A new tailored scheme for the support of renewable energies in developing countries

Historically the promotion of renewable energy technologies in isolated areas has involved international donors or governments subsidising the initial capital investment. This paper proposes an alternative support mechanism for remote villages based on the generation of renewable electricity. This communication presents an evaluation of the Renewable Energy Premium Tariff (RPT) scheme, a locally adapted variation of the Feed-in Tariff tailored for decentralised grids of developing countries. The RPT scheme stimulates the deployment of renewable energy technologies by paying for renewable electricity generated. A good-quality performance is secured since the support is given based on the electricity produced by renewables, not for the initial capital investment.     

The role of energy efficiency and renewable energies in the future world energy market

The world population is rising rapidly, notably in the developing countries. Historical trends suggest that increased annual energy use per capita is a good surrogate for the standard of living factors which promote a decrease in population growth rate. If these trends continue, the stabilization of the world's population will require the increased use of all sources of energy as cheap oil and gas are depleted. The improved efficiency of energy use and renewable energy sources will be essential to stabilizing population, while providing a decent standard all over the world.     

A quadratic helix approach to evaluate the Turkish renewable energies

The first renewable energy law concerning the ‘Use of Renewable Energy Resources for the Generation of Electrical Energy’ was adopted from European Union regulations on 18 May 2005 in Turkey. The purpose of the Law is to expand the utilization of renewable energy resources for generating electricity. Renewables are defined in the Law as generation facilities based on wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, biogas, wave, current and tidal energy resources, hydrogen energy and hydroelectric generation facilities. The aim of the study was to use strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis to identify Turkish renewable energy market strategy and perspective by focusing on four different concepts: policy, market, technology and the social dimension. Different information gathering strategies have been applied such as monitoring of all statements and press releases published in the newspapers by all Turkish renewable energy parties starting from the launch of the law, articles presented in the events between 2000 and 2008 and face-to-face interviews. Our results demonstrated the importance of technology development and knowledge creation for gaining competitiveness on the global arena and the need for a systematic approach for transforming the created know-how into economic and social benefits.     

Subsistence electricity renewable energies and development

This article suggests that the use of some new and renewable sources of energy (NRSE) in rural electrification may lead to ‘subsistence electrification’. Grid rural electrification, it is argued, contributes to development not by substituting for existing fuels and energy sources at lower cost but by transforming the marginal costs of supply. Techniques commonly used to evaluate NRSE do not capture the developmental implications.     

Potentials and prospects for renewable energies at global scale

Renewable energies (RE) represent a cornerstone to steer our energy system in the direction of sustainability and supply security. Generating electricity, heat or biofuels from renewable energy sources has become a high priority in the energy policy strategies at national level as well as at a global scale. Challenging goals for these “new” supply options to meet our energy demands have been set, e.g. at European level by the commitment of meeting 20% of the overall energy demand from renewable energy sources by 2020.     

How carbon credits could drive the emergence of renewable energies

The shift to renewable energy options and low-carbon technologies, in response to the concerns over energy security and climate change, is proceeding more slowly than many would like. The usual argument against rapid deployment of new technologies is the costs imposed on the economy, commonly interpreted in terms of upfront costs to be borne or involving large cash transfers to fund, for example, efforts to preserve rainforests. In this contribution I argue that such a perspective provides a continuing barrier to taking effective action, whereas a perspective based on creation and use of carbon credits provides a means of avoiding the shock of abrupt industrial change. Carbon credits granted for bona fide carbon load reductions could be created through private initiative, for example by merchant banks, to constitute a market that will complement regulatory-based initiatives such as national emissions trading systems. This is not a novel idea; indeed it is the way that capitalism has funded every major change, including the Industrial Revolution, through the creation of credit. The emergence of a global carbon credit economy is likely to precede a global regulatory system governing climate change and will doubtless help to stimulate the emergence of such a global system.     

A comparative analysis of renewable electricity support mechanisms for Southeast Asia

This study evaluates the applicability of eight renewable electricity policy mechanisms for Southeast Asian electricity markets. It begins by describing the methodology behind 90 research interviews of stakeholders in the electricity industry. It then outlines four justifications given by respondents for government intervention to support renewables in Southeast Asia: unpriced negative externalities, counteracting subsidies for conventional energy sources, the public goods aspect of renewable energy, and the presence of non-technical barriers. The article develops an analytical framework to evaluate renewable portfolio standards, green power programs, public research and development expenditures, systems benefits charges, investment tax credits, production tax credits, tendering, and feed-in tariffs in Southeast Asia. It assesses each of these mechanisms according to the criteria of efficacy, cost effectiveness, dynamic efficiency, equity, and fiscal responsibility. The study concludes that one mechanism, feed-in tariffs, is both the most preferred by respondents and the only one that meets all criteria.     

Educational electrolyzer prototype: Improving engineering students' knowledge in renewable energies

This article aims to demonstrate the process of building a low-cost water electrolyzer using common materials and to analyze the influence of practical experiments on students' knowledge. Practical classroom experiments are of great importance to students' learning and problems such as bureaucracy in the teaching department, high cost of equipment and lack of teacher time are some of the factors responsible for the delay in performing them in the classroom. Applying the Advanced Product Quality Planning methodology, Active Learning, thermodynamic and electrochemical modeling, it was possible to build an electrolyzer with about 150 US$. In the electrolyzer, the electrolytic solutions with 1 M concentration of NaOH and KOH were used, i.e., 39 g L^?1 and 64 g L^?1, respectively, to produce the gases hydrogen and oxygen. The flow of hydrogen and oxygen for the KOH electrolytic solution was 1.22 L min^?1 and for the NaOH solution, 1.07 L min^?1 was found using a 9–12 V and 8–15 A adjustable transformer. Among the undergraduate students who were interviewed, 54% did not know electrolysis and 46% knew just the basic concepts. After the practical experiment, it was observed that 94% of the students understood the concepts of the electrochemical reaction. Based on the averages of the two tests applied to students, before and after the practical experiment, an increase of 58% in the correctness of the questions was found for students who had not heard of electrolysis before and a 13% increase was observed for those who already knew the basic concepts. With this experiment, it was possible to observe how much practical activities in the classroom can positively influence the understanding of electrolysis and make students aware of this renewable energy production process.     

Analysis of utilisation of renewable energies as heat sources for heat pumps in building sector in Poland

In this paper the emphasis is put on identification the problem how different renewable sources can be effectively used as heat sources for heat pumps in Poland. Main data of: ambient air, solar radiation, soil, ground and surface water are presented. Recommendations for heating systems with a heat pump are given.     

The feasibility of renewable energies at an off-grid community in Canada

Three renewable energy technologies (RETs) were analyzed for their feasibility for a small off-grid research facility dependent on diesel for power and propane for heat. Presently, the electrical load for this facility is 115 kW but a demand side management (DSM) energy audit revealed that 15–20% reduction was possible. Downsizing RETs and diesel engines by 15 kW to 100 kW reduces capital costs by $27 000 for biomass, $49 500 for wind and $136 500 for solar.The RET Screen International 4.0^® model compared the economical and environmental costs of generating 100 kW of electricity for three RETs compared to the current diesel engine (0 cost) and a replacement ($160/kW) diesel equipment. At all costs from $0.80 to $2.00/l, biomass combined heat and power (CHP) was the most competitive. At $0.80 per liter, biomass’ payback period was 4.1 years with a capital cost of $1800/kW compared to wind's 6.1 years due to its higher initial cost of $3300/kW and solar's 13.5 years due to its high initial cost of $9100/kW. A biomass system would reduce annual energy costs by $63 729 per year, and mitigate GHG emissions by over 98% to 10 t CO₂ from 507 t CO₂. Diesel price increases to $1.20 or $2.00/l will decrease the payback period in years dramatically to 1.8 and 0.9 for CHP, 3.6 and 1.8 for wind, and 6.7 and 3.2 years for solar, respectively.     

Rejecting renewables: The socio-technical impediments to renewable electricity in the United States

If renewable power systems deliver such impressive benefits, why do they still provide only 3 percent of national electricity generation in the United States? As an answer, this article demonstrates that the impediments to renewable power are socio-technical, a term that encompasses the technological, social, political, regulatory, and cultural aspects of electricity supply and use. Extensive interviews of public utility commissioners, utility managers, system operators, manufacturers, researchers, business owners, and ordinary consumers reveal that it is these socio-technical barriers that often explain why wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, and hydroelectric power sources are not embraced. Utility operators reject renewable resources because they are trained to think only in terms of big, conventional power plants. Consumers practically ignore renewable power systems because they are not given accurate price signals about electricity consumption. Intentional market distortions (such as subsidies), and unintentional market distortions (such as split incentives) prevent consumers from becoming fully invested in their electricity choices. As a result, newer and cleaner technologies that may offer social and environmental benefits but are not consistent with the dominant paradigm of the electricity industry continue to face comparative rejection.     

A renewable energy scenario for Aalborg Municipality based on low-temperature geothermal heat, wind power and biomass

Aalborg Municipality, Denmark, wishes to investigate the possibilities of becoming independent of fossil fuels. This article describes a scenario for supplying Aalborg Municipality’s energy needs through a combination of low-temperature geothermal heat, wind power and biomass. Of particular focus in the scenario is how low-temperature geothermal heat may be utilised in district heating (DH) systems. The analyses show that it is possible to cover Aalborg Municipality’s energy needs through the use of locally available sources in combination with significant electricity savings, heat savings, reductions in industrial fuel use and savings and fuel-substitutions in the transport sector. With biomass resources being finite, the two marginal energy resources in Aalborg are geothermal heat and wind power. If geothermal heat is utilised more, wind power may be limited and vice versa. The system still relies on neighbouring areas as an electricity buffer though.     

Heat pumps and renewable energies

As a mean to mitigate global humanlinked environmental pollution and to achieve sustainability, renewable energies must become not just a part but THE primary energy source for the world. Heat pumps, as a process recirculating environmental heat back into useful heat production, fit the environmental requirements of this global policy. They are very useful tools to reduce the need of fossil fuels combustion in building as well in industrial sectors. As such they have a role to play in the renewable energy panel.The paper will emphasize this role and give last trends in their technology.     

美国促进可再生能源发展的政策和实践--赴美考察调研报道

福建省可再生能源政策调研组一行4人，对美国促进可再生能源发展的政策和实践，包括政策支持与可再生能源发展相关性、可再生能源发电配额制(RPS)、购电法制度、可再生能源上网电价等方面进行较深入调查了解，并结合福建实际，对推动风电规模化发展的政策支持提出3条建议。     

UK renewable energy strategy The need for longer-term support

The UK renewable energy R&D programme is currently being cut back. The ‘near market’ technologies that it has identified are expected to be taken over by the private sector, with the support of the NFFO cross-subsidy. This paper explores the implication of this strategy for the more novel, less developed, renewables, which are unlikely to benefit from the NFFO. It argues that, as longer-term environmental costings are factored into the assessment, the currently less economically attractive technologies could become strategically important. In this situation, it is suggested, the cut backs in research would seem unwise.     

A study of the role played by renewable energies in China's sustainable energy supply

This paper first provides an overview of the context of renewable energy development in China, including the country's recent renewable energy legislation. Further, it summarizes the current status of renewable energy development and the role it plays in the national energy supply. Next it introduces the national indicative targets for renewable energies in 2010 and 2020, and conducts a long term scenario of the role of renewable energies in China's energy system transition till 2050. It discusses the main risks involved in China's renewable energy development, and proposes some policy measures for risk management.     

On the impact of FIT policies on renewable energy investment: Based on the solar power support policies in China's power market

In 2013, the feed-in tariff (FIT) policy was issued in China to promote the investment in renewable technology, but then it was revised because this policy brought a heavy financial burden to the government. By considering the intermittence of renewable resources, we model the implemented Chinese FIT policies and analyze their impact on renewable energy investment in the power market. The open-loop model is employed to simulate the China's power market organized with Power Purchase Agreement, and the closed-loop game is used to characterize the spot power market. Meanwhile, the strategic capacity choices of power generators in two games are compared under four different policy schemes: (i) free competition, (ii) FIT via fixed subsidy, (iii) FIT via price premium and (iv) Chinese FIT by cross control (CFCC). The results show that the CFCC policy is a good alternative to well control the investment in renewable technology, as it can be seen as a comprise between free competition and FIT via fixed subsidy policy. Furthermore, compared with the other three policy schemes, the CFCC policy is capable of keeping renewable power generators from deviating the equilibrium, which implies higher robustness in regulating the electricity spot market.     

Levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of renewable energies and required subsidies in China

The development and utilization of renewable energy (RE), a strategic choice for energy structural adjustment, is an important measure of carbon emissions reduction in China. High cost is a main restriction element for large-scale development of RE, and accurate cost estimation of renewable power generation is urgently necessary. This is the first systemic study on the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of RE in China. Results indicate that feed-in-tariff (FIT) of RE should be improved and dynamically adjusted based on the LCOE to provide a better support of the development of RE. The current FIT in China can only cover the LCOE of wind (onshore) and solar photovoltaic energy (PV) at a discount rate of 5%. Subsidies to renewables-based electricity generation, except biomass energy, still need to be increased at higher discount rates. Main conclusions are drawn as follows: (1) Government policy should focus on solving the financing problem of RE projects because fixed capital investment exerts considerable influence over the LCOE; and (2) the problem of high cost could be solved by providing subsidies in the short term and more importantly, by reforming electricity price in the mid-and long-term to make the RE competitive.     

Successful renewable energy development in a competitive electricity market: A Texas case study

The development of renewable energy in markets with competition at wholesale and retail levels poses challenges not present in areas served by vertically-integrated utilities. The intermittent nature of some renewable energy resources impact reliability, operations, and market prices, in turn affecting all market participants. Meeting renewable energy goals may require coordination among many market players.