Interactions between renewable energy policy and renewable energy industrial policy: A critical analysis of China's policy approach to renewable energies

This paper analyzes China's policy approach to renewable energies and assesses how effectively China has met the ideal of appropriate interactions between renewable energy policy and renewable energy industrial policy. First we briefly discuss the interactions between these two policies. Then we outline China's key renewable energy and renewable industrial policies and find that China's government has well recognized the need for this policy interaction. After that, we study the achievements and problems in China's wind and solar PV sector during 2005–2012 and argue that China's policy approach to renewable energies has placed priority first on developing a renewable energy manufacturing industry and only second on renewable energy itself, and it has not effectively met the ideal of appropriate interactions between renewable energy policy and renewable energy industrial policy. Lastly, we make an in-depth analysis of the three ideas underlying this policy approach, that is, the green development idea, the low-carbon leadership idea and indigenous innovation idea. We conclude that Chinas' policy approach to renewable energies needs to enhance the interactions between renewable energy policy and renewable energy industrial policy. The paper contributes to a deeper understanding of China's policy strategy toward renewable energies.     

Barriers and opportunities of using the clean development mechanism to advance renewable energy development in China

Studying the barriers and opportunities of using clean development mechanism (CDM) to advance renewable energy deployment in China has a practical significance to achieve its ambitious renewable energy plan which affects the global efforts to curb carbon emission. This paper analyses the role of CDM in promoting renewable energy development in China by reviewing the CDM activities, especially renewable energy CDM activities in China. There are three barriers to utilizing CDM for renewable energy deployment, namely the dilemma of additionality, lower proportional certified emission reduction credit revenues on the investment, and the lack of incentive for technology transfer. Whereas the opportunities of using CDM in promoting renewable energy development include the international carbon market redirection to renewable energy, Chinese renewable energy boom driven by a series of effective energy policies, and additional finance from CDM supporting Chinese renewable energy development. Based on the study on the barriers and opportunities, the article considers that CDM is an indispensable incentive and a viable choice to promote renewable energy deployment in China.     

Consumers' preference for renewable energy in the southwest USA

The southwestern part of the US has abundant supply of renewable energy resources but little is known about the consumers' preferences for renewable energy in this region. This paper investigates households' willingness to pay for a renewable energy program in a southwestern state, New Mexico (NM). Using the contingent valuation method, we provide different scenarios that include provision of 10% and 20% of renewable energy supply, to elicit households' willingness to pay (WTP) for the renewable energy. We estimate the WTP for specific shares of renewable energy in the total energy mix as it is a key factor in affecting the price of the energy portfolio in the market. The survey design also allows us to check the scope sensitivity of renewable energy which can help guide the future renewable energy policy. We hope results from this study will offer useful insights to energy regulators and utility companies and help them increase the share of renewable energy supply.     

Renewable energy technology acceptance in Peninsular Malaysia

Despite various policies, renewable energy resources have not been developed in Malaysia. This study investigates the factors that influence renewable energy technology acceptance in Peninsular Malaysia and attempts to show the impact of cost and knowledge on the perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness of renewable energy technology. The results show that cost of renewable energy has an indirect effect on attitudes towards using renewable energy through the associated impact on the perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. The results also indicate that public knowledge in Peninsular Malaysia does not affect perceived ease of use, although the positive impact of knowledge on perceived usefulness is supported. Furthermore, our results show that the current business environment in Peninsular Malaysia does not support the adoption of renewable energy technology, and thus, renewable energy technology is not commercially viable in Peninsular Malaysia. Additionally, the population of Peninsular Malaysia associates the use of renewable energy with a high level of effort and therefore has a negative attitude towards the use of renewable energy technology. There is, therefore, a definite need to pay more attention to the role of public perception and awareness in the successes and failures of renewable energy policy.     

Insights for global energy interconnection from China renewable energy development

Vigorously developing global renewable energy such as wind energy, solar energy, and hydropower and realizing global clean resource sharing are paramount driving forces for building the Global Energy Interconnection (GEI). With the help of a comparative analysis of renewable energy development and global renewable energy development scenarios, this paper expounds on the similarities between China1 and global renewable energy development. Based on the analysis of renewable energy development and the status of global renewable energy development in China, this paper summarizes the relevant experience and problems of renewable energy development in China. According to these problems, this paper also puts forward the corresponding solutions and measures, that is, to promote the healthy and steady development of renewable energy in China through the source-network-load-storage and market coordination. Finally, by analyzing the development requirements and current foundation of GEI, insights and suggestions are proposed for the future development of renewable energy for the GEI construction.     

我国未来可再生能源开发利用的战略思考

本文综合分析了我国可再生能源发展的资源潜力、技术水平、当前存在的主要障碍。我国可再生能源资源潜力大,在未来的能源供应中可以形成举足轻重的地位;我国的可再生能源技术发展有了一定的水平,产业初具规模,具备大规模发展的基础,处于商业化发展的前期阶段。在障碍分析和国际经验分析的基础上,本文指出可再生能源立法是促进可再生能源发展的有效手段之一,并提出了我国可再生能源立法的目标和方向。     

The dynamic dependence of fossil energy,investor sentiment and renewable energy stock markets

This study investigates the dynamic directional information spillover of return and volatility between the fossil energy market, investor sentiment towards renewable energy and the renewable energy stock market using the connectedness network approach. Empirical results show that the spillover effects of the volatility system are generally stronger than that of the return system, which suggest that risk transmission among the markets is more obvious. In both systems, the impact of the fossil energy market, especially crude oil, on the renewable energy stock market is greater than the impact of investor sentiment on the renewable energy stock market. This finding shows that the renewable energy stock market is closely related to the fossil energy market. Furthermore, the rolling window approach is adopted to examine the time-varying information spillover among them. The dynamic findings suggest that investor sentiment towards renewable energy can explain the return and volatility of renewable energy stock to a certain degree.     

Wind,hydro or mixed renewable energy source: Preference for electricity products when the share of renewable energy increases

While the share of renewable energy, especially wind power, increases in the energy mix, the risk of temporary energy shortage increases as well. Thus, it is important to understand consumers' preference for the renewable energy towards the continuous growing renewable energy society. We use a discrete choice experiment to infer consumers' preferences when the share of renewable energy increases. The study results indicate that consumers are generally willing to pay extra for an increasing share of renewable energy, but the renewable energy should come from a mixture of renewable energy sources. We also found that consumers prefer to trade with their current supplier rather than another well-known supplier. This study contributes to the energy portfolio theories and the theory of energy diversification in a consumer perspective. The managerial implications of this study are also discussed.     

Does electricity price matter for innovation in renewable energy technologies in China?

Though the development of renewable energy is rapid, innovation in renewable energy technologies is relatively weak due to the late commencement of renewable energy in China. In addition, renewable energy is mainly introduced into the supply mix of electricity generation, which increases the costs of electricity generation. Higher electricity price will make renewable energy more competitive and call forth renewable energy technological innovation. Based on FMOLS and DOLS models, as well as PMG model, this paper investigates the induced long and short run effects of electricity price, funding support, and economic growth on innovation in renewable energy technologies at the provincial level in China during the period 2006–2016. The Conclusions drawn were: (1) R&D expenditure and economic growth have positive impacts on innovation in renewable energy technologies in the long and short run; (2) Electricity price only has a long run effect on patenting in renewable energy technologies; (3) In the long run, a 1% increase in electricity price can lead to a 0.7825%–1.0952% increase in the patent counts of renewable energy technologies; (4) Electricity pricing system in China does not play any role in driving renewable energy technological innovation in the short run.     

Renewable energy perspectives and support mechanisms in Taiwan

The use and development of renewable energy has become a major policy incentive in Taiwan. Some measures, promoting renewable energy, were previously instituted, but many legal and institutional barriers, hampering the development of renewable energy, remain; thus, it is necessary to encourage discussion to eliminate barriers and implement support mechanisms. This article reviews current measures and addresses the perspectives and support mechanisms of renewable energy in Taiwan. Basically, Taiwan's short, medium and long-term development progress and strategies for renewable energy sources can be seen to correspond to current international initiatives; in practice, however, many issues (such as establishing domestic renewable energy technologies and inter-departmental coordination mechanisms) must still be addressed, in order to actively promote the utilization of renewable energy.     

Cleaning up the world with renewable energy: From possibilities to practicalities

The increased exploitation of renewable energy sources is central to any move towards sustainable development. However, casting renewable energy thus carries with it an inherent commitment to other basic tenets of sustainability: openness; democraticization etc.The implications of this commitment for the developers of renewable energy projects are significant. Moreover, a failure to apply these broader principles to the development process risks alienating the very public whose views will determine the political future of renewable energy.From recent experience of the development of wind power in the UK, it is clear that it is no longer enough just to know the future technical potential of renewable energy, or even the regulatory and/or fiscal framework that would enable that potential to be realised. Increasingly we must concentrate on the practical politics of developing renewable energy that will ensure it is accepted and embraced by the public. Drawing on UK experience, guidelines can be established for renewable energy developers such that the principles of sustainable development are as central to exploitation renewable energy as renewable energy is to sustainability.     

Renewable energy investment opportunities in Mauritius—an investor’s perspective

The main purpose of the paper is to explore the renewable energy investment opportunities in Mauritius. Magnum Power, an engineering firm in India promoting renewable energy technologies, conducted a feasibility study to identify the possibilities of investments on various renewable energy projects in Mauritius. The study analysed the Mauritius energy scenario, the earlier and recent renewable energy projects, the current status of such projects, the barriers for renewable energy developments, and the suitable renewable energy technology for fruitful investment. Based on the study outcome, an investment proposal for a 10 MW wind farm project is presented, which would be a useful guideline for investors looking for investment opportunities in Mauritius.     

A regulatory policy to promote renewable energy consumption in China: Review and future evolutionary path

Renewable energy has become the world's strategic choice to solve environmental pollution, address the energy crisis and achieve social sustainable development. The establishment of a regulatory system coincides with the development stage of renewable energy and electricity market operation is significant in standardizing the market competition and guaranteeing healthy development of renewable energy in China. This paper analyses the current situation of renewable energy development and the existing renewable energy regulation system in China, pointing out that the main problems restricting renewable energy development are institutional mechanisms and market factors. The existing regulatory mechanisms also have deficiencies, such as the inclination towards economic regulation and the lack of a market adjustment mechanism. This paper proposes that China should comprehensively consider the renewable energy development stage, electricity market trading mechanisms and other factors in electricity regulatory requirements when policy making, actively exploring a new renewable energy regulation model adapted to different development phases. In addition, this paper suggests China's regulatory policy path based on the forecasting of renewable energy developing models.     

A review of marine renewable energy storage

Marine renewable energies are promising enablers of a cleaner energy future. Some technologies, like wind, are maturing and have already achieved commercial success. Similar to their terrestrial counterparts, marine renewable energy systems require energy storage capabilities to achieve the flexibility of the 21st century grid demand. The unique difficulties imposed by a harsh marine environment challenge the unencumbered rise of marine renewable energy generation and storage systems. In this study, the fundamentals of marine renewable energy generation technologies are briefed. A comprehensive review and comparison of state‐of‐the‐art novel marine renewable energy storage technologies, including pumped hydro storage (PHS), compressed air energy storage (CAES), battery energy storage (BES), hydrogen energy storage (HES), gravity energy storage (GES), and buoyancy energy storage (ByES), are conducted. The pros and cons, and potential applications, of various marine renewable energy storage technologies are also compiled. Finally, several future trends of marine renewable energy storage technologies are connoted.     

Drivers for renewable energy: A comparison among OECD countries

The difference in the shares of renewable energy in total primary energy supply among OECD countries is immense. We attempt to identify some key factors that may have driven this difference for renewable energy in general and bioenergy in particular. We found that besides country-specific factors, gross national product (GDP) and renewable energy and bioenergy market deployment policies have significant and positive impacts on the per capita supply of both renewable energy and bioenergy in OECD countries. R&D expenditures, energy prices, CO₂ emissions, and other energy policies are statistically insignificant in terms of their impact on renewable energy and bioenergy supply. However, this does not necessarily mean that they are not potential drivers for renewable energy and bioenergy, but rather suggests that their magnitudes have not been big enough to significantly influence energy supply based on the historical data from 1994 to 2003. These findings lead to useful policy implications for countries attempting to promote renewable energy and bioenergy development.     

Renewable energy education in Turkey

Utilization of renewable energy sources and the application of environmentally sound energy technologies are essential to sustainable development and will help to secure the quality of living and the well-being of the future generations. Turkey presently has considerable renewable energy sources. The most important renewable sources are hydropower, wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass. The use of renewable energy as a topic to study energy and its forms permits a novel way to motivate students, particularly those who energy topics taking conscience with the environment. This paper presents the analysis and classification of renewable energy sources and how to find out their origin and a way to motivate students in energy topics related to renewable sources and also, the development of didactic competencies in special blended learning arrangements for educationalists, trainers and lecturers in adult education in the field of renewable energies in Turkey.     

Potential of renewable energy systems in China

Along with high-speed economic development and increasing energy consumption, the Chinese Government faces a growing pressure to maintain the balance between energy supply and demand. In 2009, China has become both the largest energy consumer and CO₂ emitting country in the world. In this case, the inappropriate energy consumption structure should be changed. As an alternative, a suitable infrastructure for the implementation of renewable energy may serve as a long-term sustainable solution. The perspective of a 100% renewable energy system has been analyzed and discussed in some countries previously. In this process, assessment of domestic renewable energy sources is the first step. Then appropriate methodologies are needed to perform energy system analyses involving the integration of more sustainable strategies. Denmark may serve as an example of how sustainable strategies can be implemented. The Danish system has demonstrated the possibility of converting into a 100% renewable energy system. This paper discusses the perspective of renewable energy in China firstly, and then analyses whether it is suitable to adopt similar methodologies applied in other countries as China approaches a renewable energy system. The conclusion is that China’s domestic renewable energy sources are abundant and show the possibility to cover future energy demand; the methodologies used to analyse a 100% renewable energy system are applicable in China. Therefore, proposing an analysis of a 100% renewable energy system in China is not unreasonable.     

Potential of renewable hydrogen production for energy supply in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is highly vulnerable to energy and economic security due to the heavy dependence on imported fossil fuels. The combustion of fossil fuels also causes serious environmental pollution. Therefore, it is important to explore the opportunities for clean renewable energy for long-term energy supply. Hong Kong has the potential to develop clean renewable hydrogen energy to improve the environmental performance. This paper reviews the recent development of hydrogen production technologies, followed by an overview of the renewable energy sources and a discussion about potential applications for renewable hydrogen production in Hong Kong. The results show that although renewable energy resources cannot entirely satisfy the energy demand in Hong Kong, solar energy, wind power, and biomass are available renewable sources for significant hydrogen production. A system consisting of wind turbines and photovoltaic (PV) panels coupled with electrolyzers is a promising design to produce hydrogen. Biomass, especially organic waste, offers an economical, environmental-friendly way for renewable hydrogen production. The achievable hydrogen energy output would be as much as 40% of the total energy consumption in transportation.     

Top down strategy for renewable energy investment: Conceptual framework and implementation

Electricity market is undergoing a tremendous transformation throughout the world. A drastic reduction of carbon emission cannot be realized if renewable energy resources are not increased in share of generation mix. Currently, most of the traditional mechanisms, including regulatory policies, fiscal incentives and public financing, are initiated from and heavily relied on policymakers and governments. However, not only these schemes do not necessarily align with business interests of investors, but also the motivations for renewable energy developments are always initiated by governments. In order to realize the full potential of renewable energy investment, an innovative approach is necessary to motivate investors and lessen government expenditures.In this paper, we present a top down strategy for renewable energy investment. The proposed approach is a three-step framework. By applying the approach, renewable energy global market leaders and trends will be identified and analyzed that included: (1) economics and renewable energy policy, (2) specific renewable energy sectors that presents the most attractive investment opportunity, (3) and finally the most promising renewable energy investment vehicles for investors. Other stakeholders can also use the developed framework, such as consumers and policymakers, to make socio-economic decisions and assess renewable energy investments.     

Negative carbon intensity of renewable energy technologies involving biomass or carbon dioxide as inputs

Conventional fossil fuel-based energy technologies can achieve efficiency in energy conversion but they are usually completely inefficient in carbon conversion because they generate significant CO₂ emissions to the atmosphere per unit energy converted. In contrast, some renewable energy technologies characterized by negative carbon intensity can simultaneously achieve efficiency in the conversion of energy and in the conversion of carbon. These carbon negative renewable energy technologies can generate useful energy and remove CO₂ from the atmosphere, either by direct capture and recycling of atmospheric CO₂ or indirectly, by involving biofuels. Interestingly, the deployment of carbon negative renewable energy technologies can offset carbon emissions from conventional fossil fuel-based energy technologies and thus reduce the overall carbon intensity of energy systems.The current review analyzes two groups of renewable energy technologies involving biomass or CO₂ as inputs. The discussions focus on useful techniques which enable to achieve negative carbon intensity of energy while being technologically promising in near-term as well as cost-effective. These analyzes include advanced carbon sequestration concepts such as soil carbon sequestration and CO₂ recycling to useful C-rich products such as fuels and fertilizers. The 'drop-in' of renewable energy is achieved by allowing bioenergy and renewable energies in the form of renewable electricity, renewable thermal energy, solar energy, renewable hydrogen, etc. The carbon negative renewable energy technologies are analyzed and perspectives and constraints of each technology are expounded.