEE Access ◽

10.1109/access.2020.2978121 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

pp. 53817-53840 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Md. Sanwar Hossain ◽

Abu Jahid ◽

Khondoker Ziaul Islam ◽

Md. Fayzur Rahman

Keyword(s):

Energy Supply ◽

Sustainable Energy ◽

Base Stations ◽

Solar Pv ◽

Sustainable Energy Supply ◽

Biomass Resources

Download Full-text

Analyzing Actors’ Engagement in Sustainable Energy Planning at the Local Level in Ghana: An Empirical Study

Energies ◽

10.3390/en13082028 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (8) ◽

pp. 2028

Author(s):

Hassan Qudrat-Ullah ◽

Mark McCarthy Akrofi ◽

Aymen Kayal

Keyword(s):

Local Government ◽

Central Government ◽

Focal Point ◽

Sustainable Energy ◽

Local Level ◽

Energy Development ◽

Energy Planning ◽

Government Agencies ◽

Non Governmental Organizations ◽

Local Actors

Actors play a crucial role in sustainable energy development yet interaction in different contexts is an area that has not received much scholarly attention. Sustainable energy transitions theories such as the Multi-Level Perspective, for instance, have been criticized for not describing precisely the nature of the interactions between actors and institutions within socio-technical systems. The goal of this study was to empirically examine local actors’ engagement and its impact on the planning and implementation of sustainable energy initiatives in the villages and remote areas in Ghana. Using the mixed methodology approach, interviews were performed, focus discussion groups were held, and archival data were collected, and social network modeling and case study analysis was performed. Our findings showed that sustainable energy development at the local level depends on an interplay between local government agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), central government agencies, local communities, and private sector organizations. Despite being the focal point at the local level, local government involvement in sustainable energy planning is limited. In the case of Ghana, sustainable energy planning remains centralized and is manifested in a low level of awareness of local actors on national energy plans. The implication for decision makers is that energy planning functions should be devolved to the local government. Such devolution is expected to ensure the integration of sustainable energies into local government plans for the well-coordinated implementation and effective monitoring of sustainable energy projects.

Download Full-text