Capacity building for the effective adoption of renewable energy technologies in rural areas. Experience of India NGOs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Myles, R. [Integrated Sustainable Energy and Ecological Development Association (INSEDA), New Delhi (India)

2002-07-01

The experience of NGO network in the promotions of biogas and other low cost RET gadgets, devices, equipments and machines in the rural areas of India, for over two decades, have shown that there are serveral problems yet challenging opportunities in the promotion and implementation of renewable energy technologies in villages. First of all, the field and extension organizations should recognise that these technologies are new and aliens to the rural people, therefore like any other technologies, developed outside the rural environment, RETs are first view with skepticism by the rural community. Even if 100 units of a RE technology are successfully demonstrated, failure of even one could create negative impact within a radius of 30-50 KMs, and its shortcomings are spread like a wild fire. The appropriate technology demonstration backed by systematic capacity building of different stakeholders/actors/players (i.e. Energy Producers, Energy Service Providers and the Energy End Users) is a must for the acceptance and large-scale adoption of RETs in rural areas of the developing countries. The programme funds for the promotion and implementation of RETs should have good percentage earmarked for the capacity building as well as supporting infrastructure for awareness, motivation, promotional and post installation services activities by local field level organizations and NGOs on a long term basis. (orig.)

Promotion strategies for renewable energy in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Falin; Lu, Shyi-Min; Chi-Chuan, Wang; Chang, Yi-Lin

2008-01-01

To promote the development and application of renewable energy, under the planning and execution of Bureau of Energy of Ministry of Economical Affairs (BOEMOEA), Taiwan has implemented many measures for subsidizing the installation of RE apparatus since 2000. Besides subsidizing the installing expenses, Taiwanese government also provides incentive measures of finance/tax, such as investment deduction and accelerating depreciation. The successive growth of the amount of installing cases has apparently constructed the base of promotion and application of renewable energy; on the other hand, many barriers to be overcome were continuously discovered during the executing processes. To effectively remove these promoting barriers, the Energy Commission (the pre-BOE) issued 'Renewable Energy Development Plan' through the endorsement of Executive Yuan in January 2002. The purpose of this plan is to establish an inter-ministerial coordinating mechanism of a higher administrative level, which may focus all resources to be functioned as a working team. In the meantime, to further establish a systematically promoting mechanism, the Bureau of Energy then pushes the legislation of 'Renewable Energy Development Bill'. According to the drafted plan of this law, the power capacity of renewable energies will be 12% share of the national power installation capacity by 2020. Furthermore, in the Nuclear-free Homeland National Conference held in June 2003, government planned that the power capacity of renewable energy must reach 10% of the total power capacity in the nation by 2010. However, the share of the power capacity of renewable energy to the national power installation capacity is only 6.17%, currently, so there is still a lot of growing space for the development of renewable energy in Taiwan. (author)

Generator Requirements For Rural Electrification From Renewable Energy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dzune Mipoung, Olivare; Pragasen, Pillay

2010-09-15

This paper addresses the issue of rural electrification from renewable energy. A brief introduction on biomass and wind electrical systems is given. The aim of this research is to propose optimal electrification system design for rural areas. This requires suitable generators selection as a starting point. Some generator types for rural electrification systems are introduced, followed by a discussion on the selection criteria. Simulation results of a typical electrification system for remote areas are obtained to support the safety aspect related to the individual generator types, in the event of accidental rotor motion. All simulations are done in Matlab-Simulink.

Solar-based rural electrification policy design: The Renewable Energy Service Company (RESCO) model in Fiji

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dornan, M. [Resource Management in Asia-Pacific Program, The Crawford School of Economics and Government, The Australian National University, Acton ACT 2601 (Australia)

2011-02-15

Solar photovoltaic technologies have for some time been promoted as a cost effective means of rural electrification in developing countries. However, institutional structures resulting in poor maintenance have adversely affected the sustainability of past solar projects. In Fiji, the Renewable Energy Service Company (RESCO) program is the latest attempt to promote solar-based rural electrification in a fee-for-service model, aiming to remove the high upfront capital costs associated with solar technologies and using a public-private sector partnership for maintenance. This paper assesses the program using survey and interview data. Major flaws are identified, relating to incorrect treatment of principal-agent problems, information asymmetries, motivational problems, and resourcing of government agencies. General lessons for fee-for-service solar home system models emerge, including that incentives for stakeholders must take centre stage in designing and administering such programs, and that active government support and ownership are required to make programs sustainable. (author)

An Intelligent Approach to Strengthening of the Rural Electrical Power Supply Using Renewable Energy Resources

Science.gov (United States)

Robert, F. C.; Sisodia, G. S.; Gopalan, S.

2017-08-01

The healthy growth of economy lies in the balance between rural and urban development. Several developing countries have achieved a successful growth of urban areas, yet rural infrastructure has been neglected until recently. The rural electrical grids are weak with heavy losses and low capacity. Renewable energy represents an efficient way to generate electricity locally. However, the renewable energy generation may be limited by the low grid capacity. The current solutions focus on grid reinforcement only. This article presents a model for improving renewable energy integration in rural grids with the intelligent combination of three strategies: 1) grid reinforcement, 2) use of storage and 3) renewable energy curtailments. Such approach provides a solution to integrate a maximum of renewable energy generation on low capacity grids while minimising project cost and increasing the percentage of utilisation of assets. The test cases show that a grid connection agreement and a main inverter sized at 60 kW (resp. 80 kW) can accommodate a 100 kWp solar park (resp. 100 kW wind turbine) with minimal storage.

Coping with the energy crisis: Impact assessment and potentials of non-traditional renewable energy in rural Kyrgyzstan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Melisande F.M.; Pistorius, Till

2012-01-01

The Kyrgyz energy sector is characterised by a dramatic energy crisis that has deprived a substantial part of the population from access to energy. Non-traditional renewable energy sources have emerged as a promising alternative in providing basic energy services to the rural poor. Based on qualitative interview data from local households and project planners, this study sets out to assess impacts, limitations and barriers of non-traditional renewable energy projects in rural areas in Kyrgyzstan. This study argues that recent renewable energy efforts from multilateral international agencies, the private sector, and nongovernmental organisations exhibit great potential in creating tangible benefits and improving basic energy services, but have so far been inefficient in establishing and replicating sustainable and long-term energy solutions. Existing practices need to be improved by attaching greater importance to the capacities and real needs of the rural poor. The guidance of integrated programmes and policies along with alternative financing schemes and awareness-raising are urgently needed to leverage local success stories and to facilitate a sustainable energy development in rural Kyrgyzstan. - Highlights: ► We examine 11 rural households and 5 project planners in rural Kyrgyzstan. ► We assess impacts of non-traditional renewable energies compared with conventional fuels. ► Renewable energies exhibit a range of tangible benefits for rural users. ► Limitations concern performance, durability, repair, acceptance, finance and policy. ► Renewable energy is a promising alternative for rural households in Kyrgyzstan.

Sustainability-guided promotion of renewable electricity generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Madlener, Reinhard; Stagl, Sigrid

2005-01-01

In recent years, the threat of global climate change, high fuel import dependence, and rapidly rising electricity demand levels have intensified the quest for more sustainable energy systems. This in turn has increased the need for policy makers to promote electricity generation from renewable energy sources. Guaranteed prices coupled with a buy-back obligation for electricity fed into the grid is a popular renewables promotion instrument, especially in Europe. More recently, driven mainly by electricity market liberalisation efforts, quota targets for the share of renewables in combination with tradable 'green' certificates (TGC) have received considerable attention. TGC offer a greater theoretical potential for economic efficiency gains, due to price competition and the greater flexibility assigned to the obliged parties. While guaranteed prices and TGC schemes support the operation of renewable energy technology systems, bidding schemes for renewable energy generation capacity are used to raise economic efficiency on the plant construction side. All of these policy instruments suffer from the shortcoming that they do not explicitly account for the often widely varying environmental, social and economic impacts of the technologies concerned. In this paper, we propose a methodology for the design of renewable energy policy instruments that is based on integrated assessment. In particular, we argue that using participatory multicriteria evaluation as part of the design of renewable energy promotion policies would make it possible: (1) to differentiate the level of promotion in a systematic and transparent manner according to their socio-ecological economic impact, and (2) to explicitly account for the preferences of stakeholders. A further problem of existing TGC and bidding schemes is that diversity of supply could be severely diminished, if few low-cost technologies were allowed to dominate the renewable energy market. To ensure a certain diversity of

An ecosystem approach to climate policy : the role of rural renewable energy design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Venema, H.D.

2004-01-01

Climate change provides renewed importance to the issues of rural energy and the task of providing modern, sustainable energy services to the 2 billion people around the world who rely on biomass energy. Impoverished countries are most vulnerable to the adverse affects of climate change. The author argues that energy deprivation must be addressed in order to alleviate poverty, and that increased energy provision to the world's poor is not a development option, rather a basic necessity. The choices made in how that energy is delivered can either intensify climate change or mitigate it. There are many changes that are transforming the power sector. Deregulation is providing new business opportunities for independent power producers and contributing to the break up of vertically integrated power utilities. Ecosystem and community-based methods to rural development are contributing to the application of decentralized renewable energy source development. In countries such as India, policy-makers have legislated decentralized renewable energy systems. This study addresses the fact that there are no appropriate design tools for ecosystem-oriented rural energy planning. The author therefore presents a newly developed ecosystem-based approach to rural energy systems design whose main components include the use of a complex adaptive system theory to establish rural energy system design principles; a human energetics model for studying the influence of bioenergy resource accessibility; and spatial optimization methods for rural biomass energy planning. The approach was refined to include landscape structure optimization for biodiversity objectives using landscape ecology concepts in subregions of India. It was then generalized for regional-scale distributed renewable energy system designs with integrated bioenergy, wind and solar resource assessment

Renewable energy sources (promotion)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cook, F.

1986-01-01

Permission to present a Bill to establish an independent commission directly responsible for the research, development and demonstration of clean, renewable, alternative sources of energy (to nuclear energy) is requested. The paragraphs of the preamble to the Bill are summarized by the Member seeking permission. The main reason for promoting renewable energy sources is opposition to the nuclear industry. One objection was raised. However, permission was granted to present the Bill and it was read for the first time with a second reading ordered for 7 March 1986. The Bill itself is not reprinted but the permission and question are reported verbatim. (U.K.)

Renewable energy for rural communities in Maharashtra, India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blenkinsopp, T.; Coles, S.R; Kirwan, K.

2013-01-01

The desire for universal access to modern energy and the use of renewable energy technologies (RETs) as a means of delivering low carbon solutions are driven by several local and global factors, including climate change, population increase and future energy security. Social attitudes are a major challenge to overcome in order to successfully introduce low carbon technologies as a sustainable alternative to more traditional means of energy provision. It becomes a challenge to educate the target population in order to counteract any negative preconceptions or scepticisms in using these technologies which can have adverse effect upon their viability and long term success. This work presents the results of a rural energy survey conducted in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The survey highlights the opportunities and attitudes of these rural communities towards sustainable modern energy services and the technologies used to deliver them. Results from the survey show that there is interest in using sustainable or renewable technologies for energy provision and suggest that cost, reliability and ease of use are more important factors than the environmental benefits. A suggestion for a way to improve RET adoption in rural communities is also presented based on the results of this study. - Highlights: • Survey used to assess energy usage and perception of RETs in rural communities. • Despite lack of preference towards one RET the majority believe in their expanded use. • Cost, reliability and ease of use most influential factors when selecting a fuel. • Assessment of community needs can aid RET adoption by improving long term viability

Renewable energy in Pakistan: opportunities and challenges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mirza, I.A.; Khalil, M.S.

2011-01-01

Most of the countries around the world have realized that the key to attaining and maintaining prosperity and sovereignty is having independence and self-reliance in access to and subsequent use of energy. To address the global challenges, the energy system needs to undergo a transformation from fossil-fuels to renewable energy and energy efficient technologies. Pakistan has a huge potential for harnessing renewable energy and its share in the electricity mix has to be increased to achieve energy security. Security issues and circular debt in the country are the key challenges that need to be addressed to promote on-grid renewable energy through private sector. Around 38 % of the total Pakistani population remains without access to electricity. Fifty four per cent of the rural population currently has no access to electricity, forcing them to live a sub-standard life of poverty and social inequity. Microfinance and other innovative financial tools need to be evolved to promote rural electrification through renewable energies. (author)

Rural and Renewable Energy Project: Renewable and Alternative Energy Devices and Viable Alternatives to Fuelwood and Kerosene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-12-01

The need for conservation of the nation's trees and other forestry resources so as to make the Government's reafforestation, soil erosion and desertification control programs successful, is a matter that requires serious attention. This is because the bulk of the people of this country, who are in the rural areas, depend massively on fuelwood as their source of energy for cooking. For a large percentage of the urban dwellers, the situation is not much different since the recent increases in the prices of kerosene and liquefied petroleum gas has forced many to opt for fuelwood for cooking. Viable renewable and alternative energy systems like solar cookers, biogas plants, improved wood burning stoves, briquetted biomass and smokeless coal briquettes and stoves are essential for the provision of alternative cooking fuels and methodologies. Furthermore, the inefficient open-to-sun drying method is prevalent, while the rural areas are particularly starved of petroleum products and grid electricity. Modern solar dryers, solar-PV, wind and hydropower can be used to meet some of the energy needs of the rural population. This paper discusses these renewable and alternative devices and how they can be integrated into the Nigerian rural energy system. (author)

Renewable energy rural electrification. Sustainability aspects of the Mexican programme in practice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huacuz, J.M.; Martinez, A.M.

1995-01-01

During the last 20 years Mexico has been fertile ground for rural projects using renewable energy technologies. In many cases, however, sustainability aspects were either improperly handled or essentially ignored. Such was the case, for instance, with solar thermal water pumping projects, solar water desalination, and even complete 'solar towns'. Painful but important lessons were learned from such failed projects. Now, sustainability is the focal point of a current rural electrification programme with renewable energy. As of this writing, over 24,000 individual home photovoltaic lighting systems have already been installed in different regions of Mexico; another 12,000 systems are estimated to have been installed in rural areas as a result of private commercial activities; seven village-size hybrid systems (photovoltaic-wind and photovoltaic-wind-diesel) have also been implemented. With this, the Mexican renewable energy rural electrification programme stands among the largest programmes of its kind in the world today. The question of the programme's sustainability has been a major concern at the Electrical Research Institute of Mexico (IIE), where activities have been under way since the start to lend it technical support. The lessons learned in the process will be discussed in this article. (author). 8 refs

Key Success Factors of Renewable Energy Projects Implementation in Rural Areas of Indonesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wati Hermawati

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This paper is an exploratory study on renewable energy implementation in the rural areas of Indonesia. The study aim was to investigate the factors contributing to the sustainability of renewable energy projects in the rural areas. It mostly uses a qualitative approach. Primary data was mainly obtained from in-depth interviews conducted in site areas with the project owners, project managers, a key person in each local government, industry representatives, and the local community, including local leaders and users of renewable energy. Secondary data in the form of various official project reports was also used. The results indicated that the success of energy project implementation lay not only in good technology performance and long-term maintenance, but was also highly dependent on six key factors, namely: (1 project planning and development; (2 community participation; (3 active communication and beneficiaries; (4 availability of maintenance program, workshop and technician; (5 project management and institutionalization; (6 local government support and networks. The findings from this study provide useful insights to all stakeholders involved in the implementation of renewable energy technology for the rural areas in Indonesia.

Perspectives on Promoting Regional Renewable Energy Research and Development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dresselhaus, M.

2008-01-01

Recent discussions at the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference (WIREC), hosted in March 2008 by the United States Government, with nearly 9000 participants including 103 ministers from 126 countries, concluded that a major acceleration in the adoption of renewable energy technologies was needed by mid-century. Because of different climatic conditions and societal preferences, regional cooperation is expected to play a major role in the efficient adoption of appropriate renewable energy technologies, and countries with special expertise in specific technologies seem eager to collaborate internationally to promote global goals in renewable energy. A review will be given of what we learned from this conference about renewable energy research and development strategies with a special focus given to using this basic knowledge base to promote the development of renewable energy technologies appropriate to specific regions of the world.(author)

The developing rural electrification plan continues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinez, Veronica

2001-01-01

The article overviews the current situation of the rural electrification in Guatemala, including demand and supply of energy and the plans of the government in covering the rural areas through the promotion of renewable energy sources

Cost-effectiveness and incidence of renewable energy promotion in Germany

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boehringer, Christoph [Oldenburg Univ. (Germany). Dept. of Economics; Landis, Florian [Eidgenoessische Technische Hochschule, Zurich (Switzerland); Tovar Reanos, Miguel Angel [Zentrum fuer Europaeische Wirtschaftsforschung GmbH (ZEW), Mannheim (Germany)

2017-08-01

Over the last decade Germany has boosted renewable energy in power production by means of massive subsidies. The flip side are very high electricity prices which raises concerns that the transition cost towards a renewable energy system will be mainly borne by poor households. In this paper, we combine computable general equilibrium and microsimulation analysis to investigate the cost-effectiveness and incidence of Germany's renewable energy promotion. We find that the regressive effects of renewable energy promotion could be ameliorated by alternative subsidy financing mechanisms which achieve the same level of electricity generation from renewable energy sources.

Drivers, barriers, and strategies for implementation of renewable energy technologies in rural areas in Bangladesh-An innovation system analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alam Hossain Mondal, Md.; Kamp, Linda M.; Pachova, Nevelina I.

2010-01-01

Bangladesh has good potential for harnessing renewable energy sources such as solar, biomass, wind, and mini-hydropower. The country has been experiencing a gradual shift towards exploring renewable energy resources as a driving force for rural development. A few public sector and non-government organizations have started to develop renewable energy technology (RET) projects in rural areas. The lessons learnt from different demonstrations of RET projects reveal that with careful forward planning renewable energy can provide far-reaching economic, environmental, and social benefits to people living in remote rural areas in Bangladesh. This paper identifies some of the barriers that need to be overcome for the successful development of renewable energy technology sector and betterment of rural livelihoods. It does so through a critical review of policy and institutional settings, as well as present status and lessons learnt from pilot demonstration of a number of RET projects undertaken by different organizations. The study highlights policy implications of the review with the aim of supporting decision makers in formulating renewable energy policies and future plans for Bangladesh.

Drivers, barriers, and strategies for implementation of renewable energy technologies in rural areas in Bangladesh. An innovation system analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alam Hossain Mondal, Md. [Center for Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn, Walter-Flex-Str. 3, 53113 Bonn (Germany); Kamp, Linda M. [Delft University of Technology, TPM Faculty, Section Technology Dynamics and Sustainable Development, Jaffalaan 5, 2628 BX Delft (Netherlands); Pachova, Nevelina I. [Institute for Environment and Human Security, United Nations University, UNU-EHS, Hermann-Ehlers-Str. 10, 53113 Bonn (Germany)

2010-08-15

Bangladesh has good potential for harnessing renewable energy sources such as solar, biomass, wind, and mini-hydropower. The country has been experiencing a gradual shift towards exploring renewable energy resources as a driving force for rural development. A few public sector and non-government organizations have started to develop renewable energy technology (RET) projects in rural areas. The lessons learnt from different demonstrations of RET projects reveal that with careful forward planning renewable energy can provide far-reaching economic, environmental, and social benefits to people living in remote rural areas in Bangladesh. This paper identifies some of the barriers that need to be overcome for the successful development of renewable energy technology sector and betterment of rural livelihoods. It does so through a critical review of policy and institutional settings, as well as present status and lessons learnt from pilot demonstration of a number of RET projects undertaken by different organizations. The study highlights policy implications of the review with the aim of supporting decision makers in formulating renewable energy policies and future plans for Bangladesh. (author)

Drivers, barriers, and strategies for implementation of renewable energy technologies in rural areas in Bangladesh-An innovation system analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alam Hossain Mondal, Md., E-mail: alam-hossain@uni-bonn.d [Center for Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn, Walter-Flex-Str. 3, 53113 Bonn (Germany); Kamp, Linda M. [Delft University of Technology, TPM Faculty, Section Technology Dynamics and Sustainable Development, Jaffalaan 5, 2628 BX Delft (Netherlands); Pachova, Nevelina I. [Institute for Environment and Human Security, United Nations University, UNU-EHS, Hermann-Ehlers-Str. 10, 53113 Bonn (Germany)

2010-08-15

Bangladesh has good potential for harnessing renewable energy sources such as solar, biomass, wind, and mini-hydropower. The country has been experiencing a gradual shift towards exploring renewable energy resources as a driving force for rural development. A few public sector and non-government organizations have started to develop renewable energy technology (RET) projects in rural areas. The lessons learnt from different demonstrations of RET projects reveal that with careful forward planning renewable energy can provide far-reaching economic, environmental, and social benefits to people living in remote rural areas in Bangladesh. This paper identifies some of the barriers that need to be overcome for the successful development of renewable energy technology sector and betterment of rural livelihoods. It does so through a critical review of policy and institutional settings, as well as present status and lessons learnt from pilot demonstration of a number of RET projects undertaken by different organizations. The study highlights policy implications of the review with the aim of supporting decision makers in formulating renewable energy policies and future plans for Bangladesh.

Renewable energy scenario and disregarded petition of rural populace of an Indian island: A critical survey and concept of an inexpensive artifact

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ghosh, Tamal; Nath, Saswata; Chakraborty, Tanmoy

2011-07-01

This study attempts to establish the challenges associated to solar energy scenario in rural living of south-east of Indian province namely West Bengal and to suggest an inexpensive solar artifact with an aim to cater to the areas which are scarcely electrified and primarily in countryside. Stockpile of fossil fuels are depleting and there is an urgent need of promoting renewable energy products that can pertinently be supported by this clean energy. Renewable energy is alternate source of energy or non-conventional energy such as, solar energy, water energy, wind energy, biomass and bio-gas energy, tidal energy, Geo-thermal energy, hydrogen energy. Scope of this article converges on disregarded demand scenario of rural inhabitants and fostering inexpensive appropriate solar technology based product. For subsequent investigation a critical socio-technical survey has also been conducted in the rural Sundarban area of Southern part of West Bengal, with an aim to acquire the glimpse of the presently operating government project on solar technology and to identify the demand and solar product there for.

Rural population and renewable energy sources: Experiences of the Republic of Serbia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pucar Mila

2006-01-01

Full Text Available During the last decade of the twentieth century the use of green (renewable energy has become the imperative not only in developed countries worldwide, but also in poorer countries like Asia and Africa. The change from traditional to renewable energy sources carries valuable improvements in environmental protection and economic efficacy. This paper through individual examples, explores the possibility of replacing traditional with renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, energy of small hydroelectric power plants, etc. worldwide and in rural Serbian communities.

Is renewable energy effective in promoting growth?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marques, António Cardoso; Fuinhas, José Alberto

2012-01-01

This paper applies panel data techniques to analyze the role of the various energy sources in economic growth, for a set of 24 European countries (1990–2007), controlling for energy consumption and energy dependency. The results suggest that the negative effect of the use of renewables supplants the positive effect of creating income by exploiting a natural resource locally, and thus growth does not appear to improve with the change towards renewables. The high costs of promoting renewables are probably being placed excessively upon the economy, namely by increasing the costs of electricity tariffs, thus inducing a deceleration in economic activity. Fossil fuels lead to dissimilar effects on growth while natural gas does not appear to be relevant in explaining growth. Coal hampers the capacity for growth, whereas the use of oil stimulates that growth. This is in line with productive structures that are deeply grounded in fossil fuels, particularly oil. - Highlights: ► We empirically test the distinct effects of decomposing energy by source on growth. ► We focus on 24 European Countries (1990–1907) by applying a panel data approach. ► Fossil fuels lead to dissimilar effects on growth. Coal hampers and oil stimulates it. ► Economic growth does not appear to improve with the paradigm change to renewable. ► High costs of promotion of renewables are being placed excessively upon the economy.

Renewable Energy for Rural Economic Development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hartman, Cathy L. [Utah State Univ., Logan, UT (United States); Stafford, Edwin R. [Utah State Univ., Logan, UT (United States)

2013-09-30

When Renewable Energy for Rural Economic Development (RERED) began in 2005, Utah had no commercial wind power projects in operation. Today, the state hosts two commercial wind power plants, the Spanish Fork Wind Project and the Milford Wind Corridor Project, totaling 324 megawatts (MW) of wind capacity. Another project in San Juan County is expected to break ground very soon, and two others, also in San Juan County, are in the approval process. RERED has played a direct role in advancing wind power (and other renewable energy and clean technology innovations) in Utah through its education outreach and research/publication initiatives. RERED has also witnessed and studied some of the persistent barriers facing wind power development in communities across Utah and the West, and its research expanded to examine the diffusion of other energy efficiency and clean technology innovations. RERED leaves a legacy of publications, government reports, and documentary films and educational videos (archived at www.cleantech.usu.edu) to provide important insights for entrepreneurs, policymakers, students, and citizens about the road ahead for transitioning society onto a cleaner, more sustainable future.

Strategies for promoting renewables in a new electric industry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Driver, B.

1996-12-31

This paper describes strategies for promoting renewable resources in an era characterized by competitive pressures in the electric industry. It begins with a background section to describe the perspective from which I am writing and the nature of the pressures confronting renewables in 1996. Then, the paper turns to a discussion of the regulatory and other options to promote renewables in this environment. The major conclusion of the paper is that there is no {open_quotes}magic bullet{close_quotes} to guide the development of renewables through the developing competitive era within the electric industry. Indeed, it appears that the job can get done only through a combination of different measures at all levels of government. The author believes that among the most effective measures are likely to be: a national renewable resources generation standard; conditions attached to restructuring events; regional interstate compacts; regional risk-sharing consortia supported by federal and state tax and fiscal policy; and state {open_quotes}systems benefits charges;{close_quotes}

Renewable Energy Technologies for Decentralised Rural Electricity Services. Report from an International Workshop

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kjellstroem, Bjoern; Arvidson, Anders; Forslund, Helena; Martinac, Ivo (eds.)

2005-02-01

The developing countries represented at the workshop were Brazil, India, Kenya, Mali, Mongolia, Nepal and Uganda. After keynote presentations which covered the experiences of different renewable electricity generation technologies in selected developing countries, the participants discussed the role of electrification in rural development, needs for further technological improvements and the needs for development of government policies for promotion of renewable energy for electricity generation. Finally, the participants discussed and agreed on recommendations addressed to donor agencies for consideration when formulating a revised Energy Policy. Renewable energy technologies should only be considered when these offer more advantages than the conventional alternatives - grid connection or stand-alone diesel generators. Such advantages may be lower costs, better supply reliability, fewer adverse local environmental impacts or better possibilities for local income-generating activities. Local needs and priorities must determine the choice of technology. Biomass-fuelled renewable technologies have a particularly strong potential in generating local economic activities compared to conventional supply options. Technologies for decentralised electricity generation using mini-hydro power plants, solar photovoltaics (PV), wind generators and biomass fuels are commercially available and are being applied in many developing countries. The limiting factors for further penetration of renewable energy are today linked to issues of cost, reliability, financing, service infrastructure, awareness of available technology and trust in the technologies from the perspective of entrepreneurs and end-users. One important limiting factor related to cost, is the capacity range within which each technology can compete with the conventional options. PV systems are still only realistic for very small power demands, whereas technologies using biomass fuels are unrealistic for small power

Renewable energy promotion in competitive electricity markets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wohlgemuth, Norbert

1999-01-01

The opening of electricity markets to competition involves fundamental structural changes in the electricity supply industry. There is, however, doubt that the new industrial organisation will provide the right price signals that will ensure that renewable energy options will be adopted. Therefore, one of the numerous challenges in the energy industry restructuring process is to ensure that renewable energy has a fair opportunity to compete with other supply resources. This paper presents mechanisms to promote the use of renewable energy in competitive electricity markets. These mechanisms include the Non Fossil Fuel Obligation (NFFO), the Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) and the Systems Benefit Charge (SBC). The paper discusses merits and disadvantages of these mechanisms, given the experience made in the United States and the United Kingdom. (author)

The economics of renewable energy expansion in rural Sub-Saharan Africa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deichmann, Uwe; Meisner, Craig; Murray, Siobhan; Wheeler, David

2011-01-01

Accelerating development in Sub-Saharan Africa will require massive expansion of access to electricity-currently reaching only about one third of households. This paper explores how essential economic development might be reconciled with the need to keep carbon emissions in check. We develop a geographically explicit framework and use spatial modeling and cost estimates from recent engineering studies to determine where stand-alone renewable energy generation is a cost effective alternative to centralized grid supply. Our results suggest that decentralized renewable energy will likely play an important role in expanding rural energy access. However, it will be the lowest cost option for a minority of households in Africa, even when likely cost reductions over the next 20 years are considered. Decentralized renewables are competitive mostly in remote and rural areas, while grid connected supply dominates denser areas where the majority of households reside. These findings underscore the need to decarbonize the fuel mix for centralized power generation as it expands in Africa. - Research highlights: → Expansion of electricity access in Sub-Saharan Africa remains a development priority. → Low carbon options are important to reduce GHG emissions growth and avoid lock-ins. → Spatially explicit cost modeling guides choice of supply options. → Decentralized renewables are lowest cost for a significant minority of households. → Grid supply remains attractive, suggesting focus on decarbonizing centralized supply.

Plan of promotion and development of unconventional renewable sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rojas M, Jose Rodrigo

2016-01-01

The plan for the promotion and development of unconventional sources renewable energies developed by the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad is explained. The percentage data from the use of unconventional renewable sources for power generation in Costa Rica is presented [es

Project of setting to contribution of renewable energies for an pre-electrification to support rural development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-01-01

The document is a project of the Government of Burkina Faso. The project aim is to increase the energy utilization renewable by the populations living in the rural areas. It aims moreover the improvement of the standard living in the rural areas, the access of rural population to basic elements to fight against poverty and rural depopulation. It is a question of popularizing in rural area, the use of the renewable energy equipment consumers, in particular the photovoltaic one. This equipment will make it possible to satisfy the requirements in lighting with the Community systems, in leisure by providing a minimum of equipment in the community centres of leisure, in drugs conservation installation in the health centres and in using energy to pump drinking water. The use of this energy source will make it possible to mitigate the non access of the rural areas to the energy produced by the National Company of Electricity of Burkina [fr

Renewable energy-based electricity for rural social and economic development in Ghana

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weingart, J.

1997-12-01

This paper describes a project whose goals include the establishment of a pilot renewable energy-based rural energy services enterprise to serve communities in the Mamprusi East District, focused on: economically productive activities; community services; household non-thermal energy. The program also seeks to establish the technical, economic, financial, institutional, and socio-cultural requirements for sustainability, to demonstrate bankability and financial sustainability, as a pre-investment prelude to commercial growth of such projects, and to establish technical, financial, and service performance standards for private sector rural energy service companies. This project is being implemented now because the government is undergoing structural reform, including privatization of the power sector, there is active foreign capital available for international development, and the government and people are committed to and able to pay for renewable energy services.

RENOVE: an organization net for the third sector promoting the development of the renewable sources in Brazil; RENOVE: uma rede de organizacoes do terceiro setor promovendo o desenvolvimento das fontes renovaveis no Brasil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ribeiro, Claudio Moises; Souza, Aurelio Andrade de [Winrock International Brasil, Salvador, BA (Brazil)]. E-mail: cribeiro@winrock.org.br; Rosa, Fabio Luis de Oliveira [RENOVE - Rede Nacional das Organizacoes da Sociedade Civil para as Energias Renovaveis, Porto Alegre RS (Brazil). Secretaria Executiva]. E-mail: fabrosa@plug-in.com.br

2002-07-01

The National Network of Civil Society Organizations for Renewable Energy RENOVE was founded in Brazil on June 17th, 2000, to promote the use and application of renewable energy in production and integrated activities, especially in isolated rural areas, environmental protection areas and their surroundings. The network is formed of sixteen founding members. It promotes integration activities among the members, and is currently preparing to participate in the process of universalization of electricity services in Brazil. RENOVE is now implementing its Executive Secretary to optimize and carry out its actions. Cooperation between members has already lead to joint renewable energy application projects and training initiatives besides declarations in support of the development of a national renewable energy policy. (author)

Multicriteria method to evaluate the operation of technologies of renewable energy in rural areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cherni, Judilh

2003-01-01

This paper evaluates the problem of the selection of renewable energy alternatives in rural regions in the developing world. We discuss a multicriteria method, map result, for assessing the effectiveness and sustainability of the energy systems that have been installed in rural areas. The purpose is to improve the effectiveness of energization policies

Multicriteria focus to evaluate the operation of technologies of renewable energy in rural areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cherni, Judith A

2003-01-01

This paper evaluates the problem of the selection of renewable energy alternatives in rural regions in the developing world. We discuss a multicriteria method, MAP RESURL, for assessing the effectiveness and sustainability of the energy systems that have been installed in rural areas. The purpose is to improve the effectiveness of energization policies

Promotion of renewable energy sources in Romania

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turcu, Ioan

2005-01-01

Romania's climate and geographical conditions offer the following types of renewable energy sources: solar energy, wind energy, hydro energy, biomass and geothermal energy. These are here considered within the country's energy balance on medium and long term. Romania has a significant renewable energy potential. Unfortunately at present this potential is not used but to a small extent, except for hydraulic energy and biomass (especially as firewood), the latter being used in the great majority of cases in low performance installations. Government Decision No. 443/2003 on the promotion of electric energy generation from RES and Government Decision No. 1535/2003 regarding the Strategy of RES, establish the legal framework necessary for the promotion of RES in Romania. Consequently, an Action Plan defining actions, measures, responsibilities and financial sources has been settled. (author)

Renewable energy for rural development in Ethiopia: the case for new energy policies and institutional reform

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wolde-Ghiorgis, W. [Addis Ababa Univ., Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)

2002-09-01

This article argues the case for introducing new energy policies in Ethiopia that will ensure energy initiatives for rural development meet the desired expectations. A review of the rural energy sector in Ethiopia is presented. Rural communities have for centuries relied solely on traditional biomass energy sources, human and animal power. In addition, sample findings show that the basic stock of traditional biomass energy resources is dwindling fast for two reasons: one, due to rapid population growth; and two, due to the absence of energy substitutes for traditional energy sources. Renewable energy technologies and other modern energy technologies are almost non-existent. In terms of budgetary allocation, rural energy development has not received a fair share of public investment in comparison to education, rural road construction and health. A key policy recommendation made in this article is the need for commitment from concerned authorities to the use of renewables for spurring rural development. This could be done through increasing the budget allocation to rural energy, which is currently negligible. Other policy recommendations include the modification of existing institutional frameworks for rural energy delivery, and the design and implementation of appropriate rural energy initiatives suitable for productive activities and sustainable development. (Author)

Renewable energy in eastern Asia: Renewable energy policy review and comparative SWOT analysis for promoting renewable energy in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Wei-Ming; Kim, Hana; Yamaguchi, Hideka

2014-01-01

Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan are deficient of domestic fossil energy sources and depend significantly on imported fuels. Since the oil shock in the 1970s, all three countries have promoted renewable energy as an alternative energy source to improve energy security. Currently, renewable energy is being promoted to build low-carbon economies. This study reviews the development of renewable energy policies and roadmaps. It also examines and compares strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) of these countries in the context of advancing renewable energy policies and technologies and expanding domestic renewable energy installations, as well as strategically positioning themselves in the international renewable energy market as exporters of clean energy technologies. Through the SWOT analysis, this paper identifies a capacity for additional renewable energy deployment in these countries and highlights the necessity of increased cooperation between the three countries to strengthen their domestic and regional renewable energy sectors and compete in the global renewable energy market in the post-Fukushima era. - Highlights: • Japan, South Korea and Taiwan need to develop renewable energy (RE). • These countries have been too conservative to achieve a notable share of RE. • Pro-nuclear energy policies have hindered the RE development in these countries. • The Fukushima disaster made these countries more favorable to RE. • Joint cooperation for R and D and deployment of RE is recommended

Renewable, ethical? Assessing the energy justice potential of renewable electricity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aparajita Banerjee

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Energy justice is increasingly being used as a framework to conceptualize the impacts of energy decision making in more holistic ways and to consider the social implications in terms of existing ethical values. Similarly, renewable energy technologies are increasingly being promoted for their environmental and social benefits. However, little work has been done to systematically examine the extent to which, in what ways and in what contexts, renewable energy technologies can contribute to achieving energy justice. This paper assesses the potential of renewable electricity technologies to address energy justice in various global contexts via a systematic review of existing studies analyzed in terms of the principles and dimensions of energy justice. Based on publications including peer reviewed academic literature, books, and in some cases reports by government or international organizations, we assess renewable electricity technologies in both grid integrated and off-grid use contexts. We conduct our investigation through the rubric of the affirmative and prohibitive principles of energy justice and in terms of its temporal, geographic, socio-political, economic, and technological dimensions. Renewable electricity technology development has and continue to have different impacts in different social contexts, and by considering the different impacts explicitly across global contexts, including differences between rural and urban contexts, this paper contributes to identifying and understanding how, in what ways, and in what particular conditions and circumstances renewable electricity technologies may correspond with or work to promote energy justice.

Cost-effectiveness and incidence of renewable energy promotion in Germany

OpenAIRE

Böhringer, Christoph; Landis, Florian; Tovar Reaños, Miguel Angel

2017-01-01

Over the last decade Germany has boosted renewable energy in power production by means of massive subsidies. The flip side are very high electricity prices which raises concerns that the transition cost towards a renewable energy system will be mainly borne by poor households. In this paper, we combine computable general equilibrium and microsimulation analysis to investigate the cost-effectiveness and incidence of Germany's renewable energy promotion. We find that the regressive effects of r...

Integration and Optimization of Renewables and Storages for Rural Electrification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Morris Brenna

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The electricity access in Sub-Saharan African countries is below 10%; thus, introducing a microgrid for rural electrification can overcome the endemic lack of modern electricity access that hampers the provision of basic services such as education, healthcare, safety, economic and social growth for rural communities. This work studies different possible comparison methods considering variations such as land area required, location for the storage, efficiency, availability and reliability of energy resources, and technology cost variability (investment cost and levelized cost of electricity, which are among the major key parameters used to assess the best possible utilization of renewables and storage system, either using them in the form of integrated, hybrid or independent systems. The study is carried out largely with the help of the Micropower optimization modeling simulator called HOMER for Ethiopia. As a result, the study proposes the use of Photovoltaic (PV–Wind–Hydro–Battery hybrid system model that concludes the optimal configuration of power systems at affordable price for underserved rural communities.

Renewable energy and its impact on rural development and sustainability in the UK

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2003-07-01

This report summarises the results of a study investigating the social and economic benefits of renewable energy by examining twelve case studies and applying the findings to the wider industry in order to forecast the effect of renewable energy on rural development. The UK government's policy on renewable energy development, the Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation, and the effect of the New Electricity Trading Arrangements (NETA) on the market price for electricity are discussed. Details are given of the case studies concerning wind power, biomass, and wind and hydro schemes; the identification of the economic impacts, the workforce involved, and the expenditure in the local area; and the use of a Keynsian local economic multiplier model to evaluate the impact of the local expenditure and the incoming investment in renewable energy.

Renewable energy and its impact on rural development and sustainability in the UK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-01-01

This report summarises the results of a study investigating the social and economic benefits of renewable energy by examining twelve case studies and applying the findings to the wider industry in order to forecast the effect of renewable energy on rural development. The UK government's policy on renewable energy development, the Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation, and the effect of the New Electricity Trading Arrangements (NETA) on the market price for electricity are discussed. Details are given of the case studies concerning wind power, biomass, and wind and hydro schemes; the identification of the economic impacts, the workforce involved, and the expenditure in the local area; and the use of a Keynsian local economic multiplier model to evaluate the impact of the local expenditure and the incoming investment in renewable energy

Assessments of wind-energy potential in selected sites from three geopolitical zones in Nigeria: implications for renewable/sustainable rural electrification.

Science.gov (United States)

Okeniyi, Joshua Olusegun; Ohunakin, Olayinka Soledayo; Okeniyi, Elizabeth Toyin

2015-01-01

Electricity generation in rural communities is an acute problem militating against socioeconomic well-being of the populace in these communities in developing countries, including Nigeria. In this paper, assessments of wind-energy potential in selected sites from three major geopolitical zones of Nigeria were investigated. For this, daily wind-speed data from Katsina in northern, Warri in southwestern and Calabar in southeastern Nigeria were analysed using the Gumbel and the Weibull probability distributions for assessing wind-energy potential as a renewable/sustainable solution for the country's rural-electrification problems. Results showed that the wind-speed models identified Katsina with higher wind-speed class than both Warri and Calabar that were otherwise identified as low wind-speed sites. However, econometrics of electricity power simulation at different hub heights of low wind-speed turbine systems showed that the cost of electric-power generation in the three study sites was converging to affordable cost per kWh of electric energy from the wind resource at each site. These power simulations identified cost/kWh of electricity generation at Kaduna as €0.0507, at Warri as €0.0774, and at Calabar as €0.0819. These bare positive implications on renewable/sustainable rural electrification in the study sites even as requisite options for promoting utilization of this viable wind-resource energy in the remote communities in the environs of the study sites were suggested.

Assessments of Wind-Energy Potential in Selected Sites from Three Geopolitical Zones in Nigeria: Implications for Renewable/Sustainable Rural Electrification

Science.gov (United States)

Okeniyi, Joshua Olusegun; Ohunakin, Olayinka Soledayo; Okeniyi, Elizabeth Toyin

2015-01-01

Electricity generation in rural communities is an acute problem militating against socioeconomic well-being of the populace in these communities in developing countries, including Nigeria. In this paper, assessments of wind-energy potential in selected sites from three major geopolitical zones of Nigeria were investigated. For this, daily wind-speed data from Katsina in northern, Warri in southwestern and Calabar in southeastern Nigeria were analysed using the Gumbel and the Weibull probability distributions for assessing wind-energy potential as a renewable/sustainable solution for the country's rural-electrification problems. Results showed that the wind-speed models identified Katsina with higher wind-speed class than both Warri and Calabar that were otherwise identified as low wind-speed sites. However, econometrics of electricity power simulation at different hub heights of low wind-speed turbine systems showed that the cost of electric-power generation in the three study sites was converging to affordable cost per kWh of electric energy from the wind resource at each site. These power simulations identified cost/kWh of electricity generation at Kaduna as €0.0507, at Warri as €0.0774, and at Calabar as €0.0819. These bare positive implications on renewable/sustainable rural electrification in the study sites even as requisite options for promoting utilization of this viable wind-resource energy in the remote communities in the environs of the study sites were suggested. PMID:25879063

Renewable energy for sustainable development and environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Omer, Abdeen

2010-09-15

The increased availability of reliable and efficient energy services stimulates new development alternatives. This article discusses the potential for such integrated systems in the stationary and portable power market in response to the critical need for a cleaner energy technology. Throughout the theme several issues relating to renewable energies, environment and sustainable development are examined from both current and future perspectives. It is concluded that renewable environmentally friendly energy must be encouraged, promoted, implemented and demonstrated by full-scale plan especially for use in remote rural areas.

Financial incentives to promote renewable energy systems in European electricity markets: a survey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haas, R.; Huber, C.; Wohlgemuth, N.

2001-01-01

Renewable energy systems may contribute to sustainable development. Therefore, one of the challenges for energy policy is to ensure that renewable energy options have a fair opportunity to compete with other supply resources. This paper presents a survey on promotion mechanisms to enhance the market penetration of renewable energies in European electricity markets. Strategies include rebates and tax incentives, regulated rates, system benefit charges, bidding-oriented mechanisms and various types of green pricing programs. The paper concludes that efficient promotion mechanisms should focus on incentives per kWh generated rather than on rebates on the investment in generating capacity (kW), and that there is no one single program type which has the best application to the promotion of all renewable technologies. For example, enhanced buy-back rates work as a dissemination strategy for wind energy but they do not work for photovoltaics. (author)

International Off-grid Renewable Energy Conference 2012: Key Findings and Recommendations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2013-06-15

IRENA co-organised the International Off-grid Renewable Energy Conference (IOREC) along with the ECOWAS Regional Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) and the Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE), in Accra, Ghana, on 1-2 November 2012. This report presents the key findings and recommendations that emerged from the roundtable discussions during IOREC. The report highlights that off-grid renewable energy systems, stand-alone and mini-grids, have the potential to play a significant role in achieving the goal of universal electricity access. In recognition of this role, their development needs to be integrated into the mainstream rural electrification strategies. While several successful deployment approaches exist, there is a need to scale up. What is required is a shift from the prevalent project-by-project approach, to one that focusses on the creation of a sustainable environment that facilitates large-scale deployment. Involvement of the private sector, and in particular of local enterprises, will be instrumental in extending electricity access in rural areas, rapidly and sustainably, and hence needs to be promoted. Off-grid renewable energy technologies produce striking synergies with sectors critical for human development, and play an important role in improving access to water supply while also extending healthcare and telecommunication services in rural areas.

How we promote renewable energies. Financing aids, examples, contacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-08-01

The present brochure informas the reader on possibilities of promotion and financing aids for renewable energies in Germany. In order to facilitate his understanding of the prinicpal technologies eligible for promotion it briefly describes the special features of the relevant technologies in an easily understandable manner. At the end the reader will find useful addresses and literature references. (orig./RHM) [de

Approaches to Economic Empowerment of Rural Women for Climate ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

There are several ways of promoting women's economic participation while also counteracting climate change. One approach in the field of climate mitigation is the promotion of renewable energies that help avoid greenhouse gas emissions. The potential of rural women as agents of change for climate mitigation and ...

Transforming lives: microcredit promotes renewable energy in Bangladesh

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Urmee, Tania; Wimmer, Nancy [Grameen Shakti, Dhaka (Bangladesh)

1999-07-01

Outlines the work of Grameen Shakti in Bangladesh in promoting the use of renewable energy, in particular the marketing strategy aimed at popularising PV systems. Challenges to the success of its strategy such as cost and competition are outlined. Biomass and wind power are briefly mentioned.

Systematic Assessment of Carbon Emissions from Renewable Energy Access to Improve Rural Livelihoods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Judith A. Cherni

2016-12-01

Full Text Available One way of increasing access to electricity for impoverished unconnected areas without adding significant amounts of CO2 to the atmosphere is by promoting renewable energy technologies. However, decision-makers rarely, if ever, take into account the level of in-built energy requirements and consequential CO2 emissions found in renewable energy, particularly photovoltaic cells and related equipment, which have been widely disseminated in developing countries. The deployment of solar panels worldwide has mostly relied on silicon crystalline cell modules, despite the fact that less polluting material—in particular, thin film and organic cells—offers comparatively distinct technical, environmental and cost advantages characteristics. A major scientific challenge has thus been the design of a single decision-making approach to assess local and global climate change-related impacts as well as the socio-economic effects of low-carbon technology. The article focuses on the functions of the multi-criteria-based tool SURE-DSS and environmental impact analysis focused on greenhouse gases (GHG emissions balance to inform the selection of technologies in terms of their impact on livelihoods and CO2eq. emissions. An application in a remote rural community in Cuba is discussed. The results of this study show that while PV silicon (c-Si, thin film (CdTe and organic solar cells may each equally meet the demands of the community and enhance people’s livelihoods, their effect on the global environment varies.

Overview of current peculiarities of promotion of energy from renewable sources in Lithuania. Country reports: Lithuania

OpenAIRE

Griguolaitė, Rita

2015-01-01

This report provides an overview of the legal background and strategic planning of development and promotion of energy from renewable sources in Lithuania. It discusses the main provisions of the Law on Energy from Renewable Sources in the sectors of electricity, transport and heat. Also, established national financial incentives for the promotion of energy from renewable sources are described.

Rural electric energy services in China: Implementing the renewable energy challenge

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weingart, J.W.

1996-12-31

This paper discusses issues related to rural electrification in China, with emphasis on a pilot project in Mongolia to implement small scale renewable energy sources. These projects consist of photovoltaic systems, wind electric systems, photovoltaic/wind hybrid systems, and wind/gasoline generator sets. These systems are small enough to implement in rural environments, more cost effective than grid type systems, and have lower cost than standard generator sets alone because of the improved reliability. The author also discusses the use of such systems for village power sources. A number of factors are contributing to the increase in such systems. Individuals are able and willing to pay for such systems, lending institutions are willing to fund such small-scale projects, they provide reliable, high quality services which support social and economic development.

Promoting Compulsory Education in Rural China: What Are the NPOs Doing?

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Huiquan

2012-01-01

Due to imbalanced social and economic development, education in poverty-stricken rural areas in China is lagging behind that of urban areas. The current study explores the role of the nonprofit organizations (NPOs) involved in rural compulsory education promotion. Results show that the NPOs are providing a variety of programs to promote rural…

Do energy efficiency measures promote the use of renewable sources?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marques, Antonio C.; Fuinhas, Jose A.

2011-01-01

This paper analyses the factors behind the deployment of renewable energy, focusing particularly on the effect of energy efficiency policies and measures. The impact of these factors is appraised within the context of several phases of the use of renewable sources. We therefore apply the quantile regression technique to a set of 21 European Countries in two time spans: from 1990 to 1998, and from 1999 to 2006. We control variables of policy, environment, socioeconomic characteristics, and electricity generation. For the second period, energy efficiency policies and measures concerning renewable sources effectively promote renewables, namely in the take-off phase. We shed light on the lobbying effect of traditional energy industries, showing that it depends both on the period under analysis, and on the kind of traditional energy source.

75 FR 29993 - Department of Commerce: Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee Renewable Energy and Energy...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-28

... Coordinating Committee Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Export Strategy To Support the National Export... Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee's (TPCC) Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Working Group is developing a U.S. Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Export Strategy (the Strategy) to guide U.S...

Renewable energy action plan. Policy action plan for promotion of renewable energy in the Czech Republic to 2010

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-08-01

Energy efficiency and renewable energy production contribute to the three major goals of the national energy policy of the Czech Republic: overall competitiveness, security of supply; and environmental protection. Therefore, the Czech government promotes these two sustainable options. The Energy Policy White Paper, which is being developed at the time of writing (June 1999), will provide the general framework for the future role of energy efficiency and renewable energy in the Czech Republic. However, in addition, it is necessary to develop specific policies. The National Energy Efficiency Study aimed to support the Czech government in the formula tion of energy efficiency and renewable energy policy. The National Energy Efficiency Study has resulted in the following documents: (1) The Renewable Energy Action Plan (this report) addresses renewable energy production. The Energy Efficiency Action Plan focuses on the promotion of energy efficiency in end use (separate report; ECN-C--99-065). These two Action Plans provide policy makers in the Czech government with information on potentials, targets, budgets and recommended policy instruments. The core of the Action Plans is the list of concrete policy actions, ready for implementation; (2) The National Energy Efficiency Study NEES (separate report; ECN-C--99-063). This report is the background document to the two Action Plans. It contains detailed information on options and measures, potentials, barriers and policy instruments for energy efficiency and renewables. The main part is a detailed outline for a new energy efficiency and renewable policy. Also, it includes recommendations for financing schemes to overcome the invest ment constraints in the Czech Republic. Finally, a list of concrete projects is included to support project identification

Promotion of Renewable Energy in a Liberalised Energy Market

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Meyer, Niels I

1998-01-01

government promotion of energy conservation and of systems based on renewable energy sources. This type of policy may in some instanes conflict with the principles of the unregulated commercial market. The official Danish target is that 35% of energy demand should be covered by renewables by year 2030......Liberalisation of energy markets has been progressing among OECD countries since the early nineties. In Europe this trend was accelerated by the decision in December 1996 by the EU Council of Ministers to adopt a new EU directive on liberalisation of the electricity market. This decision would lead...

Constructing A Multi-Microgrid with the Inclusion of Renewable Energy in Oman's Rural Power System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nasser Hosseinzadeh

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates the possibility of constructing multi-microgrids by interlinking the rural area systems in the Al Wusta governorate of the Sultanate of Oman, which are currently being supplied by diesel generators. It is proposed to enhance the rural system under study by switching off small diesel stations and replacing them with wind turbines. The microgrids formed in this way are then interlinked together to create multi-microgrids. The paper studies the interlinked multi-microgrids under different scenarios; in terms of voltage profiles and power flow using the ETAP software package. This study contributes to the feasibility study of retiring some diesel power plants and using renewable energy resources in rural Oman.

Renewable energy development and prospects in Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmad Zahedi

2000-01-01

Development of renewable energies in Australia is still in its infancy and will require active support by government, utilities and financing institutions to ensure a steady growth. Much has been done to increase the utilisation of renewable energies in the energy supply, but much still remains to be done, especially in the areas of promotion, demonstration, training and technology transfer. This process will lead to meeting the energy needs of the population in rural areas and to contributing to a suitable development of the region during the next century. Australia is endowed with a wealth of renewable energy resources that hold great promise for addressing a host of important environmental, employment and socioeconomic issues. Australia has a set of climate, geographic and other factors that provide favourable conditions for many specific renewable energy applications. The objectives of this paper is to look at the current situation of renewable energies in Australia, opportunities, constraints, current projects, available potential and future prospects. (Author)

Promoting energy conservation in the rural areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taale, K.D.

2001-01-01

It is estimated that more than 70% of the population of Ghana live in the rural areas. Cooking and heating in these areas are mainly achieved by fuelwood and other biomass. Although wood is a renewable energy resource, this is only so if it is grown faster than it is consumed. Firewood consumption exceeds forest growth in Ghana and other developing countries. Added to this, is the fact that the World's wood resource is used for such purposes as sawn timber, clearing of land and felling trees for agricultural purposes, etc. If our forests are to be preserved it is this population that has to be targeted. One method of reducing fuelwood demand is to encourage alternative supplies such as biogas (methane). Rural populations could be mobilized to construct bio-latrines in their communities to make use of the biogas generated to cook their food and also for heating purposes. Through levies, funds could be generated to undertake such projects in each community. Before this could be possible, a lot of education will have to be undertaken by the Renewable Energy unit of the Ministry of Mines and Energy. This is because many people are apprehensive of the idea of cooking with gas derived from their own feces. Some of the benefits to be derived from such a project are the use of the effluent slurry as high quality organic manure for farming. This will surely lead to increase food production and help to keep the environment clean (au)

Renewable Energy in Rural Southeastern Arizona: Decision Factors: A Comparison of the Consumer Profiles of Homeowners Who Purchased Renewable Energy Systems With Those Who Performed Other Home Upgrades or Remodeling Projects

Science.gov (United States)

Porter, Wayne Eliot

Arizona has an abundant solar resource and technologically mature systems are available to capture it, but solar energy systems are still considered to be an innovative technology. Adoption rates for solar and wind energy systems rise and fall with the political tides, and are relatively low in most rural areas in Arizona. This thesis tests the hypothesis that a consumer profile developed to characterize the adopters of renewable energy technology (RET) systems in rural Arizona is the same as the profile of other area residents who performed renovations, upgrades or additions to their homes. Residents of Santa Cruz and Cochise Counties who had obtained building permits to either install a solar or wind energy system or to perform a substantial renovation or upgrade to their home were surveyed to gather demographic, psychographic and behavioristic data. The data from 133 survey responses (76 from RET adopters and 57 from non-adopters) provided insights about their decisions regarding whether or not to adopt a RET system. The results, which are statistically significant at the 99% level of confidence, indicate that RET adopters had smaller households, were older and had higher education levels and greater income levels than the non-adopters. The research also provides answers to three related questions: First, are the energy conservation habits of RET adopters the same as those of non-adopters? Second, what were the sources of information consulted and the most important factors that motivated the decision to purchase a solar or wind energy system? And finally, are any of the factors which influenced the decision to live in a rural area in southeastern Arizona related to the decision to purchase a renewable energy system? The answers are provided, along with a series of recommendations that are designed to inform marketers and other promoters of RETs about how to utilize these results to help achieve their goals.

Renewable energy policy in remote rural areas of Western China. Implementation and socio-economic benefits

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shyu, Chian-Woei

2010-05-19

Electricity is essential for rural development. In 2005, 1.6 billion people, around a quarter of the world's population, living mostly in rural areas of developing countries, had no access to electricity. In general, remote rural areas in developing countries have little prospect of having access to grid-based electricity, which usually only extends to densely populated urban areas, where a large customer base justifies heavy expenditure for electricity infrastructure. One option for electrification in remote rural areas is to decentralize electricity systems based on renewable energy sources. However, such an option is not universally agreed upon. This dissertation examines a renewable energy-based rural electrification program, the 'Township Electrification Program', launched by the Chinese government in 2002. The Program was implemented in 1013 non-electrified townships in remote rural areas of 11 western provinces, providing electricity for 300,000 households and 1.3 million people. And at the time of research, the Program was known as the world's largest renewable energy-based rural electrification program in terms of investment volume ever carried out by a country. Two townships, Saierlong Township in Qinghai Province and Namcuo Township in Tibet Autonomous Region, were selected as cases for an in-depth examination of rural electrification practices in remote rural areas of western China. Both qualitative (interviews, observations, mapping, and transition walk) and quantitative (household survey) methods were applied in the field to collect data. The main findings of the study are summarized as follows: First, political leaders' concern over the unequal economic development of eastern and western China, as well as rural and urban areas, was the main factor triggering inclusion of the policy issue, electricity access in remote rural areas of western China, in the government's policy agenda. Second, like other energy policies, the formulation and adoption of

Models of rural disperse electrification by means of renewable energies in Latin America: an alternative proposal based on rural development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuentes, M.; Fuentes, M.; Alvarez, M.

2004-01-01

This paper discusses the overdue change in the processes of rural electrification by means of renewable energies. The actors involve in these processes have failed to contemplate every dimension of this issue: Social, Institutional, Technological, Economical, Financial and Political. We will account for the reason why the concept of sustainability must be closely related to that of local socioeconomic development. Rural electrification must be a vector for social development. It is in this context that it cannot depend exclusively on the market and its actors, but it must be immersed within rural development planning. For this new paradigm to work properly, donor agencies -mainly- should understand the dynamics of socioeconomic development, contemplating the different local characteristics of small rural communities; they should provide genuine financial support within an adequate regulatory framework and active participation should be encouraged, both of the local community and of local enterprises. The sustainability of these initiatives is determined not only by the consideration of the dimensions above but also by the creation of labour possibilities or lack thereof. (authors)

Advanced mechanisms for the promotion of renewable energy-Models for the future evolution of the German Renewable Energy Act

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Langniss, Ole; Diekmann, Jochen; Lehr, Ulrike

2009-01-01

The German Renewable Energy Act (EEG) has been very successful in promoting the deployment of renewable electricity technologies in Germany. The increasing share of EEG power in the generation portfolio, increasing amounts of fluctuating power generation, and the growing European integration of power markets governed by competition calls for a re-design of the EEG. In particular, a more efficient system integration and commercial integration of the EEG power is needed to, e.g. better matching feed-in to demand and avoiding stress on electricity grids. This article describes three different options to improve the EEG by providing appropriate incentives and more flexibility to the promotion mechanism and the quantitative compensation scheme without jeopardising the fast deployment of renewable energy technologies. In the 'Retailer Model', it becomes the responsibility of the end-use retailers to adapt the EEG power to the actual demand of their respective customers. The 'Market Mediator Model' establishes an independent market mediator responsible to market the renewable electricity. This model is the primary choice when new market entrants are regarded as crucial for the better integration of renewable energy and enhanced competition. The 'Optional Bonus Model' relies more on functioning markets since power plant operators can alternatively choose to market the generated electricity themselves with a premium on top of the market price instead of a fixed price

Promoting renewable energy: Lessons learned from 20 years of experimentation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Haas, Reinhard; Meyer, Niels I; Held, Anne

2008-01-01

Currently, the promotion of electricity generated from Renewable Energy Sources (RES-E) has gained high priority in the energy policy strategies of many countries world-wide. Since RES-E contribute to climate protection and security of electricity supply their market deployment has been supported...... since the first oil price shock in 1973. A wide range of strategies has been implemented during this time in different countries to increase the share of RES-E. However, historic development of electricity generated from RES-E was characterised by large differences between the countries due to national...... of European renewable legislation. The most important conclusions of this analysis are: (i) regardless of which strategy is chosen, it is of superior relevance that there is a clear focus on the promotion of newly installed plants; (ii) currently, a well-designed (dynamic) feed-in tariff system provides...

Power from renewable sources of energy should be promoted

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wartburg, L. von

2005-01-01

This short article presents the views of five experts concerning a model for the promotion of the use of solar energy that was developed by the Swiss Association of Electricity Utilities VSE. The model is based on a tendering system for promotion of solar installations. Also, various points of view are presented on the questions concerning the opening of the electricity market in Switzerland, the effect of the introduction of a CO 2 levy and the status of the promotion of renewable forms of energy in the future. Opinions on the VSE's model and the competitiveness of Swiss electricity utilities in comparison with those in the European Union are stated

Promoting implementation of sustainable development goals in rural ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Promoting implementation of sustainable development goals in rural Nigeria: II food security issues and their determinants among cassava-based farming households in Akpabuyo Local Government Area, Cross River State, Nigeria.

The hidden winners of renewable energy promotion: Insights into sector-specific wage differentials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Antoni, Manfred; Janser, Markus; Lehmer, Florian

2015-01-01

In light of Germany's energy system transformation, this paper examines differences in employment structures and wage differentials between renewable energy establishments and their sector peers. To do so, we have developed a novel data set by linking company-level information from the German Renewable Energy Federation with administrative establishment-level data from the Institute for Employment Research. Descriptive evidence shows significant differences in wages and several other characteristics between renewable energy establishments and their sector peers. Our estimates give evidence that human capital and other establishment-level characteristics mostly explain the wage differential among manufacturers and energy providers. However, we find a persistent ‘renewable energy wage premium' of more than ten percent in construction/installation activities and architectural/engineering services. We interpret this premium as a positive indirect effect of the promotion of renewable energies for the benefit of employees in renewable energy establishments within these two sectors. - Highlights: • Renewable energy (RE) firms pay considerably more than their non-RE sector peers. • In manufacturing and energy supply, firm attributes explain mainly the wage gap. • In installation, planning and project management one third remains unexplained. • This unexplained rest represents a ‘RE wage premium’ of around 10 percent. • The employees in both sectors are the ‘hidden winners’ of RE promotion.

The rural utility response to Colorado's electricity mandates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tierney, Sean

2011-01-01

When Colorado voters passed Amendment 37 in 2004, it became the first state to pass a renewable portfolio standard at the ballet box, suggesting broad appeal to harness and pay for renewable energy. While large urban utilities are prepared to make this transition, smaller cities and rural areas, for various financial and scale issues are severely disadvantaged in trying to incorporate more renewable energy sources into their electricity mix. This was evident by the state's support for Amendment 37, which was passed due to strong support in the Denver metro area-representing nearly half of the state's population. Support for the bill was poor in the rest of the state. Nevertheless, in 2007, the state expanded up Amendment 37 by forcing the utilities in rural communities to diversify their electricity mix. This study surveyed the managers at the state's various rural electric cooperatives and municipal utilities in an effort to gage their attitudes concerning: carbon legislation, conservation and efficiency programs, and their plans for making the transition away from fossil fuel generation. - Highlights: → Communities served by rural utilities opposed Colorado's state-wide RPS, but were forced to adhere anyway. → Most rural utilities are very concerned about the economic impacts of trying to diversify their energy portfolios. → Many of these unregulated utilities were already pushing DSM programs to promote conservation and improve efficiency.

Financing renewable energy for Village Power application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Santibanez-Yeneza, G.

1997-12-01

When one talks of rural development, no doubt, the issue of rural energy is not far behind. As a significant component of any development strategy, rural energy is seen as the engine for growth that can bring about economic upliftment in the countryside. Many approaches to rural energy development have been tried. These approaches differ from country to country. But regardless of structure and approach, the goal remain essentially the same: to provide rural communities access to reliable energy services at affordable prices. In recent years, as global concern for the environment has increased, many governments have turned to renewable energy as a more environment friendly alternative to rural electrification. Technological advances in renewable energy application has helped to encourage this use. System reliability has improved, development costs have, to some extent been brought down and varied application approaches have been tried and tested in many areas. Indeed, there is huge potential for the development of renewable energy in the rural areas of most developing countries. At the rural level, renewable energy resources are almost always abundantly available: woodwaste, agricultural residues, animal waste, small-scale hydro, wind, solar and even sometimes geothermal resources. Since smaller scale systems are usually expected in these areas, renewable energy technologies can very well serve as decentralized energy systems for rural application. And not only for rural applications, new expansion planning paradigms have likewise led to the emergence of decentralized energy systems not only as supply options but also as corrective measures for maintaining end of line voltage levels. On the other hand, where renewable energy resource can provide significant blocks of power, they can be relied upon to provide indigenous power to the grids.

Renewable energy policy in remote rural areas of Western China. Implementation and socio-economic benefits

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shyu, Chian-Woei

2010-05-19

Electricity is essential for rural development. In 2005, 1.6 billion people, around a quarter of the world's population, living mostly in rural areas of developing countries, had no access to electricity. In general, remote rural areas in developing countries have little prospect of having access to grid-based electricity, which usually only extends to densely populated urban areas, where a large customer base justifies heavy expenditure for electricity infrastructure. One option for electrification in remote rural areas is to decentralize electricity systems based on renewable energy sources. However, such an option is not universally agreed upon. This dissertation examines a renewable energy-based rural electrification program, the 'Township Electrification Program', launched by the Chinese government in 2002. The Program was implemented in 1013 non-electrified townships in remote rural areas of 11 western provinces, providing electricity for 300,000 households and 1.3 million people. And at the time of research, the Program was known as the world's largest renewable energy-based rural electrification program in terms of investment volume ever carried out by a country. Two townships, Saierlong Township in Qinghai Province and Namcuo Township in Tibet Autonomous Region, were selected as cases for an in-depth examination of rural electrification practices in remote rural areas of western China. Both qualitative (interviews, observations, mapping, and transition walk) and quantitative (household survey) methods were applied in the field to collect data. The main findings of the study are summarized as follows: First, political leaders' concern over the unequal economic development of eastern and western China, as well as rural and urban areas, was the main factor triggering inclusion of the policy issue, electricity access in remote rural areas of western China, in the government's policy agenda. Second, like other energy policies, the

Renewable energy development in China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Junfeng, Li

1996-12-31

This paper presents the resources availability, technologies development and their costs of renewable energies in China and introduces the programs of renewable energies technologies development and their adaptation for rural economic development in China. As the conclusion of this paper, renewable energies technologies are suitable for some rural areas, especially in the remote areas for both household energy and business activities energy demand. The paper looks at issues involving hydropower, wind energy, biomass combustion, geothermal energy, and solar energy.

Promoting electricity from renewable energy sources -- lessons learned from the EU, U.S. and Japan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Haas, Reinhard; Meyer, Niels I.; Held, Anne; Finon, Dominique; Lorenzoni, Arturo; Wiser, Ryan; Nishio, Ken-ichiro

2007-06-01

The promotion of electricity generated from Renewable Energy Sources (RES) has recently gained high priority in the energy policy strategies of many countries in response to concerns about global climate change, energy security and other reasons. This chapter compares and contrasts the experience of a number of countries in Europe, states in the US as well as Japan in promoting RES, identifying what appear to be the most successful policy measures. Clearly, a wide range of policy instruments have been tried and are in place in different parts of the world to promote renewable energy technologies. The design and performance of these schemes varies from place to place, requiring further research to determine their effectiveness in delivering the desired results. The main conclusions that can be drawn from the present analysis are: (1) Generally speaking, promotional schemes that are properly designed within a stable framework and offer long-term investment continuity produce better results. Credibility and continuity reduce risks thus leading to lower profit requirements by investors. (2) Despite their significant growth in absolute terms in a number of key markets, the near-term prognosis for renewables is one of modest success if measured in terms of the percentage of the total energy provided by renewables on a world-wide basis. This is a significant challenge, suggesting that renewables have to grow at an even faster pace if we expect them to contribute on a significant scale to the world's energy mix.

Renewable energy resources and technologies practice in Bangladesh

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rofiqul Islam, M.; Rafiqul Alam Beg, M. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology, Rajshahi 6204 (Bangladesh); Rabiul Islam, M. [Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology, Rajshahi 6204 (Bangladesh)

2008-02-15

Bangladesh has very limited nonrenewable energy resources of its own. She is facing energy crisis and serious desertification problem in rural areas. These issues could be removed if renewable energy is used as a primary source of energy in rural areas. It is essential for scientists and researchers to find out the renewable energy resources and effective technologies. Bangladesh is endowed with vast renewable energy resources such as biomass and solar insolation. Besides, hydro and wind power can be considered as potential renewable energy resources. Harnessing these resources appears to be a promising solution for improving the quality of life of rural villagers. The government and many non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have tried to comprehend and have strived to address the problem of energy. This paper reviews the renewable energy resources and renewable energy technologies (RETs) practicing in Bangladesh in terms of its implementation, research and development activities. The development and trial of systems are mostly funded so far by donor agencies in collaboration with government and NGOs. Biomass energy sources are traditionally used for domestic cooking and in small rural industries. Approximately 60% of total energy demand of the country is supplied by indigenous biomass based fuels. Activities on the development and promotion of biomass technologies have been going on for one decade. Some national and international funds have been available for biogas technology, improved biomass cookers and production of biomass briquettes. At the time, around 25,000 biogas plants exist all over the country in rural areas and educational institutes, etc. More than 0.20 million improve stoves have been installed to save biomass fuel. Over 900 briquetting machines have been operating in the country on commercial basis. The annual solar radiation availability in Bangladesh is as high as 1700 kWh/m{sup 2}. Research and demonstration activities carried out for one

Energy for rural India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Urban, Frauke; Benders, Rene M.J.; Moll, Henri C.

2009-01-01

About 72 million households in rural India do not have access to electricity and rely primarily on traditional biofuels. This research investigates how rural electrification could be achieved in India using different energy sources and what the effects for climate change mitigation could be. We use the Regional Energy Model (REM) to develop scenarios for rural electrification for the period 2005-2030 and to assess the effects on greenhouse gas emissions, primary energy use and costs. We compare the business-as-usual scenario (BAU) with different electrification scenarios based on electricity from renewable energy, diesel and the grid. Our results indicate that diesel systems tend to have the highest CO 2 emissions, followed by grid systems. Rural electrification with primarily renewable energy-based end-uses could save up to 99% of total CO 2 emissions and 35% of primary energy use in 2030 compared to BAU. Our research indicates that electrification with decentralised diesel systems is likely to be the most expensive option. Rural electrification with renewable energy tends to be the most cost-effective option when end-uses are predominantly based on renewable energy, but turns out to be more costly than grid extensions when electric end-use devices are predominantly used. This research therefore elaborates whether renewable energy is a viable option for rural electrification and climate change mitigation in rural India and gives policy recommendations.

Photovoltaic battery charging stations for sustainable off-grid rural electrification in the Philippines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pascual, C.M.; Acebedo, I.P.; Gudoy, F.

2005-01-01

The Mariano Marcos State University-Affiliated Non Conventional Energy Center (MMSU-ANEC) in partnership with the Energy Management Bureau-Renewable Energy Management Division, Department of Energy implemented the Barangay Electrification Program (BEP) of the government in the off-grid rural areas at the northern Philippines from 1995-2004 with a common vision of promoting the use of new and renewable energy systems for rural electrification in order to spur development in the far-flung, off-grid rural areas. Such activity of the MMSU-ANEC on BEP used modified and improved Photovoltaic battery charging stations (PVBCS) to energize households and augment their livelihood in collaboration with the local government units and the beneficiaries. Socioeconomic and environmental impacts using long-range energy alternative planning or LEAP software showed that PVBCS are indispensable, feasible, economical, environmental-friendly and sustainable renewable energy resources systems in off-grid areas. Improvement of a locally-made battery charging unit (patent applied at IPO, Manila) which is cheaper and comparable than the imported unit, enabling project implementation strategies in community organizing and lessons learned during the implementation of BEP are also presented. Such improvement of the PVBCS is considered an innovative advancement in renewable energy that can be commercialized towards a sustainable agro-industrial development in far-flung, off-grid rural areas, among other applications for rural electrification and power generation using clean and environment-friendly sustainable technologies. (author)

Revisiting Renewable Energy Map in Indonesia: Seasonal Hydro and Solar Energy Potential for Rural Off-Grid Electrification (Provincial Level

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agung Wahyuono Ruri

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Regarding the acceleration of renewable energy diffusion in Indonesia as well as achieving the national energy mix target, renewable energy map is essential to provide useful information to build renewable energy system. This work aims at updating the renewable energy potential map, i.e. hydro and solar energy potential, with a revised model based on the global climate data. The renewable energy map is intended to assist the design off-grid system by hydropower plant or photovoltaic system, particularly for rural electrification. Specifically, the hydro energy map enables the stakeholders to determine the suitable on-site hydro energy technology (from pico-hydro, micro-hydro, mini-hydro to large hydropower plant. Meanwhile, the solar energy map depicts not only seasonal solar energy potential but also estimated energy output from photovoltaic system.

Sustainable renewable energy projects for intelligent rural electrification in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ortiz, Brisa; Vetter, Matthias [Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE), Freiburg (Germany); Bourg, Catherine [Fondation Energies pour le Monde (France); Crehay, Romain [Centre Wallon de Recherches Agronomiques (Belgium)

2010-07-01

The project ''Renewable Energy Sustainable Programs for Intelligent Rural Electrifrication'' RESIREA has been looking for the creation of conditions that make possible the establishment of Renewable Energy Technologies (RET) markets in targeted provinces to Lao PDR, Cambodia and Vietnam. As a main result of the project, in three different selected provinces (one in each country) have been proposed villages as ''ready to implement''. The ''ready to implement'' villages are specific RET projects resulted from applying developed methodologies. One methodology is a deeply well structured cross-analysis of technical and economic parameters and the results have been integrated in a Geographical Information System GIS. Based on the least-cost methodology, off-grid biomass and photovoltaic PV power supply systems have been designed and asset for the proposed villages. In the case of PV system designs, a detailed study has been carried out by means of simulations tools and extensive field data. The PV system design looks to contribute to an ''easy scale-up'' concept for off-grid power supply systems, especially when rural communities are too diverse. Further expected benefits besides the supply of electricity services are the improvement of the living and health conditions of the populations, the stimulation of local markets for RET and economic activities. (orig.)

Economic impacts from the promotion of renewable energy technologies. The German experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frondel, Manuel; Ritter, Nolan; Schmidt, Christoph M.; Vance, Colin

2010-01-01

The allure of an environmentally benign, abundant, and cost-effective energy source has led an increasing number of industrialized countries to back public financing of renewable energies. Germany's experience with renewable energy promotion is often cited as a model to be replicated elsewhere, being based on a combination of far-reaching energy and environmental laws that stretch back nearly two decades. This paper critically reviews the centerpiece of this effort, the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG), focusing on its costs and the associated implications for job creation and climate protection. We argue that German renewable energy policy, and in particular the adopted feed-in tariff scheme, has failed to harness the market incentives needed to ensure a viable and cost-effective introduction of renewable energies into the country's energy portfolio. To the contrary, the government's support mechanisms have in many respects subverted these incentives, resulting in massive expenditures that show little long-term promise for stimulating the economy, protecting the environment, or increasing energy security. (author)

Assessment and evaluation of PV based decentralized rural electrification: An overview

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chaurey, Akanksha; Kandpal, Tara Chandra

2010-01-01

The challenges of providing electricity to rural households are manifold. Ever increasing demand-supply gap, crumbling electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure, high cost of delivered electricity are a few of these. Use of renewable energy technologies for meeting basic energy needs of rural communities has been promoted by the Governments world over for many decades. Photovoltaic (PV) technology is one of the first among several renewable energy technologies that was adopted globally as well as in India for meeting basic electricity needs of rural areas that are not connected to the grid. This paper attempts at reviewing and analyzing PV literature pertaining to decentralized rural electrification into two main categories - (1) experiences from rural electrification and technology demonstration programmes covering barriers and challenges in marketing and dissemination; institutional and financing approaches; and productive and economic applications, (2) techno-economic aspects including system design methodologies and approaches; performance evaluation and monitoring; techno-economic comparison of various systems; and environmental implications and life cycle analysis. The paper discusses the emerging trends in its concluding remarks. (author)

Rural Public Libraries as Community Change Agents: Opportunities for Health Promotion

Science.gov (United States)

Flaherty, Mary Grace; Miller, David

2016-01-01

Rural residents are at a disadvantage with regard to health status and access to health promotion activities. In many rural communities, public libraries offer support through health information provision; there are also opportunities for engagement in broader community health efforts. In a collaborative effort between an academic researcher and a…

European schemes for promoting renewables in liberalised markets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meyer, Niels I.

2003-01-01

The paper describes possibilities and problems for penetration of supply systems based on renewable energy sources in liberalised markets. The analysis is based on recent development in EU with different models for support of installations based on renewable energy. These include feed-in models with guaranteed minimum tariffs, tender models for different bands of technologies, and green certificates trading models with obligatory consumer quota. The paper describes the market situation in selected European countries, including Germany, the UK, Holland and Denmark. An EU directive from September 2001 has postponed the decision on a possible harmonisation of promotional models until at least 2005 in order to obtain more practical experience with the different support schemes. A critical evaluation is given in this paper of the different models with proposals for a balanced development between environmental and trading concerns. It is argued that too much emphasis is presently given to the side of free trade at the expense of long range planning for a sustainable energy development

Assessment of rural energy resources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rijal, K.; Bansal, N.K.; Grover, P.D.

1990-01-01

This article presents the methodological guidelines used to assess rural energy resources with an example of its application in three villages each from different physiographic zones of Nepal. Existing energy demand patterns of villages are compared with estimated resource availability, and rural energy planning issues are discussed. Economics and financial supply price of primary energy resources are compared, which provides insight into defective energy planning and policy formulation and implication in the context of rural areas of Nepal. Though aware of the formidable consequences, the rural populace continues to exhaust the forest as they are unable to find financially cheaper alternatives. Appropriate policy measures need to be devised by the government to promote the use of economically cost-effective renewable energy resources so as to change the present energy usage pattern to diminish the environmental impact caused by over exploitation of forest resources beyond their regenerative capacity

Characterization of Hybrid Systems for Rural Electrification with Renewable Energies Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Borda Angel, J. P.; Dominguez, J.; Amador, J.; Arribas, L.; Pinedo Pascua, I.

2011-07-01

The objective of this project is to redefine the algorithm of wind-diesel hybrid system implemented in IntiGIS. This methodology was developed by CIEMAT for the evaluation of rural electrification projects, comparing different renewable and conventional technologies based on their LEC or equivalent electrification cost. The analysis considers the social and geographical particularities of the study area. The core of the new model is the definition of renewable fraction in the wind-diesel hybrid system. To this end, it was assumed that the fraction of renewable will depend, first of all, of the wind speed. In this case, the objectives were to find a relationship between the renewable fraction and wind speed, expressed as a function, and also trying to demonstrate the influence of other parameters such as fuel price and consumption. The methodology used to achieve these objectives was to use HOMER to simulate technology and size of system components in order to obtain the optimal fraction renewable scenarios. Next, we examined how it varied with wind speed; we assessed the influence of other parameters and, finally, it is represented as a function of wind speed. After the redefinition of the algorithm, the changes were planned for inclusion in IntiGIS and tests were performed to validate the new model. (Author)

The evolution of the support scheme for promoting renewable energy sources in Romania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Atănăsoae Pavel

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents an analysis of the evolution of the support scheme for promoting renewable energy sources in Romania, following: the annual mandatory quotas of green certificate purchase and those achieved; the price of green certificates; the evolution of the RES-E installed capacity and implicitly of the investments in renewable energy sources; the structure of the installed power in RES-E (wind power plants, photovoltaic power plants, hydroelectric power plants with an installed capacity that is not larger than 10 MW, biomass power plants; the contribution of the renewable energy sources to the production of electricity in Romania.

Optimization of renew able energy based power project for a remote area of Jammu and Kashmir (India)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sultan, S.; Fernandez, E.

2005-01-01

Significance of renewable energy has become more pronounced in the changing global energy scenario. The depleting nature of fossil fuels has forced all nations, but particularly developing nations, to promote and plan their development programs on increased use of renewable energy sources. Energy is vital for a healthy and dynamic rural growth, which can arrest the socio-political friction emanating from the mass migration of rural people to the urban centers. Traditional techniques of meeting this burgeoning energy demand are regressive in nature. Thus there is need to set up integrated systems by way of decentralized energy system at the village level or the rural energy centers The integration or matching of the appropriate resources/technologies vis-a-vis energy demand or a rural center necessitates employing rural energy planning using appropriate modeling. The present paper focuses on a rural energy planning exercise using an optimization Linear Programming (LP) model for village Katyar Gund in Badgam district of Jammu and Kashmir. Models have been prepared for a single basic end application, namely lighting. The results of the optimization exercise have been provided to illustrate the scope of such planning methodology for remote rural areas. (author)

Renewables for sustainable village power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flowers, L.

1997-03-01

It is estimated that two billion people live without electricity and its services. In addition, there is a sizeable number of rural villages that have limited electrical service, with either part-day operation by diesel gen-sets or partial electrification (local school or community center and several nearby houses). For many villages connected to the grid, power is often sporadically available and of poor quality. The U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado, has initiated a program to address these potential electricity opportunities in rural villages through the application of renewable energy (RE) technologies. The objective of this program is to develop and implement applications that demonstrate the technical performance, economic competitiveness, operational viability, and environmental benefits of renewable rural electric solutions, compared to the conventional options of line extension and isolated diesel mini-grids. These four attributes foster sustainability; therefore, the program is entitled Renewables for Sustainable Village Power (RSVP). The RSVP program is a multi-technology, multi-application program composed of six activities, including village applications development, computer model development, systems analysis, pilot project development, technical assistance, and Internet-based village power project data base. While the current program emphasizes wind, photovoltaics (PV), and their hybrids with diesel gen-sets, micro-hydro and micro-biomass technologies may be integrated in the future. NREL's RSVP team is currently involved in rural electricity projects in thirteen countries, with U.S., foreign, and internationally based agencies and institutions. The integration of the technology developments, institutional experiences, and the financial solutions for the implementation of renewables in the main line rural electrification processes in both the developing world and remote regions of the developed world is the goal

Renewable Energy for Water Pumping Applications In Rural Villages; Period of Performance: April 1, 2001--September 1, 2001

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Argaw, N.; Foster, R.; Ellis, A.

2003-07-01

This report introduces conventional and renewable energy sources for water pumping applications in rural villages by reviewing the technologies and illustrating typical applications. As energy sources for water pumping, the report discusses diesel/gasoline/kerosene engines, grid power supplies, traditional windmills, electrical wind turbines, and PV.

Renewable energy policy and landscape management in Andalusia, Spain: The facts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prados, Maria-Jose

2010-01-01

Renewable energy has developed spectacularly in Spain since the European Union started a process of energy policy reform. A review of Spanish State legislation on renewable energies confirms that the success in installing renewable energy is attributable to public aid. Andalusia is one of the autonomous communities, which has simultaneously developed the legal framework and very successfully implemented the introduction of renewable power. When implementing the central government's policy, the Andalusian regional government prioritised increases in both surface cover by wind and solar plants (thermal and photovoltaic energy) and in the number of companies involved. However, this development of renewable energies took place without any proper integration into regional spatial and landscape planning. This paper explores renewable power implementation in Andalusia through regulatory measures put in place over the last decade to develop renewable energy systems and the way they can be managed alongside planning issues. The location of large-scale renewable plants has had consequences for territory in the socio-political context of renewable energy promotion. The main findings focus on renewable energy plant sprawl throughout rural areas in Andalusia with no clear effect on landscape management and no firm backing from the local population.

Oral Health Promotion Intervention In Rural Contexts: Impact assessment. Córdoba, Argentina.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lila Cornejo

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The study was carried out in Cruz del Eje Department, Cordoba Province, Argentina. It was based on diagnosis of conceptions of health, concentration of fluoride in drinking water and accessibility to dental coverage in 71 rural schools. Additionally, parents and teachers’ conceptions of general and oral health, dental clinical status and sialochemistry of students from eight schools were considered. Objective: To evaluate a community intervention strategy for promoting oral health in rural contexts. Through the participation of the teacher as a mediator of healthy pattern, this strategy was developed. Methods: In order to elaborate oral health promoting strategies, educational workshops, epistolary communication and on site tutorials meetings were implemented. Specific health projects to be added to the Educational Institutional Programs, as a contextualized mediating strategy for promoting oral health were designed by teachers. The strategy was evaluated comparing dental caries increase (CI detected the previous year and the one following the implementation of the educational plans. Mac Nemar's test was applied, and p<0.05 was set to indicate statistical differences between both periods. Results: A 30.43% CI (p<0.0001 was observed the year before implementing the educational programs as well as a CI reduction to 17.39% (p=0.0002 a year after their application. Conclusion: The drop off in 57.14% of the CI in rural areas, confirms the intervention strategy of designed for this particular context.Keywords: community intervention, oral health promotion, rural communities.

Analysing the interactions between renewable energy promotion and energy efficiency support schemes: The impact of different instruments and design elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rio, Pablo del

2010-01-01

CO 2 emissions reduction, renewable energy deployment and energy efficiency are three main energy/environmental goals, particularly in Europe. Their relevance has led to the implementation of support schemes in these realms. Their coexistence may lead to overlaps, synergies and conflicts between them. The aim of this paper is to analyse the interactions between energy efficiency measures and renewable energy promotion, whereas previous analyses have focused on the interactions between emissions trading schemes (ETS) and energy efficiency measures and ETS and renewable energy promotion schemes. Furthermore, the analysis in this paper transcends the 'certificate' debate (i.e., tradable green and white certificates) and considers other instruments, particularly feed-in tariffs for renewable electricity. The goal is to identify positive and negative interactions between energy efficiency and renewable electricity promotion and to assess whether the choice of specific instruments and design elements within those instruments affects the results of the interactions.

The promotion in Romania of electricity from renewable energy sources - present and future

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stanciulescu, Georgeta; Popescu, Mihaela; Caracasian, Lusine; Anton, Bogdan

2004-01-01

The paper deals with the present situation and prospects of electricity generation from renewable energy sources in Romania. The following subject matters are addressed: Legal framework; - Regulatory framework; - Ministry of Economy and Commerce - competence and responsibilities; - ANRE - competence and responsibilities; - Targets by 2010; - Benefits of Electricity from RES; - Costs, by technology, for E-RES; - Renewable support mechanisms; - RES, technical and economical potential for Romania; - Sensitivity Analysis. In conclusion, one stresses that the existing legal and regulatory framework which sets up responsibilities and dead lines regarding the promotion of E-RES and it's access on the market: - ensures a transparent, nondiscriminatory and objective treatment for the E-RES producers; - gives some facilities concerning the authorization process and ensures the take over of the electricity produced from renewable sources to the national grid; -sets up state aids granting conditions for investments and operation of the renewable energy sources; - requires some improvements regarding the financial support for promoting E-RES, guarantee of origin and trade. Depending on the chosen support scheme, the institutional framework will be developed in order to comply with the legal requirements and dead-lines. The technologies for E-RES generation will be implemented depending on: - the RES potential; - the commercial maturity of the technology, i.e. the technologies implied in hydro, wind, biomass, solar, waves and tide energy generation

Input-output analysis for installing renewable energy systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Itoh, Y.; Nakata, T.

2004-01-01

Renewable energy facilities have been installed in many regions, because of their possibility to be an alternative to fossil fuels for mitigating global warming. Besides the profitability of renewable energy businesses, indirect economic effects of installing renewable energy facilities should be clarified. This study examines the possibility that the renewable energy facilities give renewed impetus to regional economic progress. The economic effects are analysed with input-output techniques in a rural area in Japan. As a consequence, both positive and negative effects on the rural economy are derived. In addition, we will focus on the changes in sectors such as construction, business services, banking, etc. as a result of economic activities for renewable systems. The business benefits of renewable energy system are discussed. (author)

Promoting renewable energy through capacity markets: An analysis of the Russian support scheme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boute, Anatole

2012-01-01

Most existing support schemes aim to stimulate the deployment of renewable energy sources in the electricity sector on the basis of the electricity output (MW h) of renewable energy installations. Support is anchored in the electricity commodity market. In contrast to this established approach, Russia intends to promote renewable energy through the capacity market. The idea is to remunerate investors for the installed capacity (MW) of their installations, in particular for the availability of their installations to produce electricity. This article argues that, contrary to the implicit consensus, a capacity-based approach to supporting renewable energy can provide an alternative to the current output-based schemes. Capacity-based schemes limit the incentive that the operators of renewable energy installations currently have under output-based schemes to deliver electricity to the grid even in periods of low demand. These schemes also provide investors with a more predictable income flow. However, to be successful, the regulation of capacity supply – currently designed for flexible power plants – needs to accommodate the specific production patterns of variable renewable energy installations. This paper examines ways to overcome this challenge in Russia and provides more general conclusions on the complex interaction between capacity markets and renewable energy investments.

Use of renewable sources of energy in function of the sustainable development of rural communities: Sierra del Escambray, Cuba

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olalde Font, Raul; Quintana, Candido; Martinez Yon, Idielin; Cherni, Judilh

2003-01-01

This paper shows preliminary results of the result project. Theoretical aspects related to sustainable development of the communities are discussed. The likely success or failure of renewable energy solutions in isolated rural areas is assessed. The methodology is based on interviews with experts and political actors

Use of renewable sources of energy in function of the sustainable development of rural communities: Sierra del Escambray, Cuba

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olalde Font, Raul; Quintana, Candido; Martinez Yon, Idielin; Cherni, Judith

2003-01-01

This paper shows preliminary results of the RESUR Project. Theoretical aspects related to sustainable development of the communities are discussed. The likely success or failure of renewable energy solutions in isolated rural areas is assessed. The methodology is based on interviews with experts and political actors

Analysing the interactions between renewable energy promotion and energy efficiency support schemes: The impact of different instruments and design elements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rio, Pablo del, E-mail: pablo.delrio@cchs.csic.e [Instituto de Politicas y Bienes Publicos, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC), C/Albasanz 26-28, 28037 Madrid (Spain)

2010-09-15

CO{sub 2} emissions reduction, renewable energy deployment and energy efficiency are three main energy/environmental goals, particularly in Europe. Their relevance has led to the implementation of support schemes in these realms. Their coexistence may lead to overlaps, synergies and conflicts between them. The aim of this paper is to analyse the interactions between energy efficiency measures and renewable energy promotion, whereas previous analyses have focused on the interactions between emissions trading schemes (ETS) and energy efficiency measures and ETS and renewable energy promotion schemes. Furthermore, the analysis in this paper transcends the 'certificate' debate (i.e., tradable green and white certificates) and considers other instruments, particularly feed-in tariffs for renewable electricity. The goal is to identify positive and negative interactions between energy efficiency and renewable electricity promotion and to assess whether the choice of specific instruments and design elements within those instruments affects the results of the interactions.

Analysing the interactions between renewable energy promotion and energy efficiency support schemes. The impact of different instruments and design elements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Del Rio, Pablo [Instituto de Politicas y Bienes Publicos, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC), C/Albasanz 26-28, 28037 Madrid (Spain)

2010-09-15

CO{sub 2} emissions reduction, renewable energy deployment and energy efficiency are three main energy/environmental goals, particularly in Europe. Their relevance has led to the implementation of support schemes in these realms. Their coexistence may lead to overlaps, synergies and conflicts between them. The aim of this paper is to analyse the interactions between energy efficiency measures and renewable energy promotion, whereas previous analyses have focused on the interactions between emissions trading schemes (ETS) and energy efficiency measures and ETS and renewable energy promotion schemes. Furthermore, the analysis in this paper transcends the certificate debate (i.e., tradable green and white certificates) and considers other instruments, particularly feed-in tariffs for renewable electricity. The goal is to identify positive and negative interactions between energy efficiency and renewable electricity promotion and to assess whether the choice of specific instruments and design elements within those instruments affects the results of the interactions. (author)

Do state renewable portfolio standards promote in-state renewable generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yin, Haitao; Powers, Nicholas

2010-01-01

Several US states have passed renewable portfolio standard (RPS) policies in order to encourage investment in renewable energy technologies. Existing research on their effectiveness has either employed a cross-sectional approach or has ignored heterogeneity among RPS policies. In this paper, we introduce a new measure for the stringency of an RPS that explicitly accounts for some RPS design features that may have a significant impact on the strength of an RPS. We also investigate the impacts of renewable portfolio standards on in-state renewable electricity development using panel data and our new measure of RPS stringency, and compare the results with those when alternative measures are used. Using our new measure, the results suggest that RPS policies have had a significant and positive effect on in-state renewable energy development, a finding which is masked when design differences among RPS policies are ignored. We also find that another important design feature - allowing 'free trade' of REC's - can significantly weaken the impact of an RPS. These results should prove instructive to policy makers, whether considering the development of a federal-level RPS or the development or redesign of a state-level RPS. (author)

Promotion of renewable energy resources with a focus on cost-based feed-in tariffs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schweighofer, M.; Tretter, H.; Veigl, A.

2006-01-01

This final report published by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) presents a review of possible systems that could be used to promote power production in Switzerland using renewable energy sources. Promotional models on both the provider and consumer sides that use both price and quantity as control factors are examined. Three models are compared: the submission-to-tender model, the quota model with certificates and a model that uses cost-based feed-in tariffs. On the basis of a comparison with Austria, interaction between increasing the proportion of renewable forms of energy and the realisation of energy-efficiency goals is discussed. A further part of the report deals with various options for the use of biomass as a source of energy

Derisking Renewable Energy Investment. A Framework to Support Policymakers in Selecting Public Instruments to Promote Renewable Energy Investment in Developing Countries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Waissbein, Oliver; Glemarec, Yannick; Bayraktar, Hande; Schmidt, Tobias S.

2013-03-15

This report introduces an innovative framework to assist policymakers to quantitatively compare the impact of different public instruments to promote renewable energy. The report identifies the need to reduce the high financing costs for renewable energy in developing countries as an important task for policymakers acting today. The framework is structured in four stages: (i) risk environment, (ii) public instruments, (iii) levelised cost and (iv) evaluation. To illustrate how the framework can support decision-making in practice, the report presents findings from illustrative case studies in four developing countries. It then draws on these results to discuss possible directions for enhancing public interventions to scale-up renewable energy investment. UNDP is also releasing a financial tool for policymakers to accompany the framework. The financial tool is available for download on the UNDP website.

Promoting and developing a trail network across suburban, rural, and urban communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Schasberger, Michele G; Hussa, Carol S; Polgar, Michael F; McMonagle, Julie A; Burke, Sharon J; Gegaris, Andrew J

2009-12-01

The Wyoming Valley Wellness Trails Partnership received an Active Living by Design grant late in 2003 for a project centered on a growing trail network linking urban, suburban, and rural communities in northeast Pennsylvania, a former coal region, in order to increase physical activity among residents. The partnership conducted research, collected information, created promotional documents, worked with partners on events and programs, and participated in trail planning. Local trail organizations continued planning and construction toward developing a trail network. Other partners spearheaded policy change in schools and worksites and worked toward downtown revitalization. The partnership assisted these efforts by providing a forum in which organizations could meet. The partnership became a central resource for information about local parks, trails, and outdoor recreational activities. The partnership increased awareness and use of recreational facilities. Trail partners constructed 22 miles of walking and biking trails. The partnership took advantage of an allied effort that created organizational capacity for wellness in schools and worksites. Messages promoting social and entertainment benefits of physical activity were more successful than those promoting health benefits. The existence of multiple small, independent trail organizations can help advance trail development through concurrent development efforts. Urban, suburban, and rural residents' conceptions of walkability may differ. Trails provide options for recreational and transportation-related physical activity across urban, suburban, and rural landscapes that are supported by all constituents. Trail builders can be strong allies in bringing active living to suburban and rural places.

Promoting renewable energy sources for heating and cooling in EU-27 countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cansino, Jose M.; Pablo-Romero, Maria del P.; Roman, Rocio; Yniguez, Rocio

2011-01-01

In addition to public policies aimed at improving the energy efficiency of buildings, EU authorities have also promoted the use of Renewable Energy Sources for heating and cooling uses (RES H and C). This paper analyses the main policy measures implemented in EU-27 countries up to 2009: i.e. subsidies, tax incentives, financial support and feed-in tariffs. Twenty-three Member States (MSs) have developed some of these policy measures. The most widespread measure is the subsidy (22 MSs have implemented these) because from a political point of view, subsidies provide a straightforward approach to promote the use of RES H and C. Secondly, tax incentives have been used for reducing investment costs and making renewable energy profitable. Thirdly, financial incentives and feed-in tariffs have been used sparingly. While financial incentives might be used more extensively for promoting RES H and C if they are accompanied by other policy measures, feed-in tariffs are not likely to be implemented significantly in the future because this measure is not designed for household heat producers. - Highlights: → Main EU policies to reduce energy consumption are focused on buildings' efficiency. → Alternative incentives to promote the use of RES H and C in EU-27 are now studied. → Subsidies are the most widespread measure. → Tax incentives are used for reducing investment costs and making RES profitable. → Financial incentives and feed-in tariffs have been used sparingly.

Traditional values in the function of promotion of Šumadija and Pomoravlje as rural tourism destinations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mandarić Marija

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Rural tourism and diversification of economic activities are now an integral part of sustainable development of rural areas and regions of Šumadija and Pomoravlje. Development of rural tourism improves the economic position and social activity of the population of rural areas. Šumadija and Pomoravlje region has significant natural and human resources for the development of rural tourism, which have not been adequately utilized. The preservation of authentic values of climate, especially of traditional crafts and gastronomy, can contribute to the development and recognition of the region as a new destination for rural tourism in Serbia. Traditional products due to their features, quality and heritage, can become a regional brand, and also promote the region as a unique destination of rural tourism. The aim of the paper is to explore the representation of traditional crafts, production of handicrafts and traditional cuisine in the region of Šumadija and Pomoravlje. The results of the research conducted point to a significant and under-utilized potential of traditional values in the development and promotion of the region as a rural tourism destination.

Promotion of electricity produced from renewable energy sources - Strategic objective of the Romania energy policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sandulescu, Alexandru; Stanciulescu, Georgeta; Jisa, Mihaela; Stanciu, Nadina

2006-01-01

The paper presents different types of support schemes for promoting electricity produced from renewable energy sources in some countries from European Union and details concerning the primary and secondary legislation developed in Romania in the field of promotion of electricity produced from renewable energy sources, making a rehearse of the acts issued. Romania has a clear regulatory framework in the field of promoting E-RES, the green certificates market becoming operational from November 2005, when the first green certificates transaction session organised by SC OPCOM SA took place. With hydro energy being exception from the rule, the Romanian RES potential is almost unused, existing the possibility for promotion some efficient investments in units which produce E-RES, turning to good account to the best emplacements. Although the achievements in using RES are still modest, taking into consideration the attention of numerous investors and the way that the support scheme worked until now, with advantages for the existing E-RES producers, it is expected an acceleration of the rhythm of appearance of new investments. In order to actuate the investors attention, a stronger involvement of the local authorities is necessary, for identifying and promoting the most efficient RES using projects

Energy efficiency and renewables policies: Promoting efficiency or facilitating monopsony?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brennan, Timothy J.

2011-01-01

The cliche in the electricity sector, the 'cheapest power plant is the one we don't build,' neglects the benefits of the energy that plant would generate. That economy-wide perspective need not apply in considering benefits to only consumers if not building that plant was the exercise of monopsony power. A regulator maximizing consumer welfare may need to avoid rationing demand at monopsony prices. Subsidizing energy efficiency to reduce electricity demand at the margin can solve that problem, if energy efficiency and electricity use are substitutes. Renewable energy subsidies, percentage use standards, or feed in tariffs may also serve monopsony as well with sufficient inelasticity in fossil fuel electricity supply. We may not observe these effects if the regulator can set price as well as quantity, lacks buyer-side market power, or is legally precluded from denying generators a reasonable return on capital. Nevertheless, the possibility of monopsony remains significant in light of the debate as to whether antitrust enforcement should maximize consumer welfare or total welfare. - Research Highlights: → Subsidizing energy efficiency can promote monopsony, if efficiency and use are substitutes. → Renewable energy subsidies, portfolio standards, or feed-in tariffs may also promote monopsony. → Effects require buyer-side market power and ability to deny generators a reasonable return. → Monopsony is significant in light of whether antitrust should maximize consumer or total welfare.

Renewable Energy Policy Fact sheet - Romania

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-07-01

The EurObserv'ER policy profiles give a snapshot of the renewable energy policy in the EU Member States. The promotion of renewable electricity in Romania relies primarily on a renewable quota scheme. Since 2017 the scheme has been closed for new projects. Renewable heating and cooling is promoted through investment subsidies. Renewable energy sources in the transport sector are promoted by a bio-fuels quota scheme and indirectly through a subsidy scheme for the purchase of electric vehicles

Current status and analysis of renewable promotional policies in Indian restructured power sector - A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, Randhir; Sood, Yog Raj

2011-01-01

Restructuring has changed the traditional mission and mandates of power utilities in complex ways, and had large impacts on environmental, social, and political conditions for any particular country. At the same time, new regulatory approaches are being found for reducing environmental impacts in restructured power sectors. India has a vast supply of renewable energy resources, and it has one of the largest programs in the world for deploying renewable energy based products and systems. So this paper attempts to review the various policies and measures undertaken by Indian government for promotion of renewable energy. The aim of this paper is also to review the current policy mechanisms, especially investment- or generation-based price-driven and capacity-driven mechanisms, ranging from investment incentives for the development of renewable energy projects, feed-in tariffs, production tax incentives, tradable green certificates, and their effects upon the prospects of encouraging as well as expanding the development of renewable energy in Indian restructured power sector. This will make renewable more attractive in the Indian future electricity market. (author)

Renewable energy for rural electrification in developing countries

Science.gov (United States)

Morgenstern, Joy

The environmental destruction caused by traditional methods of generating electricity and the environmental benefits of using renewable energy technologies are well-known. In additional to the environmental benefits, small, decentralized renewable energy systems are often the most economical way to electrify the rural areas of developing countries, where most of the world's unelectrified population lives. However, diffusion of these systems is proceeding very slowly and many of these projects have failed. This dissertation examines the hypothesis that an important determinant of the success of these projects is the extent to which they are compatible with the social and cultural attributes of the communities in which they are located. The hypothesis was examined by evaluating sixteen solar, wind and hybrid electrification projects in Mexico, using a procedure which rates projects according to criteria which reflect technical, economic and financial, environmental, and sociocultural factors deemed necessary to achieve success. Reasons for poor ratings within these criteria were then used to determine six preconditions for project success. The evaluation indicates that most of the wind and hybrid projects visited had low success ratings because of technical problems. The solar home system projects experienced few technical problems, yet many were unsuccessful. Most of the projects were unsustainable due to lack of financial resources, insufficient financial mechanisms, poor user training. In none of the communities were the projects economically viable, nor were they compatible with the needs of the users. The future success of even the most successful projects seen is doubtful because of the lack of provision for any maintenance by trained technicians and the scarcity of financial resources. A direct relationship between failure at the sociocultural criteria and overall project failure was not found. In most cases, failure at particular criteria could be attributed

Renewable Energy Policy Fact sheet - Croatia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-07-01

The EurObserv'ER policy profiles give a snapshot of the renewable energy policy in the EU Member States. Electricity from renewable sources is promoted through a premium tariff (and a guaranteed feed-in tariff for installations of less than 30 kW), allocated through tenders. Soft loans and subsidies for renewable energy projects are also provided. Renewable energy sources for heating purposes only are not promoted through a national support scheme. A training programme for RES installers aims at promoting the development, installation and usage of power generating and heating installations based on renewables. The main promotion scheme in the field of renewable transport fuels is a bio-fuels quota scheme. Additionally, the state provides bio-fuels incentives taking the form of a tax credits mechanism

A GIS-based decision support tool for renewable energy management and planning in semi-arid rural environments of northeast of Brazil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tiba, C.; Fraidenraich, N.; Barbosa, E.M. de S. [Departamento de Energia Nuclear da Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. Prof. Luiz Freire, 1000 - CDU, CEP 50.740-540, Recife, Pernambuco (Brazil); Candeias, A.L.B. [Departamento de Engenharia Cartografica da Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. Academico Helio Ramos, s/n - CDU, Recife, Pernambuco (Brazil); de Carvalho Neto, P.B.; de Melo Filho, J.B. [Companhia Hidro Eletrica do Sao Francisco -DTG- CHESF, Recife, Pernambuco (Brazil)

2010-12-15

This work describes the development of a management and planning system on a GIS (Geographic Information System) platform destined to decision makers that is, administrators, planners or consultants in renewable energies. It was conceived to deal with the management and planning of solar systems, biomass and aeolics in rural regions of Brazil. The prototype of the GIS tool covers an area of 183, 500 km{sup 2} and is made up of three blocks: management of installed renewable systems, inclusion (planning) of new systems and updating of the data banks. The GISA SOL 1.0 (Geographic Information System Applied to Solar Energy) has a total of 80 layers of information that permit the realization of spatial analyses on management and planning of renewable sources of energy at macro-spatial (state) and local (municipality) levels. A description and the methodology used for its development and a description of the functionalities will be made here. The system was developed mainly for PV systems as a support tool for management and planning of the Energy Development Program for States and Municipalities (PRODEEM), a program for inclusion in large scale of solar photovoltaic energy in the rural environment, conducted by the Ministry of Mines and Energy of Brazil. (author)

Promotion of renewable energy supply in Nigeria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ekechukwu, O.V.

1999-01-01

The paper discusses the utilization of the various non-renewable energy resources and the associated environmental problems deriving from the different stages and uses of these resources. Some of the most important of these problems are loss of vegetation and environmental pollution. The need for a conscious shift to the exploitation of renewable energy sources are highlighted and a presentation of renewable energy resources of Nigeria is made. A review of national efforts in the development and utilization of renewable energy sources in Nigeria and the achievements so far are presented

Promotion of renewable energy supply in Nigeria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ekechukwu, O V [National Centre for Energy Research and Development, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (Nigeria)

1999-07-01

The paper discusses the utilization of the various non-renewable energy resources and the associated environmental problems deriving from the different stages and uses of these resources. Some of the most important of these problems are loss of vegetation and environmental pollution. The need for a conscious shift to the exploitation of renewable energy sources are highlighted and a presentation of renewable energy resources of Nigeria is made. A review of national efforts in the development and utilization of renewable energy sources in Nigeria and the achievements so far are presented.

A historical review of promotion strategies for electricity from renewable energy sources in EU countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haas, Reinhard; Panzer, Christian; Resch, Gustav; Ragwitz, Mario; Held, Anne; Reece, Gemma

2011-01-01

The core objective of this paper is to elaborate on historically implemented promotion strategies of renewable energy sources and the associated deployment within the European electricity market. Hence, at a first glance, the historic development of renewable energy sources in the electricity (RES-E) sector is addressed on Member State and on sectoral level as well as consequently discussed according to available RES-E potentials and costs. The specific focus of this paper, are promotion strategies for RES-E options as they are the key driver of an efficient and effective RES-E deployment. Therefore, the paper depicts the main types of different promotion schemes and their properties. Additionally, several cases studies of different European Member States show an in-depth analysis of the different RES-E promotion schemes. In this context, special emphasises are put on the question of effective and efficient promotion scheme designs of different RES-E technologies. Generally, conducted research led to the conclusion, that technology specific financial support measures of RES-E performed much more effective and efficient than others did. Hence, it is not all about the common question of feed-in tariffs vs. quota systems based on tradable green certificates, but more about the design criteria of implemented RES-E support schemes. (author)

Renewable energy market conditions and barriers in Turkey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nalan, Cicek Bezir; Murat, Oeztuerk; Nuri, Oezek

2009-01-01

Decentralized wind, hydropower, biogas and biomass, geothermal, solar thermal and solar electricity energy systems are the most commonly found renewable energy technologies promoted for rural energy supply within sustainable developments programs. They are, therefore, seen to have a central place in the practice of sustainable development and in allowing less development countries to bypass the environmentally damaging fossil fuel intensive paths made by industrialized countries. On the political front, many less development countries are critical of pressure on them to adopt environmental energy technologies. Turkey is situated the meeting point of three continents (Asia, Europe and Africa) and stands as a bridge between Asia and Europe. The country is located in southeastern Europe and southwestern Asia. As Turkey's economy has expanded in recent years, the consumption of primary energy has increased. Presently in order to increase the energy production from domestic energy resources, decrease the use of fossil fuels as well as reduce of green house gas emissions different renewable energy sources are used for energy production in Turkey. The share of energy production from renewable energy sources has increased during the last 10 years. Turkey must import most of the energy to meet her needs. Turkey also has a large potential for renewable energies. The lack of knowledge about renewable energy technologies by most policy-makers, potential consumers, and energy firm managers has played against renewable energy developments. The paper presents renewable energy used in Turkey and Europe Union and evaluation of the market conditions and barriers of renewable energy use in Turkey. (author)

Implementation of renewable energy technologies - Opportunities and barriers. Ghana country study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Edjekumhene, I.; Atakora, S.B.; Atta-Konadu, R.; Brew-Hammond, A. [Kumasi Inst. og Technology and Environment (Ghana)

2001-07-01

resource-based, technological, environmental, and social barriers. Economics barriers constitute those related to the market, costs and benefits, and finance. Under crosscutting barriers, informational, institutional and policy barriers are considered. A general lack of information on the potential benefits of RETs was found to be a major barrier with regard to the government and end-users alike. Energy policy analysts in Ghana will therefore need to remove these barriers by generating the necessary information and disseminating it as widely as possible using various techniques ranging from lobbying parliamentarians to advertising in the mass media. Existing renewable energy policy framework is not potent enough to ensure commercialisation and widespread utilisation of the RETs they seek to promote. This is because the framework has no targets, investment plan or financing mechanisms and in most cases relies heavily on government budgetary allocation and donor funding which are inadequate and unsustainable. There is therefore the need for governmetn to set targets for the renewable (20% recommended) and design ways of achieving these targets. In addition the government must assign a specific role to renewable in the National Electrification Scheme (NES), especially with respect to rural areas where about two-thirds of Ghana's population live with limited or no access to electricity. Consequently, the government's Rural Electrification Programme (REP) and Self-Help Electrification programme (SHEP) must shift focus from grid-extension to renewable, which in many cases constitute a cheaper option. In general low electricity tariffs have made renewable expensive and also served as a deterrent to private investors. The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) should therefore institute an upward review of tariffs or a premium price for renewably generated electricity. In view of the fact that RETs are expensive but clean technologies compared with conventional

Implementation of renewable energy technologies - Opportunities and barriers. Ghana country study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Edjekumhene, I; Atakora, S B; Atta-Konadu, R; Brew-Hammond, A [Kumasi Inst. og Technology and Environment (Ghana)

2001-07-01

-based, technological, environmental, and social barriers. Economics barriers constitute those related to the market, costs and benefits, and finance. Under crosscutting barriers, informational, institutional and policy barriers are considered. A general lack of information on the potential benefits of RETs was found to be a major barrier with regard to the government and end-users alike. Energy policy analysts in Ghana will therefore need to remove these barriers by generating the necessary information and disseminating it as widely as possible using various techniques ranging from lobbying parliamentarians to advertising in the mass media. Existing renewable energy policy framework is not potent enough to ensure commercialisation and widespread utilisation of the RETs they seek to promote. This is because the framework has no targets, investment plan or financing mechanisms and in most cases relies heavily on government budgetary allocation and donor funding which are inadequate and unsustainable. There is therefore the need for governmetn to set targets for the renewable (20% recommended) and design ways of achieving these targets. In addition the government must assign a specific role to renewable in the National Electrification Scheme (NES), especially with respect to rural areas where about two-thirds of Ghana's population live with limited or no access to electricity. Consequently, the government's Rural Electrification Programme (REP) and Self-Help Electrification programme (SHEP) must shift focus from grid-extension to renewable, which in many cases constitute a cheaper option. In general low electricity tariffs have made renewable expensive and also served as a deterrent to private investors. The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) should therefore institute an upward review of tariffs or a premium price for renewably generated electricity. In view of the fact that RETs are expensive but clean technologies compared with conventional energy, donor support will be

Recall and Effectiveness of Messages Promoting Smoke-Free Policies in Rural Communities

Science.gov (United States)

Butler, Karen M.; Wiggins, Amanda T.; Kostygina, Ganna; Langley, Ronald E.; Hahn, Ellen J.

2016-01-01

Abstract Introduction: Low-cost media campaigns increase demand for smoke-free policies in underserved rural areas. The study examined the impact of loss- and gain-framed smoke-free print ads on recall and perceived effectiveness in rural communities, controlling for personal characteristics. Methods: Following 6- to 9-month print media campaigns in three rural counties, recall and perceived effectiveness of loss-framed (ie, targeting dangers of secondhand smoke [SHS]) and gain-framed (ie, highlighting positive aspects of smoke-free air) ads were assessed using random-digit-dial phone surveys. Respondents were asked if they remembered each ad, whether they liked it, whether they were prompted to contact a smoke-free coalition, whether the ad made them think, and whether it prompted emotion. Mixed modeling assessed whether personal factors predicted ad recall or perceived effectiveness. Results: Loss-framed ads were less likely to be recalled but more likely to prompt emotion. For ads of both frame types, females reported greater recall and perceived effectiveness than males. Those with less education reported higher perceived effectiveness of the ads but lower recall. Nonsmokers were more likely than smokers to perceive the ads as effective. Knowledge of SHS risk and support for smoke-free workplaces were positively associated with recall and effectiveness. Conclusions: Ad recall and perceived effectiveness were associated with framing and demographic and personal characteristics. Smoke-free efforts in rural areas may be bolstered by continuing to promote benefits of smoke-free workplace policies and educate on SHS risks. Rural areas may need to provide a combination of ad types and framing strategies to appeal to a wide audience. Implications: Rural communities are disproportionately affected by SHS and less likely to be protected by smoke-free policies. This study adds evidence-based guidance for tailoring rural smoke-free media campaigns using different framing

The Importance of Promoting a Rural Touristic Destination: The Case of Racoş Village

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Neacșu Nicoleta Andreea

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Rural tourism is one of the most promising tourism sectors for Romania's on medium and longtermdevelopment. Within this type of tourism, tourists enjoy relaxation and enjoy the simple life,with natural food, time spent together with family, excursions and interesting activities. Racoşvillage has a high touristic potential, but the degree of its valorization does not amount to its truevalue, requiring better promotion. In this paper, using a marketing research, it was highlightedhow Racoş village is seen by the tourists and how they perceive the promoting activity of this areaand the other Romanian rural areas in general.

Models for the promotion of renewable energy sources. A legal comparing investigation of models for the promotion of renewable enegy sources by the example of Poland and Germany; Modelle zur Foerderung erneuerbarer Energietraeger. Eine rechtsvergleichende Untersuchung von Modellen zur Foerderung erneuerbarer Energietraeger am Beispiel Polens und Deutschlands

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Michalowska, Dorota

2008-04-08

Energy sources such as coal, natural gas, petroleum, and nuclear fission have long been established on the marketplace and considered competitive. However, a comprehensive restructuring of energy generation is necessary, as conventional energy generation pollutes the environment. Therefore environmentally friendly energy sources, such as solar, wind or water power need to be promoted. However, regenerative energy sources are still not capable of competing with conventional energy. Marketability of renewable energy sources can only be achieved through government-sponsored promotion and regulation. Such measures include fixed price and fixed quantity models with green certificates. The support schemes for renewable energy sources are characterized by their wide-ranging adaptability. The various elements of a scheme must be adapted to a given country's set goals and specific circumstances. There is no universally applicable model. Based on given goals and opportunities, every domestic legislator faces the challenge of choosing the best scheme or developing a mixed model that combines various elements. The aim of this study is to provide a legal analysis of regulations concerning the support schemes for renewable energy sources within the framework of EU and international law. Furthermore, the study aimed at comparing support schemes implemented in Poland and Germany. In the EU, the electricity directive from 1996 and 2003, the directive on the promotion of electricity from renewable energy sources from 2003 and 2008, non-binding documents, such as the ''green and white book'', as well as the ''ALTENER'' program, successfully contributed to establishing the topic of renewable energies. Regarding international law, it is primarily the Kyoto protocol that has to be mentioned as a basis for the promotion of renewable energy sources. Poland introduced a fixed quantity model with green certificates. Separated reimbursements for

Hybrid modeling to support energy-climate policy: Effects of feed-in tariffs to promote renewable energy in Portugal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Proença, Sara; St Aubyn, Miguel

2013-01-01

Feed-in tariffs have been the main policy instrument applied in Portugal for the promotion of electricity produced from renewable energy sources under the EU Directives on energy and climate regulation. In this paper, we provide an empirical impact assessment of the economic and environmental effects of Portugal's FITs policy to promote RES-E generation. Impact assessment of policy instruments plays a crucial role on decision-making process. For numerical simulations, we make use of a hybrid top-down/bottom-up general equilibrium modeling approach, which represents a reliable tool to analyze the complex interactions between economic, energy, and environmental issues related to energy policies. Numerical simulations confirm the empirical evidence that the FITs policy implemented by Portugal was both an effective and a cost-efficient way to increase the generation of electricity from renewable energy sources and thus to achieve the national RES-E target of 45% in 2010. Results show relatively modest macroeconomic impacts indicating potentially low economic adjustment costs. From an environmental perspective, the deployment of renewable energy source results in significant carbon emissions reductions. - Highlights: ► We provide an impact assessment of Portugal's FITs policy to promote RES-E generation. ► For numerical simulations, we make use of a hybrid top-down/bottom-up general equilibrium model. ► Portugal's FITs policy proved to be a cost-efficient way to increase generation of renewable electricity. ► Results show relatively modest macroeconomic effects indicating potentially low economic adjustment costs. ► The deployment of renewable energy sources results in significant carbon emission reductions

Renewables 2007 - Global status report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinot, Eric; Mastny, Lisa; Rosbotham, Lyle; Suding, Paul; Sonntag-O'Brien, Virginia; Lempp, Philippe

2007-01-01

In 2007, more than $100 billion was invested in new renewable energy capacity, manufacturing plants, and research and development-a true global milestone. Yet perceptions lag behind the reality of renewable energy because change has been so rapid in recent years. This report captures that reality and provides an overview of the status of renewable energy worldwide in 2007. The report covers trends in markets, investments, industries, policies, and rural (off-grid) renewable energy. (By design, the report does not provide analysis, discuss current issues, or forecast the future.) Many of the trends reflect increasing significance relative to conventional energy

Community leaders’ perspectives on facilitators and inhibitors of health promotion among the youth in rural South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lydia Aziato

Full Text Available Introduction: There are a number of factors that influence health promotion activities among the youth. This study sought to gain a comprehensive understanding of the facilitators and inhibitors of health promotion among the youth from the perspectives of community leaders in a rural setting in South Africa. Methods: The study adopted an exploratory, descriptive and contextual qualitative approach involving community leaders in rural South Africa. Data saturation occurred after individual interviews with 21 participants. Data analysis employed the principles of content analysis. Results: We found that facilitators of health promotion were access to education on the benefits of health promotion activities, efforts of organizations and community leaders/teachers, access to health care services and engaging in physical activities, and youth motivation and positive role modelling. The themes that described the inhibitors of health promotion were inadequate recreational and health facilities and health personnel, the impact of stringent religious doctrines, unemployment, social vices and poor parenting. Conclusion: We concluded that there is the need to implement more engaging activities and opportunities for the youth and parents in rural communities to enhance health promotion. Keywords: Health promotion, Young adults, Qualitative research, Rural community

Recall and Effectiveness of Messages Promoting Smoke-Free Policies in Rural Communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Rayens, Mary Kay; Butler, Karen M; Wiggins, Amanda T; Kostygina, Ganna; Langley, Ronald E; Hahn, Ellen J

2016-05-01

Low-cost media campaigns increase demand for smoke-free policies in underserved rural areas. The study examined the impact of loss- and gain-framed smoke-free print ads on recall and perceived effectiveness in rural communities, controlling for personal characteristics. Following 6- to 9-month print media campaigns in three rural counties, recall and perceived effectiveness of loss-framed (ie, targeting dangers of secondhand smoke [SHS]) and gain-framed (ie, highlighting positive aspects of smoke-free air) ads were assessed using random-digit-dial phone surveys. Respondents were asked if they remembered each ad, whether they liked it, whether they were prompted to contact a smoke-free coalition, whether the ad made them think, and whether it prompted emotion. Mixed modeling assessed whether personal factors predicted ad recall or perceived effectiveness. Loss-framed ads were less likely to be recalled but more likely to prompt emotion. For ads of both frame types, females reported greater recall and perceived effectiveness than males. Those with less education reported higher perceived effectiveness of the ads but lower recall. Nonsmokers were more likely than smokers to perceive the ads as effective. Knowledge of SHS risk and support for smoke-free workplaces were positively associated with recall and effectiveness. Ad recall and perceived effectiveness were associated with framing and demographic and personal characteristics. Smoke-free efforts in rural areas may be bolstered by continuing to promote benefits of smoke-free workplace policies and educate on SHS risks. Rural areas may need to provide a combination of ad types and framing strategies to appeal to a wide audience. Rural communities are disproportionately affected by SHS and less likely to be protected by smoke-free policies. This study adds evidence-based guidance for tailoring rural smoke-free media campaigns using different framing: gain-framed messages (ie, benefits of smoke-free environments) to

Pilgrimage to Wellness: An Exploratory Report of Rural African American Clergy Perceptions of Church Health Promotion Capacity

Science.gov (United States)

Carter-Edwards, Lori; Hooten, Elizabeth Gerken; Bruce, Marino A.; Toms, Forrest; Lloyd, Cheryl LeMay; Ellison, Calvin

2013-01-01

Churches serve a vital role in African American communities and may be effective vehicles for health promotion in rural areas where disease burden is disproportionately greater and healthcare access is more limited than other communities. Endorsement by church leadership is often necessary for the approval of programs and activities within churches; however, little is known about how church leaders perceive their respective churches as health promotion organizations. The purpose of this exploratory pilot was to report perceptions of church capacity to promote health among African American clergy leaders of predominantly African American rural churches. The analysis sample included 27 pastors of churches in Eastern NC who completed a survey on church health promotion capacity and perceived impact on their own health. Capacities assessed included perceived need and impact of health promotion activities, church preparedness to promote health, health promotion actions to take, and the existence and importance of health ministry attributes. The results from this pilot study indicated a perceived need to increase the capacity of their churches to promote health. Conducting health programs, displaying health information, collaborations within the church (i.e., kitchen committee working with the health ministry), partnerships outside of the church, and funding were most commonly reported needed capacities. Findings from this exploratory work lay the foundation for the development of future, larger observational studies that can specify some of the key factors associated with organizational change and ultimately health promotion in these rural church settings. PMID:22694157

Fip1 regulates mRNA alternative polyadenylation to promote stem cell self-renewal

Science.gov (United States)

Lackford, Brad; Yao, Chengguo; Charles, Georgette M; Weng, Lingjie; Zheng, Xiaofeng; Choi, Eun-A; Xie, Xiaohui; Wan, Ji; Xing, Yi; Freudenberg, Johannes M; Yang, Pengyi; Jothi, Raja; Hu, Guang; Shi, Yongsheng

2014-01-01

mRNA alternative polyadenylation (APA) plays a critical role in post-transcriptional gene control and is highly regulated during development and disease. However, the regulatory mechanisms and functional consequences of APA remain poorly understood. Here, we show that an mRNA 3′ processing factor, Fip1, is essential for embryonic stem cell (ESC) self-renewal and somatic cell reprogramming. Fip1 promotes stem cell maintenance, in part, by activating the ESC-specific APA profiles to ensure the optimal expression of a specific set of genes, including critical self-renewal factors. Fip1 expression and the Fip1-dependent APA program change during ESC differentiation and are restored to an ESC-like state during somatic reprogramming. Mechanistically, we provide evidence that the specificity of Fip1-mediated APA regulation depends on multiple factors, including Fip1-RNA interactions and the distance between APA sites. Together, our data highlight the role for post-transcriptional control in stem cell self-renewal, provide mechanistic insight on APA regulation in development, and establish an important function for APA in cell fate specification. PMID:24596251

Pleiotropy of Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3 Inhibition by CHIR99021 Promotes Self-Renewal of Embryonic Stem Cells from Refractory Mouse Strains

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Shoudong; Tan, Li; Yang, Rongqing; Fang, Bo; Qu, Su; Schulze, Eric N.; Song, Houyan; Ying, Qilong; Li, Ping

2012-01-01

Background Inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) improves the efficiency of embryonic stem (ES) cell derivation from various strains of mice and rats, as well as dramatically promotes ES cell self-renewal potential. β-catenin has been reported to be involved in the maintenance of self-renewal of ES cells through TCF dependent and independent pathway. But the intrinsic difference between ES cell lines from different species and strains has not been characterized. Here, we dissect the mechanism of GSK-3 inhibition by CHIR99021 in mouse ES cells from refractory mouse strains. Methodology/Principal Findings We found that CHIR99021, a GSK-3 specific inhibitor, promotes self-renewal of ES cells from recalcitrant C57BL/6 (B6) and BALB/c mouse strains through stabilization of β-catenin and c-Myc protein levels. Stabilized β-catenin promoted ES self-renewal through two mechanisms. First, β-catenin translocated into the nucleus to maintain stem cell pluripotency in a lymphoid-enhancing factor/T-cell factor–independent manner. Second, β-catenin binds plasma membrane-localized E-cadherin, which ensures a compact, spherical morphology, a hallmark of ES cells. Further, elevated c-Myc protein levels did not contribute significantly to CH-mediated ES cell self-renewal. Instead, the role of c-Myc is dependent on its transformation activity and can be replaced by N-Myc but not L-Myc. β-catenin and c-Myc have similar effects on ES cells derived from both B6 and BALB/c mice. Conclusions/Significance Our data demonstrated that GSK-3 inhibition by CH promotes self-renewal of mouse ES cells with non-permissive genetic backgrounds by regulation of multiple signaling pathways. These findings would be useful to improve the availability of normally non-permissive mouse strains as research tools. PMID:22540008

A case for biogas energy application for rural industries in India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vijay, V.K.; Prasad, R.; Singh, J.P.; Sorayan, V.P.S.

1996-01-01

Rural India has a vast potential of biogas generation and application. During the past two decades, biogas has been promoted mostly as a cooking fuel in the rural areas. According to the prevailing practices in these areas, fuel for cooking is not being purchased but collected by the users from the farm fields and surrounding areas. Majority of rural population feels that biogas generation does not offer them direct/monetary benefits, and therefore many of them are reluctant to accept it. However biogas, when used for production activities, say in small scale rural industries, may be able to fill the gap in energy availability and demand in the rural areas. Being a renewable source, biogas, when utilised properly, can replace the commercial and nonrenewable energy sources to a considerable extent in a variety of production activities. Biogas application in the above context has been found to be self sustaining, while fulfilling the rural energy demand. Other important aspects such as employment generation, socio economic and environmental impacts are also examined. (Author)

Promoting youth physical activity in rural southern communities: practitioner perceptions of environmental opportunities and barriers.

Science.gov (United States)

Edwards, Michael B; Theriault, Daniel S; Shores, Kindal A; Melton, Karen M

2014-01-01

Research on youth physical activity has focused on urban areas. Rural adolescents are more likely to be physically inactive than urban youth, contributing to higher risk of obesity and chronic diseases. Study objectives were to: (1) identify perceived opportunities and barriers to youth physical activity within a rural area and (2) identify rural community characteristics that facilitate or inhibit efforts to promote youth physical activity. Thirty in-depth interviews were conducted with expert informants in 2 rural southern US counties. Interviewees were recruited from diverse positions across multiple sectors based on their expert knowledge of community policies and programs for youth physical activity. Informants saw ball fields, natural amenities, and school sports as primary resources for youth physical activity, but they were divided on whether opportunities were abundant or scarce. Physical distance, social isolation, lack of community offerings, and transportation were identified as key barriers. Local social networks facilitated political action and volunteer recruitment to support programs. However, communities often lacked human capital to sustain initiatives. Racial divisions influenced perceptions of opportunities. Despite divisions, there were also examples of pooling resources to create and sustain physical activity opportunities. Developing partnerships and leveraging local resources may be essential to overcoming barriers for physical activity promotion in rural areas. Involvement of church leaders, school officials, health care workers, and cooperative extension is likely needed to establish and sustain youth rural physical activity programs. Allocating resources to existing community personnel and volunteers for continuing education may be valuable. © 2014 National Rural Health Association.

E-TOURISM AND HOW TO PROMOTE ACCOMMODATION SERVICES IN RURAL MARAMUREŞ

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anca-Petruţa NAN

2011-12-01

Full Text Available There are few regions in Romania where ancestral traditions, costumes and ancient art are still preserved. Maramureş is indeed the zone where they have managed to stay unaltered by modern influences. Thus, the tourism in Maramureş is centred on the village and its folklore, exploited through rural tourism. The development of rural tourism in Maramureş is mainly based on its diversified potential, but it is directly dependent on the accommodation offer available and on the methods of promoting it. Under these circumstances, our study aims at undertaking a comprehensive analysis of the existing accommodation units, of their distribution, and of the various ways of promoting tourist offers.The online tourist market in Maramureş is rather developed and diversified in its product and service offer, due to the listing of accommodation units on many online portals. In order to help and guide users towards a well-defined goal through the chaos on the Internet, we suggest the implementation of expert systems within sites. Expert systems can bring many benefits to both consumers and tourist service providers.

Renewable energy in India: Historical developments and prospects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhattacharya, S.C.; Jana, Chinmoy

2009-01-01

Promoting renewable energy in India has assumed great importance in recent years in view of high growth rate of energy consumption, high share of coal in domestic energy demand, heavy dependence on imports for meeting demands for petroleum fuels and volatility of world oil market. A number of renewable energy technologies (RETs) are now well established in the country. The technology that has achieved the most dramatic growth rate and success is wind energy; India ranks fourth in the world in terms of total installed capacity. India hosts the world's largest small gasifier programme and second largest biogas programme. After many years of slow growth, demand for solar water heaters appears to be gaining momentum. Small hydro has been growing in India at a slow but steady pace. Installation of some of the technologies appears to have slowed down in recent years; these include improved cooking stoves (ICSs) and solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. In spite of many successes, the overall growth of renewable energy in India has remained rather slow. A number of factors are likely to boost the future prospects of renewable energy in the country; these include global pressure and voluntary targets for greenhouse gas emission reduction, a possible future oil crisis, intensification of rural electrification program, and import of hydropower from neighbouring countries.

FOXO3 Promotes Quiescence in Adult Muscle Stem Cells during the Process of Self-Renewal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suchitra D. Gopinath

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Skeletal muscle stem cells, or “satellite cells” (SCs, are required for the regeneration of damaged muscle tissue. Although SCs self-renew during regeneration, the mechanisms that govern SC re-entry into quiescence remain elusive. We show that FOXO3, a member of the forkhead family of transcription factors, is expressed in quiescent SCs (QSCs. Conditional deletion of Foxo3 in QSCs impairs self-renewal and increases the propensity of SCs to adopt a differentiated fate. Transcriptional analysis of SCs lacking FOXO3 revealed a downregulation of Notch signaling, a key regulator of SC quiescence. Conversely, overexpression of Notch intracellular domain (NICD rescued the self-renewal deficit of FOXO3-deficient SCs. We show that FOXO3 regulates NOTCH1 and NOTCH3 receptor expression and that decreasing expression of NOTCH1 and NOTCH3 receptors phenocopies the effect of FOXO3 deficiency in SCs. We demonstrate that FOXO3, perhaps by activating Notch signaling, promotes the quiescent state during SC self-renewal in adult muscle regeneration.

Nac1 promotes self-renewal of embryonic stem cells through direct transcriptional regulation of c-Myc.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruan, Yan; He, Jianrong; Wu, Wei; He, Ping; Tian, Yanping; Xiao, Lan; Liu, Gaoke; Wang, Jiali; Cheng, Yuda; Zhang, Shuo; Yang, Yi; Xiong, Jiaxiang; Zhao, Ke; Wan, Ying; Huang, He; Zhang, Junlei; Jian, Rui

2017-07-18

The pluripotency transcriptional network in embryonic stem cells (ESCs) is composed of distinct functional units including the core and Myc units. It is hoped that dissection of the cellular functions and interconnections of network factors will aid our understanding of ESC and cancer biology. Proteomic and genomic approaches have identified Nac1 as a member of the core pluripotency network. However, previous studies have predominantly focused on the role of Nac1 in psychomotor stimulant response and cancer pathogenesis. In this study, we report that Nac1 is a self-renewal promoting factor, but is not required for maintaining pluripotency of ESCs. Loss of function of Nac1 in ESCs results in a reduced proliferation rate and an enhanced differentiation propensity. Nac1 overexpression promotes ESC proliferation and delays ESC differentiation in the absence of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF). Furthermore, we demonstrated that Nac1 directly binds to the c-Myc promoter and regulates c-Myc transcription. The study also revealed that the function of Nac1 in promoting ESC self-renewal appears to be partially mediated by c-Myc. These findings establish a functional link between the core and c-Myc-centered networks and provide new insights into mechanisms of stemness regulation in ESCs and cancer.

Renewable Energy Policy Fact sheet - Luxembourg

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-09-01

The EurObserv'ER policy profiles give a snapshot of the renewable energy policy in the EU Member States. Main support instruments for incentivising electricity from renewable energy sources are feed-in tariffs and feed-in premiums. A subsidy instrument is used as well. Households operating small solar installations are entitled to tax benefits. Renewable heat production is promoted through four subsidy instruments. Renewable transport fuels are promoted by way of a bio-fuels blending quota scheme

Renewable energy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsen, Birgitte Egelund

2016-01-01

Renewable energy projects are increasingly confronted by local opposition, which delays and sometimes even prevents their implementation. This reflects the frequent gap between support for the general idea of renewables as a strategy for reducing carbon emissions, and acceptance of renewable energy...... installations in the local landscape. A number of countries have introduced financial incentives to promote community acceptance. The tool box of incentives is still limited but in recent years it has been expanded to address local concerns. Certain general characteristics can be identified, suggesting...... that there are at least three distinct categories of incentives: individual compensation, community benefits and ownership measures. Local opposition must be approached with caution, as financial incentives to promote local acceptance can be seen as buying consent or even ‘bribery’, stirring up further opposition....

Renewable energy activities in Senegal: a review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Youm, I.; Sarr, J.; Kane, M.M.; Sall, M.

2000-01-01

Like many countries in Africa, Senegal is facing economical decline, energy crisis and serious desertification problem in rural areas. These issues could be removed if renewable energy is used as a primary source of energy in rural areas. What is required is a strategy to implement renewable energy technologies at large scale. The government and many non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have tried to comprehend and have strived to address the problem of energy. This paper present a review of activities in the field of renewable energy applications in Senegal, which goes back to the mid 1970s and will discuss the socio-economic benefits that the country has derived from these environmentally sound and appropriate sources of energy. The development and trial of systems were mostly funded so far by donor agencies in collaboration with government and NGOs. Among the applications being supported are solar lighting, water pumping and small power plants. Recent efforts have been aimed at restructuring the programmes and giving them a market orientation. Future trends, some suggestion and recommendations for successful dissemination of renewable energy sources are also drawn. The present situation is seen to be much more promising and favourable for renewable energy. (Author)

Importance of rural bioenergy for developing countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Demirbas, Ayse Hilal; Demirbas, Imren

2007-01-01

Energy resources will play an important role in the world's future. Rural bioenergy is still the predominant form of energy used by people in the less developed countries, and bioenergy from biomass accounts for about 15% of the world's primary energy consumption and about 38% of the primary energy consumption in developing countries. Furthermore, bioenergy often accounts for more than 90% of the total rural energy supplies in some developing countries. Earth life in rural areas of the world has changed dramatically over time. Industrial development in developing countries, coming at a time of low cost plentiful oil supplies, has resulted in greater reliance on the source of rural bioenergy than is true in the developed countries. In developed countries, there is a growing trend towards employing modern technologies and efficient bioenergy conversion using a range of biofuels, which are becoming cost wise competitive with fossil fuels. Currently, much attention has been a major focus on renewable alternatives in the developing countries. Renewable energy can be particularly appropriate for developing countries. In rural areas, particularly in remote locations, transmission and distribution of energy generated from fossil fuels can be difficult and expensive. Producing renewable energy locally can offer a viable alternative. Renewable energy can facilitate economic and social development in communities but only if the projects are intelligently designed and carefully planned with local input and cooperation. Particularly in poor rural areas, the costs of renewable energy projects will absorb a significant part of participants' small incomes. Bio-fuels are important because they replace petroleum fuels. Biomass and biofuels can be used as a substitute for fossil fuels to generate heat, power and/or chemicals. Generally speaking, biofuels are generally considered as offering many benefits, including sustainability, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, regional

Layered double hydroxide nanoparticles promote self-renewal of mouse embryonic stem cells through the PI3K signaling pathway

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Youjun; Zhu, Rongrong; Zhou, Yang; Zhang, Jun; Wang, Wenrui; Sun, Xiaoyu; Wu, Xianzheng; Cheng, Liming; Zhang, Jing; Wang, Shilong

2015-06-01

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) hold great potential for regenerative medicine due to their two unique characteristics: self-renewal and pluripotency. Several groups of nanoparticles have shown promising applications in directing the stem cell fate. Herein, we investigated the cellular effects of layered double hydroxide nanoparticles (LDH NPs) on mouse ESCs (mESCs) and the associated molecular mechanisms. Mg-Al-LDH NPs with an average diameter of ~100 nm were prepared by hydrothermal methods. To determine the influences of LDH NPs on mESCs, cellular cytotoxicity, self-renewal, differentiation potential, and the possible signaling pathways were explored. Evaluation of cell viability, lactate dehydrogenase release, ROS generation and apoptosis demonstrated the low cytotoxicity of LDH NPs. The alkaline phosphatase activity and the expression of pluripotency genes in mESCs were examined, which indicated that exposure to LDH NPs could support self-renewal and inhibit spontaneous differentiation of mESCs under feeder-free culture conditions. The self-renewal promotion was further proved to be independent of the leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF). Furthermore, cells treated with LDH NPs maintained the potential to differentiate into all three germ layers both in vitro and in vivo through formation of embryoid bodies and teratomas. In addition, we observed that LDH NPs initiated the activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway, while treatment with the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 could block the effects of LDH NPs on mESCs. The results confirmed that the promotion of self-renewal by LDH NPs was associated with activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Altogether, our studies identified a new role of LDH NPs in maintaining self-renewal of mouse ES cells which could potentially be applied in stem cell research.Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) hold great potential for regenerative medicine due to their two unique characteristics: self-renewal and pluripotency. Several groups of nanoparticles

Renewable Energy Policy Fact sheet - Slovenia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-07-01

The EurObserv'ER policy profiles give a snapshot of the renewable energy policy in the EU Member States. In Slovenia, electricity from renewable sources is promoted through a feed-in tariff (so called 'guaranteed purchase') and a premium tariff (so called 'operating premium'), both granted through a tender procedure. Renewable energy sources for heating purposes are promoted mainly through loans on concessional terms and subsidies. The main incentive for renewable energy use in transport are tax exemptions and subsidies

Renewables 2005. Global status report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

This report provides an overview of the status of renewable energy worldwide in 2005. It covers markets, investments, industries, policies, and rural (off-grid) renewable energy in developing countries. By design, the report does not provide analysis, recommendations, or conclusions. An extensive research and review process over several months involving more than 100 researchers and contributors has kept inaccuracies to a minimum. REN21 sees this report as the beginning of an active exchange of views and information. This report reveals some surprising facts about renewable energy, many reflecting strong growth trends and increasing significance relative to conventional energy. (au)

Renewables 2005. Global status report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2005-07-01

This report provides an overview of the status of renewable energy worldwide in 2005. It covers markets, investments, industries, policies, and rural (off-grid) renewable energy in developing countries. By design, the report does not provide analysis, recommendations, or conclusions. An extensive research and review process over several months involving more than 100 researchers and contributors has kept inaccuracies to a minimum. REN21 sees this report as the beginning of an active exchange of views and information. This report reveals some surprising facts about renewable energy, many reflecting strong growth trends and increasing significance relative to conventional energy. (au)

Renewables 2005 - Global status report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinot, Eric

2005-01-01

This report provides an overview of the status of renewable energy worldwide in 2005. It covers markets, investments, industries, policies, and rural (off-grid) renewable energy in developing countries. By design, the report does not provide analysis, recommendations, or conclusions. An extensive research and review process over several months involving more than 100 researchers and contributors has kept inaccuracies to a minimum. REN21 sees this report as the beginning of an active exchange of views and information. This report reveals some surprising facts about renewable energy, many reflecting strong growth trends and increasing significance relative to conventional energy

Renewable energy supply to an isolated rural community to enhance ecotourism activities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nunes, Ventura; Cataldo, Jose [Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo (Uruguay). Facultad de Ingenieria

2008-07-01

As part of a technology transfer project funded by OAS and carried out by Work Groups from Argentina, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay, the Laureles community was selected in Uruguay to enhance its productive activities of ecotourism and craftworks selling. A complete renewable energy demonstration system was provided to improve the services offered to tourists who stay overnight at rural houses. The community selection performed by the Uruguayan Renewable Energy Work Group, assisted by sociologists using the methodology and criteria implemented in a prior project, is described. The community was characterized including social, demographic and organizational issues, a carefully designed enquiry, mostly related to energy and production issues, was performed and a forecast for future needs was completed. Agreements about the renewable energy demonstration system characteristics were reached in a workshop attended by all community members. Also, load requirements and number and type of appliances were characterized. Due to project fund restrictions, only one complete system could be installed. Its location in one of the several farm houses where lodging is offered was discussed with the community reaching a consensus. The system installed uses wind energy to satisfy illumination, communications and refrigerator needs and solar water heating. Also, excess wind power will be used to support water heating. The local wind potential assessment, using short time wind measurements related to those obtained at near-by meteorological stations, and the system design are presented. Users received training about the system operation and its power and energy restrictions. In a first project evaluation meeting, the community discussed about its perception of the benefits expected in its quality of life through an increase of the number of tourists characterization of the communities in their social, demographic and organizational issues. The methodology employed was implemented in a

Microgrids project. Part 2. Design of an electrification kit with high content of renewable energy sources in Senegal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alzola, J.A.; Santos, M. [Robotiker Tecnalia, Parque Tecnologico, Edificio 202, 48170 Zamudio (Spain); Vechiu, I. [ESTIA Recherche Technopole Izarbel, 64210 Bidart (France); Camblong, H. [ESTIA Recherche Technopole Izarbel, 64210 Bidart (France); Electrical Engineering Department, University of the Basque Country (E.U.P.-D), Europa Plaza 1, 20018 Donostia - San Sebastian (Spain); Sall, M. [Centre d' Etudes et de Recherches sur les Energies Renouvelables (UCAD) (Senegal); Sow, G. [Laboratoire des Energies Renouvelables (LER), Ecole Sup. Polytechnique, Dakar (Senegal)

2009-10-15

Senegal is one of the less developed countries in the world (position 158 in a list of 174 countries). 85% of its rural population does not have access to electricity and there's no doubt that this is an important barrier for socio-economic development. In this context, the project Microgrids aims at contributing to solve this problem. This project is part of the Intelligent Energy - Europe Programme supported by the European Commission. Its objective is the promotion and dissemination of the use of micro-grids with high content of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) for the electrification of villages far away from the grid in Senegal. One of the results of the project was the analysis of rural electrification needs, which is described in another paper [Camblong H, Sarr J, Niang AT, Curea O, Alzola JA, Sylla EH, Santos M. Microgrids project, part 1: analysis of rural electrification with high content of renewable energy sources in Senegal. Renewable Energy, submitted for publication.]. This paper presents the design of an electrification kit based on the information provided by that analysis [Analyse des besoins locaux pour l'electrification de zones rurales au Senegal. Technical report of Microgrids project; 2007. Available from: http://www.microgrids-eie.com.]. After identifying necessary previous conditions for the sustainability of any electrification project, a methodology is proposed for the design of the electrification kit. This methodology is applied to a typical village and results are extended to differently sized villages in the areas of Thies, Fatick and Kaolack. Economic considerations are also included to establish the relationship between electrification costs and paying capability of the communities. Now the Microgrids' consortium hopes to set-up a new project to apply the designed kit on some rural non-electrified villages. (author)

Renewable Energy Policy Fact sheet - Estonia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-09-01

The EurObserv'ER policy profiles give a snapshot of the renewable energy policy in the EU Member States. Electricity from renewable sources is mainly promoted through feed-in premiums (FiP). In addition, investment subsidies are available for biogas/biomass-based RES-E and wind power installations. Renewable heat is stimulated through investment subsidies to CHP plants generating renewable heat and electricity, as well as subsidies for private heat consumers. Renewable transport fuels are currently mainly incentivised by way of a support scheme to promote the purchase of electric cars that use power produced from renewable energy sources. Recently, a measure for supporting bio-methane in the transport sector has been adopted. Generally, a number of investment subsidy schemes are in place to promote the development, installation and use of renewable energy production installations. However, certain subsidy conditions still have to be announced and implemented. The total amount of financial support to be allocated to renewable energy and energy efficiency related projects during period 2014-2020 will be over euro 490 million. The current administratively determined FiP scheme is set to be replaced by an auction-based scheme within short

The use of photovoltaics for rural electrification in northwestern China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wallace, W.L. [National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States); Li Jingming; Gao Shangbin [Chinese Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing (China)

1998-09-01

The use of renewable energy technologies in China is becoming increasingly important to meet the needs of a large rural population. Solar and wind renewable resources in particular are available in regions of China that at present have no access to conventional grid power. Two regions in China that have an acute lack of electricity are a large region in northern and western China and the coastal island region of China. These regions have attracted the attention of the Chinese government in terms of increasing the quality of life and standard of living conditions of the rural population. These regions have also attracted the attention of domestic Chinese companies and of international companies, governments, and multilateral development organizations as a potential market for renewable energy rural electrification systems. This paper focuses on the bilateral cooperation between the US Department of Energy and China in providing assistance for the use of renewable technologies for rural electrification in northwestern China.

Renewable Energy Policy Fact sheet - Cyprus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-07-01

The EurObserv'ER policy profiles give a snapshot of the renewable energy policy in the EU Member States. Electricity from renewable sources is promoted through investment subsidies in combination with a net metering scheme. Renewable heating and cooling is promoted by investment subsidies to enterprises and households respectively. To date, no incentives for production and use of bio-fuels in the transport sector are in place

The contribution of renewable energy resources on the electrification and development at the Guantanamo Province

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perez, S.; Angel, J. [CUBASOLAR, Guantanamo (Cuba); Moreno Figueredo, C. [Centro de Estudio de Tecnologias Energeticas Renovables (Cuba); Montesinos Larrosa, A. [Sociedad Cubana para la Promocion de las Energias Renovables (Cuba)

2008-07-01

Cuba's Guantanamo province is a leader in the application of renewable energy technologies. This paper discussed the socio-economic impact of renewable energy projects that are underway in the Guantanamo province to improve the standard of living in rural areas. More than 400 rural schools and 70 rural medical offices get their electricity from photovoltaic systems. Hydropower provides the energy needs to 3000 rural houses with 11,000 inhabitants. Other applications include remote community solar systems, improved woodstoves for community kitchens, solar cookers and solar dryers. This paper demonstrated how the high penetration of these renewable energy technologies has contributed to the sustainable development of the province. The lessons learned in energy management by the local governments and research institutions were also outlined. 1 tab.

Innovative Promotion of Renewable Energy Development for Challenging Sustainable Low-Carbon Society: Case Study of Pingtung County, Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wen-Tien Tsai

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Pingtung County, located in the southernmost part of Taiwan, has been selected as one of the Smarter Cities Challenge by the International Business Machines (IBM in 2013 due to its innovative promotion for renewable energy exploitation in recent years. In this regard, the objective of this paper will be to present an in-depth analysis of the success of environmental sustainability efforts through aggressive measures and profitable plans by this tropical county. The description in the paper is, thus, summarized on the central regulations and economic measures for promoting renewable energy in Taiwan, focusing on the feed-in tariff (FIT. Then, some innovative promotion plans for renewable energy in Pinugtung County, including swine-derived biogas-to-power and “Raise Water, Grow Electricity”, were further addressed to show the preliminary results under the funding supports of the central and local governments. With a practical basis of the total swine population (around 433,000 heads, from the farm scale of over 5,000 heads in Pingtung County, a preliminary analysis showed the annual benefits: methane reduction of 2.2 Gg, electricity generation of 8.3 × 106 kilowatt-hour (kW-h, equivalent electricity charge saving of 8.3 × 105 US Dollar (USD, and equivalent carbon dioxide mitigation of 50.9 thousand tons (Gg.

Geographic Information Technologies for Rural Electrification with Renewable Energies. Case Study: Carchi, Ecuador; Tecnologias de Informacion Geografica para la Electrificacion Rural con Energias Renovables. Caso de Estudio: Carchi, Ecuador

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martinez Sarmiento, R. A.; Dominguez Bravo, J.; Amador Guerra, J.

2013-07-01

This project started as an educational exercise for the Renewable Energy and Environment Master, taught by the Polytechnic University of Madrid, with the purpose of analyze in a real context GIS application in rural electrification with renewable energies. It was developed in collaboration with CIEMAT, INEC, INAMHI , CONELEC and the UPM. The final aim is to define the technology that suits best to Car chi's electrification needs. This improvement will make possible the sustainable development of the population. In order to compare electrification technologies to decide which is the most suitable to Carchi, using IntiGIS model, will be required a geographic resources analysis, a population distribution and an electricity demand study. Also, it will be necessary to establish the technical parameters of the facility and economic factors that could affect the study. (Author)

Technological Implementation of Renewable Energy in Rural-Isolated Areas and Small-Medium Islands in Indonesia: Problem Mapping And Preliminary Surveys of Total People Participation in a Local Wind Pump Water Supply

Science.gov (United States)

Taufik, Ahmad

2007-10-01

This article discusses a formulation of problem mapping and preliminary surveys of total people participation in a local wind pump (LWP) water supply in term of technological implementation of renewable energy (RE) in rural-isolated areas and small-medium islands in Indonesia. The formulation was constructed in order to enhance and to promote the local product of RE across Indonesia. It was also addressed to accommodate local potencies, barriers and opportunities into a priority map. Moreover, it was designed into five aspects such as (1) local technology of the RE: a case of pilot project of the LWP; (2) environmental-cultural aspects related to global issues of energy-renewable energy; (3) potencies and barriers corresponding to local, national, regional and international contents; (4) education and training and (5) gender participation. To focus the formulation, serial preliminary surveys were conducted in five major areas, namely: (1) survey on support and barrier factors of the aspects; (2) strategic planning model, a concept A-B-G which stands for Academician-Business people-Government; (3) survey on background based knowledge on energy conservation; (4) survey on gender participation in energy conservation and (5) survey on local stakeholder involvement. Throughout the surveys, it has been notified that the concept needs to be developed to any level of its component since its elements were identified in tolerance values such as high potency value of the LWP development (95%); a strong potency of rural area application (88%); a medium background of energy, energy conservation (EC) identified in a range of 56%-72%, sufficient support from local stakeholders and gender participation.

Renewable Energy for Microenterprise

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Allderdice, A.; Rogers, J.H.

2000-11-28

This guide provides readers with a broad understanding of the potential benefits that current renewable energy technologies can offer rural microenterprises. It also introduces the institutional approaches that have been developed to make RE technologies accessible to microentrepreneurs and the challenges that these entrepreneurs have encountered.

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor and endothelial cells promote self-renewal of rabbit germ cells with spermatogonial stem cell properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Kubota, Hiroshi; Wu, Xin; Goodyear, Shaun M; Avarbock, Mary R; Brinster, Ralph L

2011-08-01

Previous studies suggest that exogenous factors crucial for spermatogonial stem cell (SSC) self-renewal are conserved among several mammalian species. Since glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) are critical for rodent SSC self-renewal, we hypothesized that they might promote self-renewal of nonrodent SSCs. Therefore, we cultured testicular germ cells from prepubertal rabbits in the presence of GDNF and FGF2 and found they proliferated indefinitely as cellular clumps that displayed characteristics previously identified for rodent SSCs. The rabbit germ cells could not be maintained on mouse embryonic fibroblast (STO) feeders that support rodent SSC self-renewal in vitro but were rather supported on mouse yolk sac-derived endothelial cell (C166) feeder layers. Proliferation of rabbit germ cells was dependent on GDNF. Of critical importance was that clump-forming rabbit germ cells colonized seminiferous tubules of immunodeficient mice, proliferated for at least 6 mo, while retaining an SSC phenotype in the testes of recipient mice, indicating that they were rabbit SSCs. This study demonstrates that GDNF is a mitogenic factor promoting self-renewal that is conserved between rodent and rabbit SSCs; with an evolutionary separation of ∼ 60 million years. These findings provide a foundation to study the mechanisms governing SSC self-renewal in nonrodent species.

Renewable energy projects to electrify rural communities in Cape Verde

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ranaboldo, Matteo; Lega, Bruno Domenech; Ferrenbach, David Vilar; Ferrer-Martí, Laia; Moreno, Rafael Pastor; García-Villoria, Alberto

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The design of 2 off-grid electrification projects in Cape Verde is developed. • Configurations with hybrid renewable energy systems and micro-grids are considered. • A detailed micro-scale wind resource assessment is carried out. • An optimization model is used in order to support the design. • The proposed system is economically beneficial in comparison with diesel generation. - Abstract: Even though Cape Verde has high wind and solar energy resources, the conventional strategy for increasing access to electricity in isolated rural areas is by centralized microgrids with diesel generators. In this study, the design of 2 off-grid electrification projects based on hybrid wind–photovoltaic systems in Cape Verde is developed and analyzed. The design considers some significant novelty features in comparison with previous studies. First a detailed wind resource assessment is carried out combining meso-scale wind climate data and a specialized micro-scale wind flow model. Then a mathematical model is used for the design of off-grid projects considering a combination of individual systems and microgrids. In this study, locations far from the demand points are also considered as possible generation points. Various design configurations are analyzed and compared. The proposed configurations exploit the highest wind potential areas and are economically beneficial in comparison with diesel generator systems

An integrated system for the energy production and accumulation from renewable sources: a rural tower prototype

Science.gov (United States)

Di Francesco, Silvia; Petrozzi, Alessandro; Montesarchio, Valeria

2014-05-01

This research work presents the implementation of an architectural prototype aiming at the complete energy self-sufficiency through an integrated system based on renewable energy. It is suitable for historical buildings in rural areas, isolated but important from natural and architectonical point of view. In addition to the energy aspects, it is important to protect the impact in terms of land-use and environment. This idea is also especially powerful because in the rural countries there are many little building centers abandoned because they are devoid of a connection to the electric energy grid and methane piping. Thus, taking inspiration from dove towers, architectural typology widespread in central Italy, a virtual model has been developed as an integrated system for renewable energy production, storage and supply. While recovering the ancient tower, it is possible to design and assembly an integrated intelligent system, able to combine energy supply and demand: a new tower that should be flexible, efficient and replicable in other contexts as manufacturing, commercial and residential ones. The prototype has been applied to a real case of study, an ancient complex located in Umbria Region. The sources for electric production installed on the tower are photovoltaics, on the head and shaft of the tower, hydropower and a biomass gasifier providing thermal too. A tank at the head of the tower allows an available hydraulic potential energy, for the turbine at any time, to cover photovoltaic lacks, caused by sudden loss of production, for environmental causes. Conversely, photovoltaic peaks, otherwise unusable, can be used to reload the water from the receiving tank at the foot of the tower, up to the tank in the head. The same underground tank acts as a thermal flywheel to optimize the geothermal heat pumps for the heat and cold production. Keywords: hydropower, photovoltaics, dove tower.

Rural electrification program with renewable energy sources: An analysis of China’s Township Electrification Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shyu, Chian-Woei

2012-01-01

Given the fact that 1.4 billion people, over 20% of the world’s population, lack access to electricity, rural electrification remains a common challenge for many developing countries. The ‘Township Electrification Program’ launched by the Chinese government in 2002 is known as the world’s largest renewable energy-based rural electrification program in terms of investment volume ever carried out by a country. This study gives an in-depth examination of the program implemented in two selected townships in remote of rural areas of western China. The results showed that the implementation of the program possessed a technical orientation (e.g., construction of stations, installation of systems), and underestimated the financial implications (e.g., electricity tariff, households’ ability to pay electricity fees, financial management) as well as human resources available (e.g., training for operators, household participation) and institutional capacity building (e.g., good governance, regulatory framework) at the local level. Even though electricity was provided by the solar PV power stations, households still relied on traditional energy sources, such as candles and dry cell batteries, due to the fact that electricity service was unreliable and electricity supply was not sufficient for households’ needs. - Highlights: ► China’s electrification rate has reached the level of OECD countries. ► Township Electrification Program is the world’s largest electrification program. ► The program possessed a technical orientation and underestimated other aspects. ► Households still relied on traditional energy, such as candles and batteries. ► Having electricity access did not mean that electricity was actually used.

Renewable Substitutability Index: Maximizing Renewable Resource Use in Buildings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ravi S. Srinivasan

2015-05-01

Full Text Available In order to achieve a material and energy balance in buildings that is sustainable in the long run, there is an urgent need to assess the renewable and non-renewable resources used in the manufacturing process and to progressively replace non-renewable resources with renewables. Such progressive disinvestment in the non-renewable resources that may be substituted with renewable resources is referred to as “Renewable Substitutability” and if implemented, this process will lead to a paradigm shift in the way building materials are manufactured. This paper discusses the development of a Renewable Substitutability Index (RSI that is designed to maximize the use of renewable resources in a building and quantifies the substitution process using solar emergy (i.e., the solar equivalent joules required for any item. The RSI of a building or a building component, i.e., floor or wall systems, etc., is the ratio of the renewable resources used during construction, including replacement and maintenance, to the building’s maximum renewable emergy potential. RSI values range between 0 and 1.0. A higher RSI achieves a low-energy building strategy promoting a higher order of sustainability by optimizing the use of renewables over a building’s lifetime from formation-extraction-manufacturing to maintenance, operation, demolition, and recycle.

Renewable Energy Policy Fact sheet - Poland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-09-01

The EurObserv'ER policy profiles give a snapshot of the renewable energy policy in the EU Member States. Mid-2016 Poland revamped its national support scheme for electricity from renewable energy sources, started to phase out a certificates-backed renewable electricity quota scheme, and put in place a feed-in tariff/feed-in premium (FiT/FiP) system in place with the support levels being determined by approved tender bids. Furthermore, a fiscal and soft loan instrument is used for supplementary support. Three subsidy instruments and a soft loan instrument are deployed for the promotion of renewable heat. Renewable energy in transport is promoted through a bio-fuels quota scheme

China's renewables law

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Li

2005-01-01

The paper discusses China's Renewable Energy Promotion Law which will come into force in January 2006. The law shows China's commitment to renewable energy sources. The target is to raise the country's energy consumption from renewables to 10% by 2020. Data for current capacity, and expected capacity by 2020, are given for wind power, solar power, biomass and hydroelectric power. The financial and technological hurdles which China must overcome are mentioned briefly

Renewable Energy Policy Fact sheet - Latvia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-09-01

The EurObserv'ER policy profiles give a snapshot of the renewable energy policy in the EU Member States. Electricity from renewable sources of energy is stimulated by a feed-in tariff scheme which includes elements of a renewable quota scheme and tendering. Since 2011 this scheme only applies to pre-existing RES-E installations and is closed for new RES-E projects. Moreover, the present main RES-E support scheme is being evaluated which may result in reforms within short. Small-scale renewable generation, notably PV, is stimulated by net metering. On the other hand, since January 2014 a tax for subsidised electricity generators is in place. Renewable heating and cooling is promoted by fiscal instruments. To date, renewable transport fuels are promoted through a tax mechanism as well

Renewable energy the best remedy for electrical load shedding in Pakistan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhutta, S.M.

2011-01-01

, right person for right job, capacity building of relevant institutions, for promotion of hydro electric power and other renewable sources. Public and private efforts in building a strong indigenous base for renewable energy technologies, designing, manufacturing, quality assurance, achieving cost effectiveness, reducing import dependence, promotion of self-reliance and minimizing environmental degradation is one of the objectives to be achieved. Electricity pilferage and technical losses, non payments of bills and corruption need to be seriously addressed. The government's policy towards renewable especially hydro and other energy balances would not only help the country to meet growing demand for electricity, but would also provide additional benefits by increasing fuel diversity or our electricity generation portfolio, reducing our exposure to fossil fuel price spikes, security and supply interruptions, deforestation, development of rural areas, minimize migration to cities, increasing economic development activity from a growing renewable energy industry and improving our environment etc. (author)

A TOU Pricing Mechanism to Promote Renewable Energy Consumption: The Case of the Western Inner Mongolia Grid in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yong-xiu He

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The curtailment of wind power and photovoltaic power is becoming increasingly serious from the year 2012 to present in China. And the small installed capacity captive coal-fired power plants have been developed rapidly aiming to cut production costs. Therefore, by the substitution of renewable energy for captive coal-fired power plants, this paper establishes a time-of-use (TOU pricing mechanism with a linkage between the supply side and the demand side to promote renewable energy consumption, which is applied to the Western Inner Mongolia grid in China. The results show that the benefits to the grid company, electricity users, renewable energy producers, and social environment are influenced by the quantity of renewable energy purchased in the market, the market price for renewable energy, the quantity of electricity from grid to peak shaving, the carbon price, and the quantity of electricity generated by captive coal-fired power plants shifting to grid, in which the first factor has the greatest influence on the benefits of stakeholders. Furthermore, improving the accuracy of renewable energy generation forecast and optimizing using electricity behaviors by considering the renewable energy generation characteristics could ensure the TOU mechanism implementation successfully.

Introduction of renewable energies in a settling down of agrarian reform of the West Amazon; Introducao de energias renovaveis em um assentamento da reforma agraria da Amazonia ocidental

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Santos, Francisco Eulalio Alves dos; Duarte, Alejandro Fonseca [Universidade Federal do Acre (UFAC), Rio Branco, AC (Brazil). Climatologia e Energia

2010-07-01

This paper describes the social evolution of a rural community directly connected to the actions of a research project and extension, which promoted the access to the renewable energies, and the exploration before and after the transit for the use of electric power distribution conventional networks at the Limoeiro community, state of Acre, Brazil.

Strategies and willingness of rural restaurateurs to promote healthy foods.

Science.gov (United States)

Benson, W

1995-01-01

Nutritionists need to understand the willingness of restaurateurs to prepare and sell healthy foods, as Canadians frequently eat meals at food services. The lunch trade restaurants under the jurisdiction of a rural and semi-rural Alberta health unit were surveyed by telephone. Two thirds of the restaurants were family-style and had 100 seats or fewer. Five of 20 healthy foods were rated as difficult to serve, due to: lack of customer demand; lack of food availability; and the need to maintain the quality of fresh vegetables, fruits and milk products. Many restaurateurs are willing to change internally by training staff (88%) and by trying new recipes (84%). Staff education materials perceived to be helpful by 80% of restaurateurs included video/audio tapes, information sheets and posters. Restaurateurs were most willing to use menu inserts (76%), table tents (68%) and door decals (72%) to promote healthy foods. Nutrition services should focus on how restaurants can make changes to include healthy foods through food preparation and menu items.

Rural development update for South Africa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arent, D. [National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States)

1997-12-01

This paper describes renewable energy programs implemented in South Africa as part of a collaborative program for rural development. Different facets of this program include: Renewable Energy for South Africa (REFSA); hybrid collaborative R&D; electricity sector restructuring; provincial level initiation of renewable energy applications; renewable energy for African development (REFAD); and Suncorp photovoltaic manufacturing company. Limited detailed information is provided on the activities of each of these different program facets over the past year in particular.

Renewables 2010 - Global status report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sawin, Janet L.; Martinot, Eric; Sonntag-O'Brien, Virginia; McCrone, Angus; Roussell, Jodie; Barnes, Douglas; Flavin, Christopher; Mastny, Lisa; Kraft, Diana; Wang, Shannon; Ellenbeck, Saskia; Ilieva, Lili; Griebenow, Christof; Adib, Rana; Lempp, Philippe; Welker, Bettina

2010-01-01

in early 2010-more than 100 countries had enacted some type of policy target and/or promotion policy related to renewable energy, up from 55 countries in early 2005. Many new targets enacted in the past three years call for shares of energy or electricity from renewables in the 15-25 percent range by 2020. Most countries have adopted more than one promotion policy, and there is a huge diversity of policies in place at national, state/provincial, and local levels. Many recent trends also reflect the increasing significance of developing countries in advancing renewable energy. Collectively, developing countries have more than half of global renewable power capacity. China now leads in several indicators of market growth. India is fifth worldwide in total existing wind power capacity and is rapidly expanding many forms of rural renewables such as biogas and solar PV. Brazil produces virtually all of the world's sugar-derived ethanol and has been adding new biomass and wind power plants. Many renewables markets are growing at rapid rates in countries such as Argentina, Costa Rica, Egypt, Indonesia, Kenya, Tanzania, Thailand, Tunisia, and Uruguay, to name a few. Developing countries now make up over half of all countries with policy targets (45 out of 85 countries) and also make up half of all countries with some type of renewable energy promotion policy (42 out of 83 countries). The geography of renewable energy is changing in ways that suggest a new era of geographic diversity. For example, wind power existed in just a handful of countries in the 1990s but now exists in over 82 countries. Manufacturing leadership is shifting from Europe to Asia as countries like China, India, and South Korea continue to increase their commitments to renewable energy. In 2009, China produced 40 percent of the world's solar PV supply, 30 percent of the world's wind turbines (up from 10 percent in 2007), and 77 percent of the world's solar hot water collectors. Latin

Reaching rural customers: the challenge of market-based rural electrification

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reinmueller, Dorothee [International Solar Energy Society (ISES), Freiburg (Germany); Adib, Rana [Fraunhofer Inst. for Solar Energy Systems ISE, Freiburg (Germany)

2002-06-01

The large number of households that need catering for in market based approaches to rural energy supply in developing countries makes different demands on all involved players: an extensive infrastructure for reaching the rural customer needs to be established, extensive investments have to be realised, financial sustainability must be assured, and the business must even show profit. Thus, for successful market and infrastructure development it is a major necessity to understand the mechanisms involved. The authors describe a new guide to assist governments, business, and financing organisations in providing energy to rural areas using renewables. (Author)

Reaching rural customers: the challenge of market-based rural electrification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reinmueller, Dorothee; Adib, Rana

2002-01-01

The large number of households that need catering for in market based approaches to rural energy supply in developing countries makes different demands on all involved players: an extensive infrastructure for reaching the rural customer needs to be established, extensive investments have to be realised, financial sustainability must be assured, and the business must even show profit. Thus, for successful market and infrastructure development it is a major necessity to understand the mechanisms involved. The authors describe a new guide to assist governments, business, and financing organisations in providing energy to rural areas using renewables. (Author)

Does FDI influence renewable energy consumption? An analysis of sectoral FDI impact on renewable and non-renewable industrial energy consumption

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doytch, Nadia; Narayan, Seema

2016-01-01

This study examines the link between foreign direct investment (FDI) and energy demand. FDI is a source of financing that allows businesses to grow. At the same time, FDI can be a source of innovation that promotes energy efficiency. Existing evidence on the impact of aggregate FDI inflows on energy consumption is scarce and inconclusive. In the current study, we disaggregate FDI inflows into mining, manufacturing, total services, and financial services components and examine the impact of these FDI flows on renewable – and non-renewable industrial energy – sources for 74 countries for the period 1985–2012. We employ a Blundell–Bond dynamic panel estimator to control for endogeneity and omitted variable biases in our panels. The results point broadly to an energy consumption-reducing effect with respect to non-renewable sources of energy and an energy consumption-augmenting effects with respect to renewable energy. We find that these effects vary in magnitude and significance by sectoral FDI. - Highlights: • FDI generally discourages the use of unclean energy. • Economic growth promotes non-renewable energy consumption. • Service FDI save energy and encourage the switch to renewable energy. • Mining FDI to low and lower middle-income panels save energy. • These results are mainly consistent with the FDI halo effect.

Inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin signaling by IWR1 induces expression of Foxd3 to promote mouse epiblast stem cell self-renewal.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Kuisheng; Sun, Yuanyuan; Liu, Dahai; Ye, Shoudong

2017-08-26

Inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin signaling facilitates the derivation of mouse epiblast stem cells (EpiSCs), as well as dramatically promotes EpiSC self-renewal. The specific mechanism, however, is still unclear. Here, we showed that IWR1, a Wnt/β-catenin signaling inhibitor, allowed long-term self-renewal of EpiSCs in serum medium in combination with ROCK inhibitor Y27632. Through transcriptome data analysis, we arrived at a set of candidate transcription factors induced by IWR1. Among these, Forkhead box D3 (Foxd3) was most abundant. Forced expression of Foxd3 could recapitulate the self-renewal-promoting effect of IWR1 in EpiSCs. Conversely, knockdown of Foxd3 profoundly compromised responsiveness to IWR1, causing extinction of pluripotency markers and emergence of differentiation phenotype. Foxd3 thus is necessary and sufficient to mediate self-renewal downstream of Wnt/β-catenin signaling inhibitor. These findings highlight an important role for Foxd3 in regulating EpiSCs and will expand current understanding of the primed pluripotency. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The static and dynamic efficiency of instruments of promotion of renewables

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Finon, D; Menanteau, P.

2003-01-01

Results of a comparative analysis of the economic and social efficiency of the instruments used to promote renewable energy sources are discussed. The analysis was carried out first from a static point of view and then using dynamic criteria, to ascertain the ability of the instruments to stimulate technological progress and cost reduction. The first part of the analysis is devoted to characterization of the rationale of these policies in a cost-efficiency framework, followed by an analysis of the instruments in relation to the classic discussion of environmental policy that opposes price-based approaches versus quantity-based approaches. The final part of the analysis examines the incentives to invest and innovate in the context of each framework in relation to the surplus allowed by each policy instrument and its effects on the tendency of manufacturers and renewable energy producers to innovate. The evidence shows that in terms of installed capacity price-based approaches have been superior to the quantity-based approaches that have been used until recently. In contrast, quantity-based approaches have been found to be more efficient for defining and adjusting the overall goals. Adjusting the quotas also provides an indirect way of controlling overall costs. 22 refs., 3 tabs., 6 figs

Energia Renovable para Centros de Salud Rurales (Renewable Energy for Rural Health Clinics)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jimenez, T.; Olson, K.

1999-07-28

Esta es la primera de una serie de guias de aplicaciones que el Programa de Energia de Villas de NREL esta comisionando para acoplar sistemas comerciales renovables con aplicaciones rurales, incluyendo agua, escuelas rurales y micro empresas. La guia esta complementada por las actividades de desarrollo del Programa de Energia de Villas de NREL, proyectos pilotos internacionales y programas de visitas profesionales.

Sustainability assessment of renewable energy projects: research report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2001-07-01

This report describes the results of a study that examined the development of an appraisal framework for renewable energy projects in the UK. The aim was to develop a framework that reflected the quality of life capital approach and could take into account social, economic and environmental effects at a range of different scales. The report describes in some detail: the steps leading to the definition, refinement and testing of the appraisal framework; the assessment methodology; baseline characterisation and evaluation; and application. Three fictional case studies (wind farm in a remote upland rural area, energy recovery facility in an urban fringe location and wood fuelled renewable energy plant in less remote rural area) are used to test the approach.

A new model for commercially sustainable renewable energy-based rural electrification in Indonesia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Walt, Robb [Integrated Power Corporation-Indonesia, (United states)

1995-12-31

Rapidly increasing demands and requirements for access to electricity throughout the remote areas of Indonesia coupled with annual subsidies in excess of $500 million of dollars for rural electrification have forced the Government of Indonesia to search for alternatives to the conventional utility model for rural electrification. In 1992-1993 a study was conducted in collaboration with the Government of Indonesia`s Agency Application and Assessment of Technology (BPPT) and the national power utility, PLN to support the search for sustainable solutions for electrification of remote communities. This study produced a New commercial model for electrification of off-grid rural communities in Indonesia with utility quality electricity services. This new model is characterized by the use of new technologies for power generation, distribution, and sales of electricity. Key to the success of the new model are renewable energy-based hybrid power plants and the use of flexible, on-demand electricity dispensing meters. Estimated fees for electricity service are based on the current amounts now being paid by rural households for kerosene, candles and battery services at different income levels. The study showed that most rural households are willing and able to pay additional amounts for reliable, utility grade electricity for valuable services, such as better lighting, TV entertainment and for productive (economic) uses during daytime hours. A financial assessment was conducted for investments in hybrid power systems for off-grid communities with revenues generated on the basis of market fees, and collected through new technology for electricity purchase and prepayment on a commodity basis. The assessment demonstrates that this approach would provide superior electricity services on a full-time basis, with little or no subsidy required during the three- to five-year commercialization phase, and with profitability as an achievable goal in the full commercial phase. [Espanol

A new model for commercially sustainable renewable energy-based rural electrification in Indonesia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Walt, Robb [Integrated Power Corporation-Indonesia, (United states)

1996-12-31

Rapidly increasing demands and requirements for access to electricity throughout the remote areas of Indonesia coupled with annual subsidies in excess of $500 million of dollars for rural electrification have forced the Government of Indonesia to search for alternatives to the conventional utility model for rural electrification. In 1992-1993 a study was conducted in collaboration with the Government of Indonesia`s Agency Application and Assessment of Technology (BPPT) and the national power utility, PLN to support the search for sustainable solutions for electrification of remote communities. This study produced a New commercial model for electrification of off-grid rural communities in Indonesia with utility quality electricity services. This new model is characterized by the use of new technologies for power generation, distribution, and sales of electricity. Key to the success of the new model are renewable energy-based hybrid power plants and the use of flexible, on-demand electricity dispensing meters. Estimated fees for electricity service are based on the current amounts now being paid by rural households for kerosene, candles and battery services at different income levels. The study showed that most rural households are willing and able to pay additional amounts for reliable, utility grade electricity for valuable services, such as better lighting, TV entertainment and for productive (economic) uses during daytime hours. A financial assessment was conducted for investments in hybrid power systems for off-grid communities with revenues generated on the basis of market fees, and collected through new technology for electricity purchase and prepayment on a commodity basis. The assessment demonstrates that this approach would provide superior electricity services on a full-time basis, with little or no subsidy required during the three- to five-year commercialization phase, and with profitability as an achievable goal in the full commercial phase. [Espanol

Towards improved policy processes for promoting innovation in renewable electricity technologies in the UK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foxon, T.J.; Pearson, P.J.G.

2007-01-01

This paper analyses recent, current and potential future relations between policy processes and substantive outcomes in UK low carbon innovation policy, focussing on policies relating to renewable electricity generation technologies. It examines the development of policy processes relating to the adoption and implementation of the Renewables Obligation and how these may affect the current and likely future success of the Obligation in promoting low carbon innovation. It examines the new policy and institutional processes put in place in the 2003 Energy White Paper and argues that these are unlikely to provide the strategic long-term framework needed to realise the ambitious goals for UK energy policy set out in the White Paper. Finally, it outlines some suggestions for further development of policy processes to facilitate improved delivery of these goals, based on guiding principles for sustainable innovation policy processes, developed by the authors and their colleagues

Analysis of rural residential energy consumption and corresponding carbon emissions in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yao Chunsheng; Chen Chongying; Li Ming

2012-01-01

The analysis of rural residential energy consumption in China from 2001 to 2008 and corresponding impacts on climate change is presented in the paper. It is found that rural residential energy consumption has shown obvious transition from non-commercial energy to commercial energy. The percentage of biomass energy consumption dropped from 81.5% in 2001 to 70.9% in 2008, while the percentage of commercial energy increased from 17.1% to 25.1%. Besides, other renewable energy increased very fast with annual growth rate of 19.8%. Correspondingly, total CO 2 emissions from rural residential energy consumption had significant increase from 152.2 Million tons in 2001 to 283.6 Million tons in 2008. The annual growth rate of per capita CO 2 emissions was nearly 2 times faster than that of urban area. The major driving force for the consumption of commercial energy was the income of rural farmers, while strong rural energy policies supported the development of renewable energy. To satisfy the goals of energy supply and CO 2 emissions reduction in rural areas, it is advised to change the energy structure and improve the energy efficiency, such as to generate electricity using renewable technologies and to replace coal with modern biomass energy for cooking and heating. - Highlights: ► This study analyzed rural residential energy consumption in China 2001–2008. ► It shows obvious transition from non-commercial energy to commercial energy. ► CO 2 emissions from rural residential energy consumption have significant increases. ► Major driving forces are income of rural farmers and rural energy policies. ► Generate electricity using renewable technology and replace coal with modern biomass.

powerado-plus. Promotion of education, instruction and training for renewable energy sources; powerado-plus. Foerderung der Bildung, der Aus- und Weiterbildung fuer erneuerbare Energien

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scharp, Michael [ed.

2012-05-15

The research project 'World of Renewables: powerado' explores the effective communication to promote renewable energies in children, adolescents, teachers and multipliers. In several modules, materials and training approaches for different age groups and audiences are developed. Fundamental studies are carried out. Based on these fundamental studies, successful communication strategies of renewable energy are performed. The contribution under consideration reports on the main findings from the period 2009 to 2012.

powerado-plus. Promotion of education, instruction and training for renewable energy sources; powerado-plus. Foerderung der Bildung, der Aus- und Weiterbildung fuer erneuerbare Energien

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scharp, Michael (ed.)

2012-05-15

The research project 'World of Renewables: powerado' explores the effective communication to promote renewable energies in children, adolescents, teachers and multipliers. In several modules, materials and training approaches for different age groups and audiences are developed. Fundamental studies are carried out. Based on these fundamental studies, successful communication strategies of renewable energy are performed. The contribution under consideration reports on the main findings from the period 2009 to 2012.

Environmental challenges and opportunities of the evolving North American electricity market : Assessing barriers and opportunities for renewable energy in North America

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moomaw, W.R.

2002-06-01

A substantial contribution to the electricity supply of North America can be made by renewable energy. Its uses range from transport fuels based on biomass, to space and hot water heating in buildings and industry. Two possible options are distributed forms of renewable energy and central large-scale technology. Significant employment opportunities could be created from the manufacturing, installation and maintenance of renewable technology. In Mexico, the United States and Canada, rural economic development could be enhanced through the use of wind and biomass fuels. Every three years between 1994 and 2001, wind power installations doubled, and a comparable rate was achieved for the period 1996 to 2001 in the case of photovoltaic shipments. North America's share of this accelerating market in renewable energy sources is declining. To rectify the situation, the author indicated that several issues need to be addressed in all three countries and the trading rules in place under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) need to be reconciled. Several recommendations were made concerning topics as varied as general policy principles to promote renewable technology, establishment of incentives for renewables, renewable electricity, biomass fuels, economic and social policies, research and development and purchasing. 30 refs

Differential Radiosensitizing Effect of Valproic Acid in Differentiation Versus Self-Renewal Promoting Culture Conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Debeb, Bisrat G.; Xu Wei; Mok, Henry; Li Li; Robertson, Fredika; Ueno, Naoto T.; Reuben, Jim; Lucci, Anthony; Cristofanilli, Massimo; Woodward, Wendy A.

2010-01-01

Purpose: It has been shown that valproic acid (VA) enhances the proliferation and self-renewal of normal hematopoietic stem cells and that breast cancer stem/progenitor cells can be resistant to radiation. From these data, we hypothesized that VA would fail to radiosensitize breast cancer stem/progenitor cells grown to three-dimensional (3D) mammospheres. Methods and Materials: We used the MCF7 breast cancer cell line grown under stem cell-promoting culture conditions (3D mammosphere) and standard nonstem cell monolayer culture conditions (two-dimensional) to examine the effect of pretreatment with VA on radiation sensitivity in clonogenic survival assays and on the expression of embryonic stem cell transcription factors. Results: 3D-cultured MCF-7 cells expressed higher levels of Oct4, Nanog, and Sox2. The 3D passage enriched self-renewal and increased radioresistance in the 3D mammosphere formation assays. VA radiosensitized adherent cells but radioprotected 3D cells in single-fraction clonogenic assays. Moreover, fractionated radiation sensitized VA-treated adherent MCF7 cells but did not have a significant effect on VA-treated single cells grown to mammospheres. Conclusion: We have concluded that VA might preferentially radiosensitize differentiated cells compared with those expressing stem cell surrogates and that stem cell-promoting culture is a useful tool for in vitro evaluation of novel cancer therapeutic agents and radiosensitizers.

Global revolution: a status report on renewable energy worldwide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinot, Eric

2005-01-01

With at least 48 countries around the world having some type of renewable energy promotion policy, and increasingly favourable economics, renewables are seeing strong growth and increasing significance. In 2004, global investment in renewables reached US$30 billion. More than 1.7 million people are directly employed by the industry and the 180 GW of installed renewables represents 4% of global capacity. The author discusses the state of renewables in 2005, based on the Just-released 'Renewables 2005 Global Status Report' which was sponsored by the REN21 Renewable Energy Policy Network and involved over 100 collaborators, under the headings: investment trends; industry and market trends; policies to promote renewable energy. (UK)

Effectiveness of Financial and Fiscal Instruments for Promoting Sustainable Renewable Energy Technologies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Renata Dombrovski

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The new EU target of achieving 80-95% emission reductions by 2050 calls for novel energy policy solutions. Previous research has failed to evaluate the influence of all relevant elements of energy policy on technology-specific sustainable renewable energy diffusion. This paper adds to existing research by studying the effectiveness of financial and fiscal instruments on diffusion, additionally controlling for potential political, economic, social, and environmental drivers. These drivers are analysed for 26 EU countries over the period 1990-2011. The main results show that feed-in tariffs, quotas, and tenders effectively promote wind technologies. Other explanatory variables have technology- and model-dependent impacts.

Feasibility Analysis and Simulation of Integrated Renewable Energy System for Power Generation: A Hypothetical Study of Rural Health Clinic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vincent Anayochukwu Ani

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the feasibility analysis and study of integrated renewable energy (IRE using solar photovoltaic (PV and wind turbine (WT system in a hypothetical study of rural health clinic in Borno State, Nigeria. Electrical power consumption and metrology data (such as solar radiation and wind speed were used for designing and analyzing the integrated renewable energy system. The health clinic facility energy consumption is 19 kWh/day with a 3.4 kW peak demand load. The metrological data was collected from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA website and used to analyze the performance of electrical generation system using HOMER program. The simulation and optimization results show that the optimal integrated renewable energy system configuration consists of 5 kW PV array, BWC Excel-R 7.5 kW DC wind turbine, 24 unit Surrette 6CS25P battery cycle charging, and a 19 kW AC/DC converter and that the PV power can generate electricity at 9,138 kWh/year while the wind turbine system can generate electricity at 7,490 kWh/year, giving the total electrical generation of the system as 16,628 kWh/year. This would be suitable for deployment of 100% clean energy for uninterruptable power performance in the health clinic. The economics analysis result found that the integrated renewable system has total NPC of 137,139 US Dollar. The results of this research show that, with a low energy health facility, it is possible to meet the entire annual energy demand of a health clinic solely through a stand-alone integrated renewable PV/wind energy supply.

Microgrid planning based on fuzzy interval prediction models of renewable resources

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Morales, R.; Sáez, D.; Marín, L.G.; Nunez Vicencio, Alfredo; Cordon, O.

2016-01-01

Microgrids are sustainable solutions for electrification of rural zones that can make use of their local renewable resources. In this paper, we propose a new method for microgrid planning which includes the effect of the uncertainties of the renewable resources explicitly. Fuzzy interval models are

Renewable Energy Policy Fact sheet - Bulgaria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-07-01

The EurObserv'ER policy profiles give a snapshot of the renewable energy policy in the EU Member States. Main support policy: Renewable electricity in Bulgaria is promoted primarily through a feed-in tariff scheme. For new projects this scheme is only open for installations up to 30 kW. The grid operator is mandated to the purchase and dispatch electricity at a guaranteed price for eligible generators. The use of renewable energy for heating and cooling is promoted through a subsidy from the European Regional Development Fund and through an exemption for building owners from property tax. Main Bulgarian support scheme for renewable energy in transport is a quota system. There is a professional training programme for RES-installers as well as a building obligation for the use of renewable heating and for the exemplary role of public authorities

Are government policies effective in promoting deployment of renewable electricity resources?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shrimali, Gireesh; Kniefel, Joshua

2011-01-01

Using a panel data over 50 US states and years 1991-2007, this paper uses a state fixed-effects model with state-specific time-trends to estimate the effects of state policies on the penetration of various emerging renewable electricity sources, including wind, biomass, geothermal, and solar photovoltaic. Renewable portfolio standards with either capacity or sales requirements have a significant impact on the penetration of all types of renewables-however, this impact is variable depending on the type of renewable source: it is negative for combined renewables, wind, and biomass; and positive for geothermal and solar. Further, clean energy funds and required green power options mostly result in increasing the penetration of all types of renewables. On the other hand, voluntary renewable portfolio standards as well as state green power purchasing programs are found to be ineffective in increasing the penetration of any type of renewable source. Finally, economic variables, such as electricity price, natural gas price, and per capita GDP as well as structural variables, such as league of conservation voters rating and the share of coal-generated electricity are found to be generally insignificant, suggesting the crucial role of policy in increasing the penetration of renewables. - Highlights: → Ascertains the impact of state policies on increasing the renewable capacity. → Renewable portfolio requirements have an (sometimes unexpected) impact. → Clean energy funds and required green power options have a positive impact. → Voluntary renewable standards as well as state green power purchasing requirements are ineffective. → Economics as well as political and structural variables are ineffective.

Promotion of renewable energy in some MENA region countries

Science.gov (United States)

Abdeladim, K.; Bouchakour, S.; Arab, A. Hadj; Ould Amrouche, S.; Yassaa, N.

2018-05-01

In recent years Middle East and North African (MENA) countries, are showing efforts about the integration of renewable electricity into their power markets. Indeed, installations were already achieved and renewable energy programs were launched. The Algerian program remains one of the most ambitious with its installation capacity up to 22GW of power generating to be installed by 2030. More than 60 % of the total capacity is planned to be solar photovoltaic (PV). Like Algeria, Morocco has integrated development project with a target to develop by 2020 a 2000 MW capacity of electricity production from solar energy. The Tunisian government has launched its first phase of the renewable power generation program, with an objective to install 1,000 MW of renewable power capacity over the 2017-2020 periods, where 650 MW of the total capacity is planned to be solar and 350 MW wind. One of the leading Arab country in wind energy, these recent years is Egypt, with its more than 700 megawatt of operational power generation plants and has launched significant projects development in solar energy. Regarding Jordan, the government has taken different steps in this field of energy with a Strategy plan 2007-2020, by implementing a large scale of projects on renewable energy sources, with an objective to cover 10% of the country’s energy supply, from renewable sources by the year 2020. Concerning Lebanon, the country is looking to attain an integration of 12 % by 2020.

Renewable energy markets in developing countries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Martinot, E.; Chaurey, A.; Lew, D.

2002-01-01

Renewable energy is shifting from the fringe to the mainstream of sustainable development. Past donor efforts achieved modest results but often were not sustained or replicated, which leads now to greater market orientation. Markets for rural household lighting with solar home systems, biogas...

BIOGAS TECHNOLOGY INTRODUCTIONS AS RENEWABLE ENERGY FOR RURAL COMMUNITIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meita Rumbayan

2017-03-01

Full Text Available This paper is the progress report of research action about biogas technology introduction for a rural community in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. The purpose of this study is to discuss biogas technology utilization in the selected rural. The research method is done by literature review, interview, site visit, data collection using questioner and case study of pilot project development in biogas technology for a household in Kosio village indicate a positive response from the local community. The discussion based on literature review, data collection and case study gives some recommendations for further study in term of scenario and guideline for the development of biogas technology for rural communities.

Renewable energy and rural development activities experience in Bangladesh

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barua, D.C.

1997-12-01

The per capita per year fuel consumption in Bangladesh is only 56 kg oil equivalent. The supply of electricity by Bangladesh power development board (BPDB) and Dhaka electricity supply authority (DESA) is mainly confined to cities and towns. Rural Electrification Board (REB) distributes electricity to the rural people through cooperatives. The rural cooperatives cover only 10% of the total population. Only about 15% of the total population is directly connected to the electricity. In order to meet the increasing energy demand for development of agriculture and industry and for the generation of better employment opportunities, it will be necessary to harness all the available alternative sources of energy immediately.

S-ratio method as criteria for renewable energy development in Indonesia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rinaldy Dalimi

2000-01-01

One of the strategy for national energy development in Indonesia is energy diversification, such as, by exploiting more renewable energy. Renewable energy development in the near future, particularly, is for rural electrification and remote area, where the electricity is not available and the price of conventional energy is higher than the possible electricity price. The government will give a priority to the rural area who already pay more for energy conventional. The conventional energy price is called as a substitute energy price (or willingness to pay). To determine which area can afford the renewable energy price, S-ratio method could also be used for the criteria. S-ratio is the ratio between net present value of the possible benefit and the investment needed. The possible benefit is calculated by using the substitute energy price. If the value of S-ratio is greater than 1 (one), it is the area can afford the renewable energy as a substitute energy. (Author)

Proposal for a directive for the promotion of electricity based on renewable energy sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-04-01

The amended ''Directives concerning common rules for the internal markets in electricity and natural gas'', adopted in June 2003, organizes the future framework of electricity and gas, making all European consumers eligible, from 2004 onwards and at the latest by 2007 for the domestic sector, as well as integrating some components related to general interest services. Energie-Cites gives in this document its opinion and its expectations concerning this proposal for a directive for the promotion of electricity based on renewable energy sources. (A.L.B.)

Renewable energy resources in Mali : potential and options for a sustainable development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Diarra, D.C. [Queen' s Univ., Kingston, ON (Canada). Dept. of Mechanical and Materials Engineering Solar Calorimetry Lab; Dembele, P. [Mali-Folkecenter, Faladie SEMA, Bamako (Mali)

2006-07-01

With a population of approximately 12 million, the per capita energy consumption of Mali is 228 Kilo tons of oil equivalent per inhabitant per year. Household energy consumption accounts for nearly 86 per cent of the total energy consumed with almost 99 per cent coming from wood energy. Energy consumption in the transportation, industrial and agricultural sectors is 10, 3, and 1 per cent respectively. The energy sector in Mali is characterized by the over-exploitation of forestry resources, dependence on imported oil and an under-exploitation of potential renewable energy resources such as solar, wind and biomass. The supply of solar energy is inexhaustible as the country receives almost 12 hours of sunshine with an average daily insolation of 5-7 KWh/m{sup 2}/day. Applications of photovoltaic (PV) technology in Mali concerns the basic needs of the population such as water pumping, lighting, battery charging and refrigeration. In 1994, the Mali government gave preferential fiscal policy on all solar equipment in order to encourage the wide spread use of solar energy, but technical constraints such as low efficiency, appropriate technology transfer methods, and sustainable financing mechanisms remain to be addressed. This paper described several programs that have been initiated to promote the use of renewable energy, protect the fragile environment threatened by the Sahara Desert and to provide access to drinking water. These achievements however, have not yet guaranteed energy sustainability, particularly in rural areas. It was recommended that efforts should be made to strengthen the renewable energy sector, correct inadequacies, introduce a sustainable renewable energy technology transfer process, and consolidate knowledge and experiences to focus on low cost renewable energy technologies. It was suggested that a natural resource map of the country should be made available in order allow for comparative cost and technology sustainability analysis before deciding

Considerations for decision-making on distributed power generation in rural areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holtmeyer, Melissa L.; Wang, Shuxiao; Axelbaum, Richard L.

2013-01-01

Energy resources for rural electrification are variable and widely dispersed, such that a solution for one region might not be appropriate for another. This study evaluates the feasibility of renewable energy technologies, centralized grid extension and local coal-fired power for rural areas that currently do not have sufficient access to electricity. The renewable power generation options considered are solar photovoltaic and wind power, with battery storage or fossil fuel generator backup. New local coal-fired power, as well as extension of the grid from an existing centralized power system, are considered to compare the impacts of scale and traditional approaches to power generation. A case study for a rural area in Northwestern China demonstrates the complexity of energy decision-making when faced with low peak demands and non-ideal renewable resource availability. Economic factors, including cost of electricity generation, breakeven grid extension distance, capacity shortage fraction (the ratio of the annual capacity shortage to the annual electric load) and land use are evaluated. - Highlights: • Considerations include technical and non-technical factors for energy decisions. • Coal and renewable power are compared based on cost and availability of resources. • Key factors for renewable power generation are capacity shortage and availability of resources. • Rural China case study evaluates the viability of distributed wind or solar power relative to coal

Review of compliance with EU-2010 targets on renewable energy in Galicia (Spain)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miguez, J.L.; Porteiro, J.; Granada, E.; Moran, J.C. [E.T.S. Ingenieros Industriales, Universidad de Vigo, Campus Lagoas-Marcosende, s/n 36200-Vigo (Spain); Lopez-Gonzalez, L.M.; Juarez, M.C. [Universidad de La Rioja, E.T.S. de Ingenieria Industrial, C/Luis de Ulloa, 20, E 26004 Logrono (La Rioja) (Spain); Sala, J.M. [E.T.S. Ingenieros Industriales de Bilbao, Alda. de Urquijo, s/n 48013 Bilbao (Vizcaya) (Spain)

2006-06-15

The use of renewable energy offers a range of exceptional benefits, including: a decrease in external energy dependence; a boost to local and regional component manufacturing industries; promotion of regional engineering and consultancy services specialising in the use of renewable energy; increased R and D, decrease in impact of electricity production and transformation; increase in the level of services for the rural population; creation of employment, etc. To achieve these benefits, a series of actions are required, among which the following are particularly important: creation of a suitable climate for performing R and D; training of technicians in design, production and maintenance of equipment; motivation for establishing a new market; proper financing; fostering of appropriate technologies; practical demonstration of results, etc. This article reviews the progress made in the Autonomous Community of Galicia in terms of the introduction of renewable energy technologies (RETs) and examines the possibility of meeting a target of 90% coverage (practical electrical self-sufficiency) by 2010, of which 51% would come from wind power, with a saving of 4000ktoe of primary energy, and prevented emissions of 12x10{sup 6}t of CO{sub 2} per year. (author)

Renewable energy markets in developing countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinot, Eric; Chaurey, Akanksha; Lew, Debra; Moreira, Jose Roberto; Wamukonya, Njeri

2003-01-01

Roughly 400 million households, or 40% of the population of developing countries, do not have access to electricity. Household and community demand for lighting, TV, radio, and wireless telephony in rural areas without electricity has driven markets for solar home systems, biogas-fueled lighting, small hydro mini-grids, wind or solar hybrid mini-grids, and small wind turbines. These technologies are not strictly comparable with each other, however; the level of service that households receive varies considerably by technology and by the specific equipment size used. Regardless of size, surveys and anecdotal evidence suggest that rural households value both electric lighting and television viewing. Growing numbers of individual equipment purchases, beyond government-driven programs, point to growing market demand. As energy consumption rises with increases in population and living standards, awareness is growing about the environmental costs of energy and the need to expand access to energy in new ways. As recognition grows of the contribution renewable energy can make to development, renewable energy is shifting from the fringe to the mainstream of sustainable development. Support for renewable energy has been building among those in government, multilateral organizations, industry, and non-governmental organizations. Commercial markets for renewable energy are expanding, shifting investment patterns away from traditional government and donor sources to greater reliance on private firms and banks. In this paper we take a market orientation, providing an aggregate review of past market experience, existing applications, and results of policies and programs. (BA)

Regional Differences in Correlates of Daily Walking among Middle Age and Older Australian Rural Adults: Implications for Health Promotion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James Dollman

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Rural Australians are less physically active than their metropolitan counterparts, and yet very little is known of the candidate intervention targets for promoting physical activity in rural populations. As rural regions are economically, socially and environmentally diverse, drivers of regular physical activity are likely to vary between regions. This study explored the region-specific correlates of daily walking among middle age and older adults in rural regions with contrasting dominant primary industries. Participants were recruited through print and electronic media, primary care settings and community organisations. Pedometers were worn by 153 adults for at least four days, including a weekend day. A questionnaire identified potential intra-personal, social and environmental correlates of physical activity, according to a social ecological framework. Regression modelling identified independent correlates of daily walking separately in the two study regions. In one region, there were independent correlates of walking from all levels of the social ecological framework. In the other region, significant correlates of daily walking were almost all demographic (age, education and marital status. Participants living alone were less likely to be physically active regardless of region. This study highlights the importance of considering region-specific factors when designing strategies for promoting regular walking among rural adults.

A Participatory Regional Partnership Approach to Promote Nutrition and Physical Activity Through Environmental and Policy Change in Rural Missouri.

Science.gov (United States)

Barnidge, Ellen K; Baker, Elizabeth A; Estlund, Amy; Motton, Freda; Hipp, Pamela R; Brownson, Ross C

2015-06-11

Rural residents are less likely than urban and suburban residents to meet recommendations for nutrition and physical activity. Interventions at the environmental and policy level create environments that support healthy eating and physical activity. Healthier Missouri Communities (Healthier MO) is a community-based research project conducted by the Prevention Research Center in St. Louis with community partners from 12 counties in rural southeast Missouri. We created a regional partnership to leverage resources and enhance environmental and policy interventions to improve nutrition and physical activity in rural southeast Missouri. Partners were engaged in a participatory action planning process that included prioritizing, implementing, and evaluating promising evidence-based interventions to promote nutrition and physical activity. Group interviews were conducted with Healthier MO community partners post intervention to evaluate resource sharing and sustainability efforts of the regional partnership. Community partners identified the benefits and challenges of resource sharing within the regional partnership as well as the opportunities and threats to long-term partnership sustainability. The partners noted that the regional participatory process was difficult, but the benefits outweighed the challenges. Regional rural partnerships may be an effective way to leverage relationships to increase the capacity of rural communities to implement environmental and policy interventions to promote nutrition and physical activity.

Promotion of renewable energies in Algeria: Strategies and perspectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stambouli, Amine Boudghene

2011-01-01

During the last few years, political support for renewable energies has been growing continuously both at the national and international level and most scientists now agree that the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are perfectly placed to play a leading role in the lucrative future solar and wind power industries. The interest for the development of renewable energies was perceived very early in Algeria with the creation of the solar energy institute as soon as 1962. Algeria plays a very important role in world energy markets, both as a significant hydrocarbons producer and exporter, as well as a key participant in the renewable energy market. Due to its geographical location, Algeria holds one of the highest solar reservoirs in the world. This paper deals with a review of the present renewable energy (RE) situation and assessed present and future potential of RE sources in Algeria. It also discusses the trends and expectation in solar and wind systems applications and the aspects of future implementation of renewable energies making emphasis on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region status. The problem related to the use of RES and polices to enhance the use of these sources are also analysed in this paper. In addition the available capacity building, the technical know-how for each RE sources technology and localising manufacturing of RE equipments have been defined. (author)

Promotion of renewable energy to mitigate impact of heavy use of carbon energy on society and climate change in Central Sub-Saharan Africa remote areas.

Science.gov (United States)

Kenfack, Joseph; Bignom, Blaise

2015-04-01

Sub-Saharan Africa owns important renewable energy potential and is still heavily using carbon energy. This is having a negative impact on the climate and on the environment. Given the local cost of carbon energy, the purchase power of people, the availability and the reserve of carbon energy in the area, this resource is being heavily used. This practice is harmful to the climate and is also resulting on poor effort to promote renewable energy in remote areas. The important renewable energy potential is still suffering from poor development. The purpose of this paper is among other things aiming at showing the rate of carbon energy use and its potential impact on climate and environment. We will also ensure that the renewable energy resources of Central Sub-Saharan Africa are known and are subject to be used optimally to help mitigate climate change. After showing some negative impacts of carbon energy used in the area, the work also suggests actions to promote and sustain the development of renewable energy. Based on the knowledge of the Central African energy sector, this paper will identify actions for reduce access to carbon energy and improved access to sustainable, friendly, affordable energy services to users as well as a significant improvement of energy infrastructure and the promotion of energy efficiency. We will show all type of carbon energy used, the potential for solar, biomass and hydro while showing where available the level of development. After a swot analysis of the situation, identified obstacles for the promotion of clean energy will be targeted. Finally, suggestions will be made to help the region develop a vision aiming at developing good clean energy policy to increase the status of renewable energy and better contribute to fight against climate change. Cameroon case study will be examined as illustration. Analysis will be made from data collected in the field. |End Text|

Rural electrification or village energization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, D V

1980-03-01

Decentralized power generation using renewable energy resources is more appropriate to the energy needs of the rural Third World. These countries often look to the rural electrification programs of the US and Soviet Union as the answer to their problem even though studies consistently show this to be inefficient and frequently ineffective, often reinforcing existing social and economic inequities. When the uses of energy in rural villages are examined in detail, the only approach which will supply energy to the rural poor must be based on a local and regional match of need to indigenous energy sources and to the development of local talent and enthusiasm. 29 references. (DCK)

Promoting pneumococcal immunizations among rural Medicare beneficiaries using multiple strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Elizabeth A; Harwell, Todd S; Donahue, Peg M; Weisner, M'liss A; McInerney, Michael J; Holzman, Greg S; Helgerson, Steven D

2003-01-01

Vaccine-preventable diseases among adults are major contributing causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States. However, adult immunizations continue to be underutilized in both urban and rural areas. To evaluate the effectiveness of a community-wide education campaign and mailed reminders promoting pneumococcal immunizations to rural Medicare beneficiaries. We implemented a community-wide education campaign, and mailed reminders were sent to Medicare beneficiaries in 1 media market in Montana to increase pneumococcal immunizations. In a second distinct media market, mailed reminders only were sent to beneficiaries. The proportion of respondents aged 65 years and older aware of pneumococcal immunizations increased significantly from baseline to follow-up among respondents both in the education-plus-reminder (63% to 78%, P = 0.04) and the reminder-only (64% to 74%, P = 0.05) markets. Overall from 1998 to 1999, there was a 3.7-percentage-point increase in pneumococcal immunization claims for Medicare beneficiaries in the education-plus-reminder market and a 1.5-percentage-point increase in the reminder-only market. Medicare beneficiaries sent reminders in the education-plus-reminder market compared to those in the reminder-only market were more likely to have a claim for pneumococcal immunization in 1999 (odds ratio 1.18, 95% confidence interval 1.08 to 1.28). The results suggest that these quality improvement strategies (community education plus reminders and reminders alone) modestly increased pneumococcal immunization awareness and pneumococcal immunization among rural adults. Mailed reminder exposure was associated with an increased prevalence of pneumococcal immunizations between 1998 and 1999 and was augmented somewhat by the education campaign.

European Schemes for Promoting Renewables in Liberalised Markets

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Meyer, Niels I.

2003-01-01

The paper describes possibilities and problems for penetration of supply systems based on renewable energy sources in liberalised markets. The analysis is based on recent development in EU with different models for support of installations based on renewable energy. These include feed-in models...... with guaranteed minimum tariffs, tender models for different bands of technologies, and green certificates trading models with obligatory consumer quota. The paper describes the market situation in selected European countries, including Germany, the UK, Holland and Denmark.An EU directive from September 2001 has...

Renewable Energy Policy Fact sheet - Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-09-01

The EurObserv'ER policy profiles give a snapshot of the renewable energy policy in the EU Member States. Sweden surpassed its 2020 nationally binding renewable energy in 2013. Main support measures to promote renewable energy in Sweden consists of a quota system, various tax regulation mechanisms and subsidy schemes. Sweden has a joint support scheme with Norway, thus being the first EU Member State to implement a cooperation mechanism, as defined under the 2009 EU Renewable Energy Directive. The Swedish coalition government has agreed on a target of 100% renewable electricity production by 2040

Foundations for renewables

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Neidlein, H.C. [German Agency Scherer Schnell Walser und Partner (Germany)

2007-07-01

In Germany, 77 foundations promote renewable energy technology with around Euro 25 million annually. The most important internationally active foundations, however, can be found in the Anglo-Saxon countries. (orig.)

A controlled community-based trial to promote smoke-free policy in rural communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Hahn, Ellen J; Rayens, Mary Kay; Adkins, Sarah; Begley, Kathy; York, Nancy

2015-01-01

Rural, tobacco-growing areas are disproportionately affected by tobacco use, secondhand smoke, and weak tobacco control policies. The purpose was to test the effects of a stage-specific, tailored policy-focused intervention on readiness for smoke-free policy, and policy outcomes in rural underserved communities. A controlled community-based trial including 37 rural counties. Data were collected annually with community advocates (n = 330) and elected officials (n = 158) in 19 intervention counties and 18 comparison counties over 5 years (average response rate = 68%). Intervention communities received policy development strategies from community advisors tailored to their stage of readiness and designed to build capacity, build demand, and translate and disseminate science. Policy outcomes were tracked over 5 years. Communities receiving the stage-specific, tailored intervention had higher overall community readiness scores and better policy outcomes than the comparison counties, controlling for county-level smoking rate, population size, and education. Nearly one-third of the intervention counties adopted smoke-free laws covering restaurants, bars, and all workplaces compared to none of the comparison counties. The stage-specific, tailored policy-focused intervention acted as a value-added resource to local smoke-free campaigns by promoting readiness for policy, as well as actual policy change in rural communities. Although actual policy change and percent covered by the policies were modest, these areas need additional resources and efforts to build capacity, build demand, and translate and disseminate science in order to accelerate smoke-free policy change and reduce the enormous toll from tobacco in these high-risk communities. © 2014 National Rural Health Association.

Energy Mix between Renewable Energy and Nuclear Energy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yousry E. M. Abushady

2015-08-01

Full Text Available  Energy is the backbone of any development in any State. Renewable Energy (wind, solar and biomass appears currently as a major strategic energy source for a sustainable development particularly for developing or under developing societies. Use of renewable Energy will challenge major technological changes, by achieving energy production and saving. In particular by replacing fossil fuel, a significant cut of environmental impact and green house gas emission (GHG could be achieved. In addition Renewable Energy could offer a sustainable development for different societies particularly those in rural area (e.g. desert or isolated islands. The significant technical renewable energy tool developments in developed States could be much easier to be transferred to or copied in developing States .

Proceedings of the 8. Brazilian congress on energy: energy policy, regulation and sustainable development. v. 3: technological innovation, renewable sources and rural energization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-01-01

These proceedings cover the papers presented in the 8. Brazilian congress on energy held at Rio de Janeiro from November, 30 to December, 02, 1999, focusing energy policy, regulation and sustainable development, specifically the contribution of energy to a satisfactory quality of life for everyone. Within such a context, the congress technical programme has been structured around six different divisions: energy, environment and development; energy sector regulation; energy policy and planning; technology innovation; energy conservation; renewable energy sources and rural areas energy supply

Renewable Energy Policy Fact sheet - Ireland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-09-01

The EurObserv'ER policy profiles give a snapshot of the renewable energy policy in the EU Member States. With Ireland's current 'trajectory' of renewable energy growth, it is likely to slightly fall short of its 2020 nationally binding renewable energy target. Ireland initiated a 'moratorium' on its REFIT (Renewable Energy Feed-in Tariff) support scheme in December 2015, with the aim of introducing a revised scheme in 2017 in line with market developments. Grants and tax relief remain in place for renewable heat promotion. An Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan (OREDP) was introduced in 2014, which sets out Government policy in relation to the sustainable development of Ireland's abundant offshore renewable energy resource

Prospects of renewable-energy sources in Pakistan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zaigham, N.A.; Nayyar, Z.A.

2005-01-01

Pakistan, despite the enormous potential of its energy resources, remains energy- deficient and has to rely heavily on imports to satisfy its needs. Moreover, a very large part of the rural areas does not have the electrification facilities, because they are either too remote and/or too expensive to connect to the national grid. Pakistan obtains its energy requirements from a variety of traditional and commercial sources. Share of various primary energy-sources in energy-supply mix remained during last few years as oil: 43.5%, gas: 41.5%, LPG: 0.3%, coal: 4.5%, hydro-electricity: 9.2%, and nuclear electricity: 1.1%. The electric-power generation included 71.9% thermal, 25.2% hydel and 2.9% nuclear. While there is no prospect for Pakistan to reach self-sufficiency in hydrocarbons, a good option is the exploitation and utilization of the huge coal-reserves of Thar and the other renewable energy sources. Pakistan has wide spectrum of high potential renewable energy sources, conventional as well as non-conventional, which have not been adequately explored, exploited and developed. 'Thus, the primary energy supplies today are not enough to meet even the present demand. So, Pakistan, like other developing countries of the region, is facing a serious challenge of energy deficit. The development of the renewable energy sources can play an important role in meeting this challenge. Present observations, based on reviewing the geological setup, geographical position, climatological cycles and the agricultural/industrial/ urbanization activities, reveal that there are bright prospects for the exploitation of various renewable-energy sources, which include mega and macro/micro-hydel, biomass, biogas, wind, solar, co-generation, city and other solid wastes, utilization of low-head canal levels, sea wave and tide and geothermal energies etc. Technologically, all these renewable-energy sources are viable and consequently suited to efforts for poverty alleviation and cleaner

Wnt/β-catenin and LIF-Stat3 signaling pathways converge on Sp5 to promote mouse embryonic stem cell self-renewal.

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Shoudong; Zhang, Dongming; Cheng, Fei; Wilson, Daniel; Mackay, Jeffrey; He, Kan; Ban, Qian; Lv, Feng; Huang, Saifei; Liu, Dahai; Ying, Qi-Long

2016-01-15

Activation of leukemia inhibitor factor (LIF)-Stat3 or Wnt/β-catenin signaling promotes mouse embryonic stem cell (mESC) self-renewal. A myriad of downstream targets have been identified in the individual signal pathways, but their common targets remain largely elusive. In this study, we found that the LIF-Stat3 and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways converge on Sp5 to promote mESC self-renewal. Forced Sp5 expression can reproduce partial effects of Wnt/β-catenin signaling but mimics most features of LIF-Stat3 signaling to maintain undifferentiated mESCs. Moreover, Sp5 is able to convert mouse epiblast stem cells into a naïve pluripotent state. Thus, Sp5 is an important component of the regulatory network governing mESC naïve pluripotency. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Bolivia renewable energy development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, P.

1997-12-01

The author summarizes changes which have occurred in Bolivia in the past year which have had an impact on renewable energy source development. Political changes have included the privatization of power generation and power distribution, and resulted in a new role for state level government and participation by the individual. A National Rural Electrification Plan was adopted in 1996, which stresses the use of GIS analysis and emphasizes factors such as off grid, economic index, population density, maintenance risk, and local organizational structure. The USAID program has chosen to stress economic development, environmental programs, and health over village power programs. The national renewables program has adopted a new development direction, with state projects, geothermal projects, and private sector involvement stressed.

Philippines: Small-scale renewable energy update

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-12-01

This paper gives an overview of the application of small scale renewable energy sources in the Philippines. Sources looked at include solar, biomass, micro-hydroelectric, mini-hydroelectric, wind, mini-geothermal, and hybrid. A small power utilities group is being spun off the major utility, to provide a structure for developing rural electrification programs. In some instances, private companies have stepped forward, avoiding what is perceived as overwhelming beaurocracy, and installed systems with private financing. The paper provides information on survey work which has been done on resources, and the status of cooperative programs to develop renewable systems in the nation.

Optimized sizing model for renewable energy systems in rural areas; Modelo de dimensionamento otimizado para sistemas energeticos renovaveis em ambiente rurais

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nogueira, Carlos E.C. [UNIOESTE, Cascavel, PR (Brazil). Centro de Ciencias Exatas e Tecnologicas]. E-mail: cecn@correios.net.br; Zuern, Hans H. [Santa Catarina Univ., Florianopolis, SC (Brazil). Dept. de Engenharia Eletrica

2005-05-15

The purpose of this research was to develop a methodology for sizing integrated renewable energy systems, useful for rural areas, using simulation and optimization tools developed in MATLAB 6.0. The sizing model produces a system with minimum cost and high reliability level, based on the concept of loss of power supply probability (LPSP) for consecutive hours. An optimization model is presented and three different sizing scenarios are calculated and compared, showing flexibility in the elaboration of different project conceptions. The obtained results show a complete sizing of the energy conversion devices and a long-term cost evaluation. (author)

Matching renewable energy systems to village-level energy needs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ashworth, J.H.; Neuendorffer, J.W.

1980-06-01

This report provides a five step process for matching alternative renewable energy technologies with energy needs in rural villages of developing countries. Analytic tools are given for each of the five steps as well as information that can be expected. Twelve characterization criteria are developed to assist in the matching process. Three of these criteria, called discrimination criteria, are used for preliminary screening of technology possibilities for each need. The other criteria address site-specific temporal, climatic, social, cultural, and environmental characteristics of the energy need, technology, and cost considerations. To illustrate the matching process, seven basic human needs for energy are matched with seven potential renewable energy technologies. The final portion of the paper discusses the advantages of such a matching process and the resources required to initiate such an effort within a development project. Specific recommendations are given for field-testing this process and actions that could be taken immediately in basic research and development, applied research and technology modification, demonstrations, and commercialization to assist in the future diffusion of renewable energy technologies to rural areas of developing countries.

Renewable energy policies in promoting financing and investment among the East Asia Summit countries: Quantitative assessment and policy implications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Youngho; Fang, Zheng; Li, Yanfei

2016-01-01

Many countries have implemented various policies for renewable energy development ranging from setting power purchase agreements and the legislation of renewable energy requirements to providing incentives and imposing carbon taxes. The evaluation of the effectiveness of such policies, however, is fragmented, which raises a need for a comprehensive analysis. This paper aims to assess whether and how policies promoting renewable energy investment have achieved the intended goals. It employs five broadly defined criteria - market, uncertainty, profitability, technology, and financial resources - to build an index to assess respectively if such policies have helped create a market for renewable energy, maximize potential profits, reduce risks relating to the investment, develop and adopt new technologies, and improve the access to financial resources. Each criterion is reflected by three indicators. Values of each indicator are converted into ordinal values for analysis. The index not only scans comprehensively all relevant renewable energy investment policies in the East Asia Summit countries, but also provides systematic and quantitative measures to compare the effectiveness of policies in these countries with respect to the creation of market, the degree of uncertainty, the potential of profitability, the development and adoption of technology and the accessibility of financial resources. - Highlights: •This paper evaluate renewable energy policies in 16 East Asia Summit countries. •Five criteria are used to build the quantitative index. •They are market, profitability, legislation, technology, and financial resources. •Policy implications are drawn based on the index.

Renewable energy in Iran: Challenges and opportunities for sustainable development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Atabi, F.

2004-01-01

Around the globe, developing countries have reported different cases of successfully implemented renewable energy program supported by bilateral or multilateral funding. In developing countries subsidy has played a big role in renewable energy program marketing and whether this will lead to sustainable development is yet to be determined. The adoption of implementation strategies that will support sustainable development and overcoming barriers that hinder expansion of renewable energy technologies still remains as a big challenge to stake holders involved in promotion of renewable energy resources in developing countries. In this respect, developing countries need to re-examine their environmental policy for promotion of renewable energy technologies in order to define its role in revitalization of their economics. This paper reviews by policy incentives for promotion of renewable energy technologies in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Setting-up international collaborative business ventures between local industry in Iran and companies in developed countries is proposed as an implementation strategy that will appropriate diffusion of renewable energy technologies in the country. An organizational framework that may help to attain this objective is discussed and a structural model for renewable energy business partnership is presented. It is concluded that with appropriate policy formulations and strategies, renewable energy technologies can bring about the required socio-economic development in Iran

Opportunities for renewable energy technologies in water supply in developing country villages

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Niewoehner, J.; Larson, R.; Azrag, E.; Hailu, T.; Horner, J.; VanArsdale, P. [Water for People, Denver, CO (United States)

1997-03-01

This report provides the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) with information on village water supply programs in developing countries. The information is intended to help NREL develop renewable energy technologies for water supply and treatment that can be implemented, operated, and maintained by villagers. The report is also useful to manufacturers and suppliers in the renewable energy community in that it describes a methodology for introducing technologies to rural villages in developing countries.

Expanding Rural Access to Renewable Energy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sovacool, Benjamin

2013-01-01

megawatts (MW) of grid-connected mini-hydro capacity, 574 kilowatts (kW) of off-grid village hydroelectric systems serving 2,897 households, and a 3MW grid-connected wind farm from 1997 to 2002. By the end of 2004, two years after the ESDP’s close, the Sri Lankan renewable energy industry boasted more than...... 40 mini-hydro developers, 10 registered solar companies, 22 registered village hydro developers and 12 village hydro equipment suppliers compared to less than three of each before the ESDP began. This study explores the dynamics of the ESDP, and investigates its structure, benefits, challenges...

Challenges facing use of energy in the tourism and hospitality industry in Zimbabwe and policies that can promote the sustainable use of renewable energy and tourism development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marunda, E.

2013-06-01

Full Text Available This article analyses the various challenges facing use of energy for sustainable tourism development in Zimbabwe on the backdrop of Zimbabwe’s reliance mainly on non-renewable energy sources such as fossil fuels and wood whilst very little use is being made of the abundant renewable sources of energy for instance the sun and wind technologies. It is based on the research carried out with the objective of establishing policies that can promote the sustainable use of renewable energy sources in the country. The findings reveal that stakeholders in the tourism and hospitality industry are largely in favour of formulating and expanding policies that encourage use of solar and wind technologies, at the same time mitigating environmental degradation. The article summarises the findings and duly recommends policies than can be used in Zimbabwe to promote the sustainable use of renewable energy employing solar and wind among others for tourism development.

Economic and Social Sustainable Synergies to Promote Innovations in Rural Tourism and Local Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giovanni Quaranta

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The role of tourism in rural areas is pivotal for the integration and valorization of territorial resources and it is strengthened by the capacity to promote local community participation in processes of development. The paper addresses the issue by presenting and discussing a case study of a rural area of southern Italy where a territorial network for the development of local tourism has been set up. The innovative initiative aimed, firstly, to facilitate a closer connection between production and consumption by reducing transaction costs and, secondly, to connect local production with quality conscious consumers looking for traditional products. The network project also aimed to create conditions conducive to increasing the competitiveness of the local production chain and tourism sector. The case study shows how the challenge for many rural territories lies in increasing levels of trust and rebuilding social capital as a precondition of developing the tourism sector and fostering socio-economic development as a whole. Traditional institutions, as well as hybrid institutions, with the support of research organizations, can play a key role.

Smart Integrated Renewable Energy Systems (SIRES: A Novel Approach for Sustainable Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zeel Maheshwari

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Technical and economic aspects of the viability of SIRES (Smart Integrated Renewable Energy Systems for sustainable development of remote and rural areas of the world are discussed. The hallmark of the proposed SIRES is the smart utilization of several renewable resources in an integrated fashion and matching of resources and needs a priori with the ultimate goal of “energization”, not just “electrification”. Historical background leading to this approach is succinctly presented along with a comprehensive schematic diagram. Modeling of various components and their collective use in optimizing SIRES with the aid of genetic algorithm are presented using a typical hypothetical example. SIRES is also compared with various approaches for rural development based on Annualized Cost of System (ACS and installation costs. Implementation of SIRES will lead to overall sustainable development of rural communities.

Promotion of renewable energy resources with a focus on cost-based feed-in tariffs; Foerderung von erneuerbaren Energien mit Schwerpunkt auf kostenbasierter Einspeiseverguetung

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schweighofer, M.; Tretter, H.; Veigl, A.

2006-07-01

This final report published by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) presents a review of possible systems that could be used to promote power production in Switzerland using renewable energy sources. Promotional models on both the provider and consumer sides that use both price and quantity as control factors are examined. Three models are compared: the submission-to-tender model, the quota model with certificates and a model that uses cost-based feed-in tariffs. On the basis of a comparison with Austria, interaction between increasing the proportion of renewable forms of energy and the realisation of energy-efficiency goals is discussed. A further part of the report deals with various options for the use of biomass as a source of energy.

Investment in Renewable Energies in Argentina

OpenAIRE

Marina Recalde

2017-01-01

This article analyzes how the enabling conditions of the energy policy of a developing country such as Argentina, are crucial for the deployment of renewable energy investments. The conclusions highlights that the low institutional quality of the country shapes enabling conditions and reduce effect of the instruments of the energy policy, dropping incentives for investment in renewable technologies in the country. Therefore, in order to promote renewable technologies investments efficiently, ...

Impacts of Renewable Energy on European Farmers. Creating benefits for farmers and society

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pedroli, G.B.M.; Langeveld, H.

2011-01-01

This report presents results of the project Impacts of Renewable Energy on European Farmers. It focuses on the (potential) role that on-farm generation of Renewable Energy in the EU-27 may play both in realisation of national and EU environmental targets as in (re)vitalising agriculture and rural

Energy, environment and sustainable rural development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Best, G [Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome (Italy)

1992-12-01

This paper addresses the energy needs of the three quarters of the World's population living in the rural populations of many developing countries whose daily struggle to obtain the energy needed for survival is unaffected by international energy politics. It aims to identify energy-related actions in certain policy and technical areas which may contribute to ending rural poverty. The mutual benefits of a transition to modern technologies is stressed both for rural and urban groups, especially in terms of a more efficient use of fossil fuels and renewable energy sources such as biomass or solar power. Recommendations for sustainable rural and agricultural development are made. (UK)

Renewable energy sources in Europe; Erneuerbare Energien in Europa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mueller, Thorsten; Kahl, Hartmut (eds.)

2015-07-01

The book on renewable energy sources in Europe includes contributions on the following issues: Europe's energy and climate policy on the crossroad; possible promotion of renewable energy in Europe; regulation and innovations in a multi-level system - European energy and climate protection legislation - freedom of action for the member states; lessons learned - in the implementation of the European renewable energy guideline; Options for the development of the renewable energy guideline; status and development of the legal system of the energy domestic market; actual developments in the legislation of the EuGH on the compatibility of green electricity promotion systems with free movement on goods; Europe without critical power situations; prerequisites and consequences of a European electricity market coupling; selected grants of the EU commission for green energy promotion; assistance guidelines of the EU commission for energy and environment purposes.

UNECE renewable energy status report 2015

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uherova Hasbani, Katarina; Burlui, Ludmila; Hullin, Martin; Akande, Dennis; Koshy, Shweta; Sambucini, Gianluca; Townsend, David; Dobrotkova, Zuzana; Repikova, Martina; Mitsay, Andriy

2015-01-01

The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) covers a large and diverse region comprising 56 member states. These countries have different energy situations and vary in their potential for and progress in renewable energy and energy efficiency. The present report covers 17 UNECE countries, with the aim of establishing a data baseline and providing a general overview of their renewable energy situations. Over the past decade, the national governments of the selected countries have been working actively to leverage this renewable energy potential. Energy security and access to reliable, affordable, sustainable and modern energy are the key concerns driving renewable energy deployment. These countries require more substantial investment to fully realise its renewable potential and to bring innovative solutions to tackle their energy challenges, such as heating in urban and rural areas. A reliable data baseline is a pre-requisite and an enabler for more investment activity. The UNECE has contributed actively to fulfilling the 17 countries' aspirations in renewable energy by providing them with a platform for collaboration among UNECE member states. In 2014, a UNECE Group of Experts on Renewable Energy was established to step up these efforts. Its mandate is to carry out action-oriented, practical activities to significantly increase the uptake of renewable energy, in line with the United Nations Secretary-General's Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) initiative. This UNECE Renewable Energy Status Report strives to present analysis of up-to-date data and information on the status of renewable energy and energy efficiency in the selected countries of the UNECE region

Renewable Energy Policy Fact sheet - Greece

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-07-01

The EurObserv'ER policy profiles give a snapshot of the renewable energy policy in the EU Member States. In Greece, electricity from renewable sources is promoted through feed-in premiums, granted through tenders (as from 2017), feed-in tariffs for limited cases, a preferential tax regime (since 2016) and a net metering scheme. Heating and cooling from renewable energy sources is incentivised by way of a preferential tax regime and an investment subsidy scheme. The main instrument for renewable energy use in transport is a bio-fuels quota scheme

Regional Network on HIV/AIDS, Rural Livelihoods and Food ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Launched in 2001, the Regional Network on HIV/AIDS, Rural Livelihoods and Food Security (RENEWAL) is a growing network of networks made up of national food and nutrition organizations (public, private and nongovernmental) and partners in AIDS and public health. RENEWAL aims to understand and facilitate a ...

PROMOTING RURAL DESTINATION BUCOVINA VIA FACEBOOK. AN EMPIRICAL IDENTIFICATION OF SUPPORTING ONLINE MARKETING INITIATIVES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pavel STANCIU

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The villages of Bucovina possess a particular charm, mainly through the orthodox churches with heritage value, the deep spiritual character sent both to local communities and tourists, the architecture based on wood handicraft, the manner in which traditions, local customs and crafts are still preserved, the multicultural character, and, not least, the outstanding hospitality of the hosts.Continuous improvement of performance in rural tourism refers to an integrated approach of specific elements in the destination Bucovina, online marketing becoming more present in everyday practice of small entrepreneurs in local tourism. From an empirical point of view, promotion of rural tourism on Facebook and YouTube represents an easy initiative accessible to the general public, which has the ability to create the foundation of a competitive tourism.

Renewable energy policy in South Africa: policy options for renewable electricity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winkler, H.

2005-01-01

Investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency is important to reduce the negative economic, social and environmental impacts of energy production and consumption in South Africa. Currently, renewable energy contributes relatively little to primary energy and even less to the consumption of commercial energy. This article examines policy options for promoting renewable electricity. Feed-in tariffs guarantee prices for developers, but lack certainty on the amount of renewable electricity such laws would deliver under local conditions. Portfolio standards set a fixed quantity, which would guarantee diversity of supply. The question is whether the incremental upfront cost to be paid by society may be unacceptably high, compared to future health and environmental benefits. A renewables obligation combines the setting of a target with a tendering process, but may be bureaucratic to administer. Neither setting targets or regulating prices alone, however, will be sufficient. Power purchase agreements, access to the grid and creating markets for green electricity are some supporting activities that should be considered. Given that renewable electricity technologies have to compete with relatively low electricity tariffs, funding will be needed. Possible sources, both locally and internationally, are identified. The extent to which these are utilised will determine the future mix of renewable energy in South Africa. (author)

Renewable energy policy in South Africa: policy options for renewable electricity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winkler, Harald

2005-01-01

Investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency is important to reduce the negative economic, social and environmental impacts of energy production and consumption in South Africa. Currently, renewable energy contributes relatively little to primary energy and even less to the consumption of commercial energy. This article examines policy options for promoting renewable electricity. Feed-in tariffs guarantee prices for developers, but lack certainty on the amount of renewable electricity such laws would deliver under local conditions. Portfolio standards set a fixed quantity, which would guarantee diversity of supply. The question is whether the incremental upfront cost to be paid by society may be unacceptably high, compared to future health and environmental benefits. A renewables obligation combines the setting of a target with a tendering process, but may be bureaucratic to administer. Neither setting targets or regulating prices alone, however, will be sufficient. Power purchase agreements, access to the grid and creating markets for green electricity are some supporting activities that should be considered. Given that renewable electricity technologies have to compete with relatively low electricity tariffs, funding will be needed. Possible sources, both locally and internationally, are identified. The extent to which these are utilised will determine the future mix of renewable energy in South Africa

Legal framework: Renewables in Honduras

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matute, Leonardo

2000-01-01

The paper describes the framework (organic structure and legislation) in promotion of renewables in Honduras, the policies for promotion of the free market of energy, laws on environmental protection and law of electricity. Also describes treties and agreements suscribed by Honduras in these matters

Progress report on the promotion and use of renewable energy sources. 1. report. Implementation of article 22 of European Union Directive 2009/28/EEC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-12-01

This report has been prepared for the European Commission pursuant to article 22 of Directive 2009/28/EEC regarding the promotion and use of energy produced from renewable sources, based on the model provided by the Commission. Contents: 1. Sectoral and overall shares, actual production and consumption of energy from renewable sources for 2009 and 2010; 2. Measures taken during the last 2 years and/or forecast at a national level for promoting renewable energy sources; 2.a Evaluations and improvements for administrative procedures aimed at removing regulatory and other obstacles to the development of renewable energy sources; 2.b Measures aimed at ensuring the transmission and distribution of renewable electricity and improving the regulatory framework concerning the management and sharing of grid connection and consolidation costs; 3. Description of support schemes and promotional measures for renewable energy sources and new elements introduced by the national action plan; 3.1. Information on the mode of distribution between end-users of electricity benefiting from support in accordance with article 3, paragraph 6 of Directive 2003/54/EEC; 4. Information on the manner in which support schemes are structured, where appropriate, for integrating RES applications presenting additional advantages but which can entail higher costs, notably biofuels produced from waste, residue, non-food cellulose material and lignocellulose material; 5. Information on the guarantees of origin mechanism for electricity, heating and cooling from RES, and measures taken to ensure the system's reliability and protection against fraud; 6. Description of changes brought over the 2 previous years on the availability and use of biomass resources for energy purposes; 7. Changes to the prices of basic products and land use for the past 2 years in relation to the increased use of biomass and other forms of renewable energy; 8. Evolution in the share of biofuels produced from waste, residue

Renewable energy technologies: costs and markets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nitsch, J.; Langniss, O.

1997-01-01

A prominent feature of renewable energy utilisation is the magnitude of renewable energy that is physically available worldwide. The present paper attempts an economic valuation of development strategies for renewable energy sources (RES) on the basis of the past development of RES markets. It comes to the conclusion that if current energy prices remain largely unchanged, it will be necessary to promote RES technologies differentially according to the technique and type of energy employed or to provide start-up funding. The more probable a long-term increase in energy prices becomes, the greater will be the proportion of successfully promoted technologies. Energy taxes on exhaustible or environmentally harmful energy carriers and other instruments to this end would contribute greatly to the attractivity of RES investment both in terms of national economy and from the viewpoint of the private investor. Renewable energies will play an important role in the hardware and services sectors of the energy market in the decades to come. Long-term promotion of market introduction programmes and unequivocal energy-political aims on the part of the government are needed if the German industry is to have a share in this growing market and be able to offer internationally competitive products [de

Introduction of Renewable Energy Certificate in the Indian scenario

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goyal, Mohit; Jha, Rakesh

2009-01-01

Generation deficit in India is in the range of 9% and the scenario is expected to get grimmer in the context of high growth rate of the country. With peak power shortage as high as 15.2% (Source: Annual report FY08, MoP) the nation needs to harness all forms of generation including renewables, which currently has a meager share of 8% of the total generation in the country at present. Shooting price of crude oil reaching up to $135 (May 2008) per barrel along with increasing awareness and concerns about environment, the stage seems to be set for an increased mix of Renewable Energy (RE) into the overall energy requirement in the country. Keeping the concern for environment and energy security for the country in mind, government of India has been putting emphasis on promotion of renewable energy sources. Central and state government policies have always been instrumental in the propagation of capacity additions in renewable energy power. One of the main aims of these policies has been on increasing the private sector participation in this sector. In the pre-reform period, the state governments took policy decisions regarding financial incentives, buy-back tariff and other measures targeting investment in renewable energy. However, the State Electricity Regulatory Commissions (SERCs) are now responsible for many of these tasks. SERCs have come up with a host of initiatives, inline with their functions laid down in the Electricity Act 2003, to increase the share of renewable energy inside their respective States. Despite the efforts of SERCs, large potential of renewable energy generation remains untapped. There is lack of clarity on how to promote renewable energy generation inside states which are not having significant renewable energy generation potential. This paper explores the way in which SERCs can introduce measures to further promote renewable energy generation inside the country. We discuss in detail the framework to promote renewable energy through a

Renewable energy sources. European Commission papers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-05-01

The ''Directive on the Promotion of Electricity from Renewable Sources of Energy in the Internal Electricity Market'' was adopted in September 2001. Its purpose is to promote an increase in the contribution of renewable energy sources to electricity production in the internal market for electricity and to create a basis for a future Community framework. Energie-Cites provides in this document a summary of its opinion on the Green Paper and on Alterner II and gives a proposal for an Action Plan concerning the White Paper. (A.L.B.)

Additional renewable energy growth through small-scale community orientated energy policies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hain, J.J.; Ault, G.W.; Galloway, S.J.; Cruden, A.; McDonald, J.R.

2005-01-01

This paper summarises the energy policies that the UK Government has enacted in order to achieve its renewable targets by 2010. Current policies are designed primarily to support large-scale renewable projects through Renewable Obligation Certificates, Levy Exemption Certificates and capital grant schemes. Non-profit domestic and non-profit community renewable projects are also eligible for grant support. First-hand experience of privately owned renewable projects indicate that existing renewable policy is insufficient in its support of both small-scale and community-based profit oriented renewable energy (RE) schemes. Primary and secondary survey information suggests that people living in regions where RE will be situated may generally be inclined to support broader uses of renewables in these regions. Small-scale renewables can make a significant cumulative contribution to the RE mix. The results reported in this paper support the contention that the Government could go further towards approaching its targets through rural-focused changes to its energy incentive programmes

The USAID/DOE Mexico Renewable Energy Program: Using technology to build new markets

Science.gov (United States)

Hanley, Charles J.

1997-02-01

Under the Mexico Renewable Energy Program, managed by Sandia National Laboratories, sustainable markets for renewable energy technologies are developed through the implementation of pilot projects. Sandia provides technical assistance to several Mexican rural development organizations so they can gain the technical and institutional capability to appropriately utilize renewables within their ongoing programs. Activities in the area of water pumping have shown great replication potential, where the tremendous rural demand for water represents a potential renewable market of over 2 billion. Thirty-six photovoltaic water pumping projects have been installed thus far in the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Sonora, Baja California Sur, and Quintana Roo, and 60 more will be implemented this year. The majority of these projects are in partnership with the Mexican Trust for Shared Risk (FIRCO), which has asked Sandia for assistance in extending the program nationwide. This replication is beginning in five new states, and will continue to grow. Sandia is keeping the U.S. renewable energy industry involved in the program through facilitating partnerships between U.S. and Mexican vendors, and through commercialization assistance with new systems technologies. The program is sponsored by the Department of Energy and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Motivations driving renewable energy in European countries: A panel data approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marques, Antonio C.; Fuinhas, Jose A.; Pires Manso, J.R.

2010-01-01

Despite the increasing amount of literature available on renewable energy, the empirical analysis about drivers promoting renewables remains scarce. We have analyzed those drivers for European Countries. Over an extended period of time (1990-2006) we used panel data techniques, namely the fixed effects vector decomposition. The results suggest that both the lobby of the traditional energy sources (oil, coal, and natural gas) and CO 2 emissions restrain renewable deployment. The objective of reducing energy dependency appears to stimulate renewable energy use. Our results robustly support the EU decision to create a directive promoting the use of renewable sources (Directive 2001/77/EC). We also offer suggestions with regards to the design of appropriate policies towards renewable energy deployment.

Public opinion and communicative action around renewable energy projects

Science.gov (United States)

Fast, Stewart

This thesis investigates how rural communities negotiate the development of renewable energy projects. Public and local community acceptance of these new technologies in rural areas around the world is uncertain and spatially uneven and represents an area of emerging public policy interest and one where scholarly theory is rapidly developing. This thesis uses Habermasian concepts of public sphere, communicative action and deliberative democracy, as well as the concept of "wicked problems" from the planning studies literature combined with geographical concepts of place and scale to advance theoretical and empirical understanding of how public opinion on renewable energy technologies is formed in place. It documents energy use patterns, attitudes and socio-political relations at a time when considerable state and business efforts are directed at the construction of solar, wind, biomass and small-hydro technologies in rural regions. These concepts and theories are applied in a case study of rural communities in the Eastern Ontario Highlands, an impoverished area undergoing rapid restructuring driven by centralization of services and amenity migration but with abundant natural resources in form of forests, numerous waterways and open space which have attracted a broad range of new energy developments. Overall high levels of support for alternative energy development particularly for solar power were found, albeit for reasons of local energy security and not for reasons of preventing climate change. There was some evidence that seasonal residents are less supportive of hydro and biomass projects than permanent residents possibly reflecting broader trends in rural economies away from productive uses of land to consumptive appreciation of rural landscapes. The thesis suggests that collective action to advance energy projects in the case study area require agreement along three world-claims (truth, rightness and truthfulness) and that communication leading to discourse

Valuing the attributes of renewable energy investments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bergmann, Ariel; Hanley, Nick; Wright, Robert

2006-01-01

Increasing the proportion of power derived from renewable energy sources is becoming an increasingly important part of many countries' strategies to achieve reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. However, renewable energy investments can often have external costs and benefits, which need to be taken into account if socially optimal investments are to be made. This paper attempts to estimate the magnitude of these external costs and benefits for the case of renewable technologies in Scotland, a country which has set particularly ambitious targets for expanding renewable energy. The external effects we consider are those on landscape quality, wildlife and air quality. We also consider the welfare implications of different investment strategies for employment and electricity prices. The methodology used to do this is the choice experiment technique. Renewable technologies considered include hydro, on-shore and off-shore wind power and biomass. Welfare changes for different combinations of impacts associated with different investment strategies are estimated. We also test for differences in preferences towards these impacts between urban and rural communities, and between high- and low-income households. (author)

Valuing the attributes of renewable energy investments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bergmann, Ariel [Economics Department, University of Glasgow, Adam Smith Building, Glasgow G12 8RT (United Kingdom); Hanley, Nick; Wright, Robert [Economics Department, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, Scotland (United Kingdom)

2006-06-15

Increasing the proportion of power derived from renewable energy sources is becoming an increasingly important part of many countries' strategies to achieve reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. However, renewable energy investments can often have external costs and benefits, which need to be taken into account if socially optimal investments are to be made. This paper attempts to estimate the magnitude of these external costs and benefits for the case of renewable technologies in Scotland, a country which has set particularly ambitious targets for expanding renewable energy. The external effects we consider are those on landscape quality, wildlife and air quality. We also consider the welfare implications of different investment strategies for employment and electricity prices. The methodology used to do this is the choice experiment technique. Renewable technologies considered include hydro, on-shore and off-shore wind power and biomass. Welfare changes for different combinations of impacts associated with different investment strategies are estimated. We also test for differences in preferences towards these impacts between urban and rural communities, and between high- and low-income households. (author)

Integrating renewables into energy systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-03-01

An analysis of renewable energy schemes was undertaken via case studies in China, India, Indonesia, Kenya, South Africa, Thailand and Zimbabwe, that provided an insight into the application of best practice for overcoming market, technical and financial barriers to the establishment of the sustainable markets required for the large-scale deployment of renewable energy technologies. The project showed clearly the need to select and target interventions according to the context. Lessons were extracted against a number of themes, as well as against the various technologies analysed and simple guides to the principles of best practice were derived under the following headings:- experience of gaining access to (micro) finance; the technical and non-technical issues raised when small, typically independent, generators seek access to central electricity grid systems; how to best undertake awareness raising and dissemination activities; promoting, building and operating biogas systems; promoting, building and operating solar (photovoltaic) home systems; promoting, building and operating grid connected wind power; promoting, building and operating solar hot water systems; promoting agricultural cogeneration using crop residues. (author)

Renewable energy in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Falin; Lu, Shyi-Min; Wang, Eric; Tseng, Kuo-Tung

2010-01-01

With limited indigenous conventional energy resources, Taiwan imports over 99% of its energy supply from foreign countries, mostly from the Middle East. Developing independent renewable energy resources is thus of priority concern for the Taiwanese government. A medium subtropical island surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, Taiwan has enormous potential to develop various renewable energies, such as solar energy, biomass energy, wind power, geothermal energy, hydropower, etc. However, owing to the importance of conventional fossil energy in generating exceptionally cheap electricity, renewable energy has not yet fully developed in Taiwan, resulting from a lack of market competition. Consequently, numerous promotional and subsidy programs have recently been proclaimed by the Taiwanese government, focused on the development of various renewables. This study reviews the achievements, polices and future plans in this area. (author)

Renewable energy in Taiwan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Falin; Lu, Shyi-Min; Wang, Eric; Tseng, Kuo-Tung [Institute of Applied Mechanics, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617 (China)

2010-09-15

With limited indigenous conventional energy resources, Taiwan imports over 99% of its energy supply from foreign countries, mostly from the Middle East. Developing independent renewable energy resources is thus of priority concern for the Taiwanese government. A medium subtropical island surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, Taiwan has enormous potential to develop various renewable energies, such as solar energy, biomass energy, wind power, geothermal energy, hydropower, etc. However, owing to the importance of conventional fossil energy in generating exceptionally cheap electricity, renewable energy has not yet fully developed in Taiwan, resulting from a lack of market competition. Consequently, numerous promotional and subsidy programs have recently been proclaimed by the Taiwanese government, focused on the development of various renewables. This study reviews the achievements, polices and future plans in this area. (author)

New narratives on Russian renewable energy policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belyi, A.V.; Overland, I.

2010-01-01

The article points out the renewable energy potential in Russia in light of the new policy targets development, technical and economic potential as well as limits related to a lack of effectiveness of renewable energy promoting policies. Moreover, the article links the renewable energy development to the liberalization of Russian power sector which actually provides a possibility for market-support mechanisms, such as the green certificates. Renewable energy in Russia also has an important regional dimension, particularly for remote regions. (authors)

New renewables - a business challenge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jochum, G.

2004-01-01

This article takes a look at the increased use of renewable forms of energy and, in particular, the so-called 'new renewables' that are the subject of discussion in Europe and Switzerland. The wide divergence between the political and economical viewpoints concerning renewables is examined and the question is posed on how political desires and economical sense can be brought closer together. Questions concerning the public acceptance of various forms of energy are looked at and the expectations placed on renewable forms of energy are commented on. Criteria for models of promotion are listed including CO 2 emissions, technology and cost efficiency, marketing aspects and flexibility. Also, aspects concerning plausibility, fairness and responsibility are looked at. A model named 'Swiss Renewables Model' is proposed and its efficiency, functionality and financing are discussed

Greenways for rural sustainable development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ottomano Palmisano, Giovanni; Govindan, Kannan; Loisi, Rosa V.

2016-01-01

within the CAP because they help to protect and manage environmental heritage, promote economic activities and enhance the social assets of rural areas; furthermore, given their natural ability to simultaneously connect these resources, greenways promote Rural Sustainable Development (RSD......Policy makers have recently begun to agree on environmental, economic and social aspects of rural areas that are enhanced according to the European Union (EU) Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and in particular in the national Rural Development Programmes (RDPs).Greenways are an acknowledged tool...... Aiding (MCDA) technique "Group Analytic Hierarchy Process" (GAHP). The validity of this MC-SDSS was tested on three rural municipalities of Apulia Region (Southern Italy). In particular, a GIS was used to detect the rural resources and existing linear elements, which were used to perform overlay mapping...

Renewable Energy Policy Fact sheet - Hungary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-07-01

The EurObserv'ER policy profiles give a snapshot of the renewable energy policy in the EU Member States. In Hungary, electricity from renewable energy sources is supported by a feed-in-tariff or a market ('green') premium, depending on the capacity and energy source. Household-sized power plants up to 50 kVA can benefit from net metering. In general, subsidy programmes also promote the use of renewable energy sources in the electricity and heating sector. The main support scheme for the use of renewable energy in the transportation sector is a quota system supplemented by a reimbursement of excise duty

Renewable Energy Policy Fact sheet - Denmark

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-09-01

The EurObserv'ER policy profiles give a snapshot of the renewable energy policy in the EU Member States. Denmark surpassed its 2020 nationally binding renewable energy in 2015. In March 2012 a new Energy Agreement was reached in Denmark. The Agreement contains a wide range of ambitious initiatives, which aims at bringing Denmark closer to the target of 100% renewable energy in the energy and transport sectors by 2050. Main support measures to promote renewable energy in Denmark consist of a feed-in premium scheme (combined with tenders for offshore wind), a quota system, tax regulation mechanisms and subsidy schemes

Feed-In Tariff as a Mechanism of Promoting Renewable Energy in the World and Turkey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Livatyali, H.

2011-01-01

First included into the energy regulations of the USA in 1978, a feed-in tariff (FiT) is a policy mechanism designed to encourage the adoption of renewable energy sources and to help accelerate the move toward grid parity .FiTs typically include three key provisions including guaranteed grid access, long-term contracts for the electricity produced and purchase prices that are methodologically based on the cost of renewable energy generation and tend towards grid parity. Among other renewable energy subsidies, such as income tax deductions, property tax exemptions, tax credits, loans or loan guaranties, investment credit subsidies and depreciation allowances, well-adapted feed-in tariff regimes are generally considered as the most efficient and effective support schemes for promoting renewable electricity. Up to now, close to seventy countries including developed and developing ones have adapted FiT policies and more are expected to come in the near future. Turkey adapted her initial FiT law in 2005 covering wind, hydro and geothermal sectors. In that law, solar electric power was intentionally excluded claiming the rapid development of the technology and potential cost reductions and a future update in the law covering the missing technologies was foreseen in five years. Adoption of the recent amendment at the end of year 2010 took a sluggish parliamentary process of one and a half years and eventually solar (PV and CSP); biogas-bio-mass power technologies were included in the FiT system along with some improvements on the wind, geothermal and hydro-electric sectors. The recent amendment assumed solar power as dominantly photovoltaic in nature and the base tariff of 0.133 USD/kW-h was determined based on the lowest investment options available on the global photovoltaic market. To promote domestic technology and manufacture, additional bonuses are defined for the domestic content of modules, cells, inverters and controllers and mechanical infrastructure. To enable

Report on advances achieved in the promotion and use of renewable energies. 2. report in application of the article 22 of the 2009/28/CE directive of the European Union

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-12-01

This publication presents the renewable energy sector and global shares, production and consumption of renewable energy during years 2011 and 2012; it presents measures adopted or foreseen at the national level to promote renewable energies, discusses the assessment and improvement of administrative procedures to remove barriers to the development of these energies, presents measures aimed at ensuring and improving the transport and distribution of renewable electricity, describes support regimes and promotion measures for renewable energies, presents information related to support regime structuring, to the operation of the system of guarantees of origin for electricity, heating and cooling. It describes the evolution of availability and use of renewable energies during the two previous years, discusses the evolution of prices, the evolution of the share of biofuels produced from wastes, residues, cellulose materials, discusses the influence of bio-fuel and bio-liquid production on biodiversity, water resources, water quality and soil quality during the two past years, discusses the assessment of greenhouse gas emission decrease due to the use of renewable energies, the offset between foreseen production of renewable energy and actual values, addresses some specific aspects regarding statistics, projects and decision modalities regarding joint support regimes and gives information regarding the way to assess the share of biodegradable wastes with respect to wastes used for energy production

Sino/American cooperation for rural electrification in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wallace, W.L.; Tsuo, Y.S.

1997-01-01

Rapid growth in economic development, coupled with the absence of an electric grid in large areas of the rural countryside, have created a need for new energy sources both in urban centers and rural areas in China. There is a very large need for new sources of energy for rural electrification in China as represented by 120 million people in remote regions who do not have access to an electric grid and by over 300 coastal islands in China that are unelectrified. In heavily populated regions in China where there is an electric grid, there are still severe shortages of electric power and limited access to the grid by village populations. In order to meet energy demands in rural China, renewable energy in the form of solar, wind, and biomass resources are being utilized as a cost effective alternative to grid extension and use of diesel and gasoline generators. An Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Protocol Agreement was signed by the U.S. Department of Energy with the Chinese State Science and Technology Commission in Beijing in February, 1995. Under this agreement, projects using photovoltaics for rural electrification are being conducted in Gansu Province in western China and Inner Mongolia in northern China, providing the basis for much wider deployment and use of photovoltaics for meeting the growing rural energy demands of China. copyright 1997 American Institute of Physics

Plan of rural electrification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

This presentation shows the policies of the Government of Guatemala on renewable energy for the rural population, the current demand of energy and trends for 2004. Also presents the budget for financing electrification projects with solar energy and hydro energy and the number of users to be included by geographical zone

APRECIERI ASUPRA FENOMENULUI TURISTIC RURAL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Puiu NISTOREANU

2007-06-01

Full Text Available The rural areas are rich in their ecological and cultural diversity. The dimension and complexity of the rural communities make difficult a generalization regarding their problems or values, even if some common characteristics exist. For a long time in their existence, the rural communities have relied on the abundance of natural resources. But, in the 20th century, the great technological, political and economical changes have brought a profound transformation in agriculture, and other renewable industrial resources, fact which led the rural communities to a dependency towards these. Although these changes occurred, many reasons for optimism still exist. Involvement of new households in offering touristic services constitutes a new dimension of the development of the rural areas, and on a secondary plane the touristic activity in the rural environment registers new ways of manifestation. Even more, we are able to appreciate the dimensions and evolution of one of the most spectacular social – economic phenomena; the rural tourism.

Investment in Renewable Energies in Argentina

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marina Recalde

2017-05-01

Full Text Available This article analyzes how the enabling conditions of the energy policy of a developing country such as Argentina, are crucial for the deployment of renewable energy investments. The conclusions highlights that the low institutional quality of the country shapes enabling conditions and reduce effect of the instruments of the energy policy, dropping incentives for investment in renewable technologies in the country. Therefore, in order to promote renewable technologies investments efficiently, the institutional framework of countries must be seriously improved.

Integrated transport and renewable energy systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mathiesen, B.V.; Lund, H.; Nørgård, Per Bromand

2007-01-01

Governments worldwide aim at reducing CO2 emissions and expanding renewable energy. A key element in achieving such a goal is to use renewable energy in transport such as biofuels. However, efforts to promote single transport technologies and single fuels only represent a partial solution...... transport. It is concluded that a 100 per cent renewable energy transport system is possible but is connected to significant challenges in the path towards it. Biomass is a limited resource and it is important to avoid effecting the production. The integration of the transport with the remaining energy....... No single technology can solve the problem of ever increasing CO2 emissions from transport. Transport must be integrated into energy planning, as electricity and heating. In this paper, a coherent effort to integrate transport into energy planning is proposed, using multiple means promoting sustainable...

A new scheme for the promotion of renewable energies in developing countries: the renewable energy regulated purchase tariff

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Moner-Girona, M.; Aulich, H.; Ahm, P.; Adelmann, P.; Bounia, A.; Fabre, E.; Fioravanti, E.; Hosini, F.; Jongerden, G.J.; Jourde, P.; Kukuczka, T.; Llamas, P.; Macias, E.; Mayer, D.; Maigne, Y.; Moner, M.; McNelis, B.; Nemac, F.; Sener, O.; Ribeiro, F.; Samak, I.; Schmid, J.; Shah, Arvind; Shanker, A.; Sark, W.G.J.H.M. van; Vallvé, X.; Wohlthat, A.; Wollny, M.; Wouters, F.

2008-01-01

The main aim of this policy-support document is to attract policy-makers attention in renewable energies deployment, offering to energy and development stakeholders an alternative subsidy-scheme to support electrification in a village-scale mini-grid based on the good performance of the renewable

Renewable energies in the EU

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heller, W.

2008-01-01

On January 23, 2008, the European Commission presented proposals in the form of a directive in an effort to give more specific shape to the objective adopted in the spring, i.e. to increase to 20% by 2020 the share of renewable energies in energy consumption in the Community. The proposal was to include legally binding goals for the overall share of renewable energy sources and the share of biofuels in the transport sector. The proposed directive on 'promoting the use of energy from renewable sources' calls upon each member state to ensure that its share of energy from renewable sources in the total energy consumption in 2020 at least corresponds to the target mentioned in Annex I Part A. In addition to the targets, the EU Commission charted a tentative course towards a minimum increase in the share of renewable energies in the period between 2011 and 2020. Finally, the member states are obliged to adopt national action plans. Unfortunately, the EU is missing an important target in its proposed directive: It should establish a framework for harmonized conditions promoting the use of renewable energies. One aspect to be welcomed is the introduction of a system of certificates of origin. It represents the entry, in principle, into a trading system with certificates of origin. The Green Package incorporates a wealth of new approaches. They will have to be tested and, if necessary, supplemented. Something else is evident, however: The directive established the foundations of a vast number of new regulations and red tape. (orig.)

Towards cities with 100 per cent of renewable energies and consumption management. Issues for reflection and action

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bringault, Anne; Eisermann, Miriam; Lacassagne, Sylvie

2016-09-01

After having outlined challenges faced by cities and local communities regarding energy transition and the development of renewable energies, and recalled that 700 mayors have signed a commitment in Paris to reach 100 per cent of renewable energies by 2050, this report presents five recommended approaches: to integrate this objective of 100 per cent of renewable energies into wider challenges, to implement cooperation with surrounding rural territories, to highlight successes with actual projects, to invent new modes of commitment of actors within a territory, and to gather human resources for success. These main approaches are lessons learned from the analysis of five remarkable local policies which are then presented: Barcelona (towards self-sufficiency by 2050), Frankfurt (a German pioneer with a 100 per cent renewable road map), Frederikshavn (the objective of a new electricity system), Geneva (on the way to 100 per cent renewable for public buildings), and Malmoe (an industrial capital which became a renewable capital). The report then proposes five sheets with examples of achievements and projects in France which illustrate ways toward 100 per cent of renewable energies through different themes: prospective, urban-rural relationship, financing and investment, participation of local actors, and smart cities

Promotion of energy conservation and renewable energy sources in Bavaria; Foerderung von Energiesparen und Erneuerbaren Energien in Bayern

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schirm, D. [Bayerisches Staatsministerium fuer Wirtschaft, Verkehr und Technologie, Muenchen (Germany)

1995-09-01

The present article gives an overview of the measures taken in Bavaria (Federal German Republic) for promoting energy conservation. There include: Efficient energy utilisation; communal energy saving concepts; utilisation of renewable energy sources; small-scale hydropower plants; modernisation measures; and cultivable raw materials. (HW) [Deutsch] Der Artikel liefert einen Ueberblick ueber die Foerdermassnahmen zur Energieeinsparung im Freistaat Bayern (Bundesrepublik Deutschland): - Rationelle Energieverwendung - kommunale Energieeinsparkonzepte - Nutzung erneuerbarer Energien - Kleinwasserkraftanlagen - Modernisierungsmassnahmen - nachwachsende Rohstoffe. (HW)

Local investment in renewable energies - European experiences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quantin, J.; Grepmeier, K.; Larsen, J.; Manolakaki, E.; Smith, M.

2004-01-01

This booklet is realized within the framework of the european commission called PREDAC. This document have been conceived by a working group specialized on the local investment into renewable energies thematic. The objectives of this project are: to promote citizen participation in the financing of renewable energies projects in Europe; to make organizations, investor clubs and local government to be aware of this way of implication into renewable energies development; to examine more especially three renewable energy sources: biomass, photovoltaic and wind in Denmark, France, Germany, Greece and United Kingdom. (author)

Texas transportation planning for future renewable energy projects : final report.

Science.gov (United States)

2017-03-01

There will be a significant increase in the number of renewable energy production facilities in Texas. The : construction of wind farms requires the transport of wind turbine components that create increased loads on : rural roads and bridges. These ...

The USAID/DOE Mexico Renewable Energy Program: Using technology to build new markets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hanley, C.J.

1997-01-01

Under the Mexico Renewable Energy Program, managed by Sandia National Laboratories, sustainable markets for renewable energy technologies are developed through the implementation of pilot projects. Sandia provides technical assistance to several Mexican rural development organizations so they can gain the technical and institutional capability to appropriately utilize renewables within their ongoing programs. Activities in the area of water pumping have shown great replication potential, where the tremendous rural demand for water represents a potential renewable market of over $2 billion. Thirty-six photovoltaic water pumping projects have been installed thus far in the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Sonora, Baja California Sur, and Quintana Roo, and 60 more will be implemented this year. The majority of these projects are in partnership with the Mexican Trust for Shared Risk (FIRCO), which has asked Sandia for assistance in extending the program nationwide. This replication is beginning in five new states, and will continue to grow. Sandia is keeping the U.S. renewable energy industry involved in the program through facilitating partnerships between U.S. and Mexican vendors, and through commercialization assistance with new systems technologies. The program is sponsored by the Department of Energy and the U.S. Agency for International Development. copyright 1997 American Institute of Physics

Powering Nigeria through renewable electricity investments: legal ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Renewable energy has a prominent role in promoting energy access and addressing environmental concerns with energy use in Nigeria. However, there are legal barriers that have not allowed renewable energy to be used in the Nigerian electricity sector. The absence of an effective legal framework to encourage and ...

Deletion of the Imprinted Gene Grb10 Promotes Hematopoietic Stem Cell Self-Renewal and Regeneration.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Xiao; Himburg, Heather A; Pohl, Katherine; Quarmyne, Mamle; Tran, Evelyn; Zhang, Yurun; Fang, Tiancheng; Kan, Jenny; Chao, Nelson J; Zhao, Liman; Doan, Phuong L; Chute, John P

2016-11-01

Imprinted genes are differentially expressed by adult stem cells, but their functions in regulating adult stem cell fate are incompletely understood. Here we show that growth factor receptor-bound protein 10 (Grb10), an imprinted gene, regulates hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) self-renewal and regeneration. Deletion of the maternal allele of Grb10 in mice (Grb10 m/+ mice) substantially increased HSC long-term repopulating capacity, as compared to that of Grb10 +/+ mice. After total body irradiation (TBI), Grb10 m/+ mice demonstrated accelerated HSC regeneration and hematopoietic reconstitution, as compared to Grb10 +/+ mice. Grb10-deficient HSCs displayed increased proliferation after competitive transplantation or TBI, commensurate with upregulation of CDK4 and Cyclin E. Furthermore, the enhanced HSC regeneration observed in Grb10-deficient mice was dependent on activation of the Akt/mTORC1 pathway. This study reveals a function for the imprinted gene Grb10 in regulating HSC self-renewal and regeneration and suggests that the inhibition of Grb10 can promote hematopoietic regeneration in vivo. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Synthesis: Renewable energies, January 2016 - January 2017

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deharbe, David; Gandet, Stephanie

2017-01-01

The authors propose an overview and a comment of evolutions of the legal context of renewable energies during 2016. Thus, they address French decrees related to installations which produce electric power from renewable energies or the recovery of mine gas or co-generation, related to the transfer of mandatory purchase contracts, and related to the control of renewable energy production installations. They review legal and administrative events (decrees or decisions) regarding wind energy (tariffs, bidding, installations, meteorological radars, technical and financial responsibilities), solar energy (tariffing, self-consumption, bidding, installation location in mountain and rural contexts for roof-based or ground-based installations), biogas (gas sector, tariffs, supply threshold for energetic crops), hydroelectricity (bidding for small installations), geothermal energy (definition of objectives, inauguration of the first world deep geothermal plant in Rittershoffen, tariffing, new technical decrees) and miscellaneous aspects

Impacts of biogas projects on agro-ecosystem in rural areas-A case study of Gongcheng

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Jin YANG; Weichao CHEN; Bin CHEN

2011-01-01

The rapid growth of agro-ecosystem has been the focus of "New Rural Construction" in China due to intensive energy consumption and environmental pollution in rural areas.As a kind of renewable energy,biogas is helpful for new energy development and plays an important role in the sustainable development of agroecosystem in China.To evaluate the effects of biogas on agro-ecosystem from a systematic angle,we discussed the status quo of household biogas and identified its main factors that may have impacts on agro-ecosystem.An indicator framework covering environmental,social and economic aspects was established to quantify the impacts exerted by biogas project on agro-ecosystem.A case study of Gongcheng was then conducted to evaluate the combined impact of biogas project using the proposed indicator framework.Results showed that there was a notable positive effect brought by the application of biogas,and the integrated benefit has been significantly improved by 60.36％,implying that biogas as a substitute energy source can promote the sustainable level of rural areas.

Renewing membership in three community-based health insurance schemes in rural India

NARCIS (Netherlands)

P. Panda (Pradeep); A. Chakraborty (Arpita); W.A. Raza (Wameq); A.S. Bedi (Arjun Singh)

2015-01-01

textabstractLow renewal rate is a key challenge facing the sustainability of Community-based Health Insurance (CBHI) schemes. While there is a large literature on initial enrolment into such schemes, there is limited evidence on the factors that impede renewal. This paper uses longitudinal data to

Market performance and distributional effects on renewable energy markets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koutstaal, P.; Bijlsma, M.; Zwart, G.; Van Tilburg, X.; Ozdemir, O.

2009-08-01

A renewable obligation (RO) combined with tradable renewable energy certificates is a market-based instrument used to promote the production of electricity from renewable energy sources. A renewable obligation is an alternative for subsidies. A renewable obligation will only be an efficient instrument if certificate markets are efficient. This requires that there is no market power and no anti-competitive behaviour on the certificate market. If the current developments in Dutch renewable energy production continue, market power on a future renewable certificate market in the Netherlands will probably not be an issue, even if the RO should only rest on the retail market instead of on the whole electricity market. A renewable obligation will raise the retail price for consumers, thereby reducing consumer surplus. Simulations show that the retail electricity price increases with 30 euro per MWh to a level of 104 euro per MWh in case of a 30% renewable target. Consumer surplus is reduced with 19% compared to the baseline scenario. In contrast, a subsidy such as the Dutch SDE (Promoting Renewable Energy scheme or 'Stimulering Duurzame Energie') which is financed from the state budget has the effect to (slightly) lower the retail electricity price, thereby increasing consumer surplus. It should however be realised that the costs of the subsidy will indirectly affect electricity consumers through their tax payments.

Electric Vehicles - Promoting Fuel Efficiency and Renewable Energy in Danish Transport

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Kaj

1997-01-01

Analysis of electric vehicles as energy carrier for renewable energy and fossil fuels, including comparisons with other energy carriers (hydrogen, bio-fuels)......Analysis of electric vehicles as energy carrier for renewable energy and fossil fuels, including comparisons with other energy carriers (hydrogen, bio-fuels)...

Legislation on renewable energy sources in Central America

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rebollo, Jose

2000-01-01

This paper presents the development of renewable energy in Central America and the cooperation given by the European Comission in the promotion of renewable energy sources. Also discuss the current situation in energy demand in Central America and possible solutions linked to legislation that promotes the inversion of the private sector. The legal framework in each country of Central America is presented and its impact in the increasing of generation of energy through tax reductions, trading and prices

Bioenergy: a sustainable resource for rural population

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gehlawat, J.K.

2000-01-01

Bio energy is a renewable resource. It is a product of the abundant solar energy. The plant kingdom collects solar energy by photosynthesis and stores it as biomass. This is a big source of energy that sustains the mankind in many ways-food, fuel, fibre and several others. The non-food biomass like agro-waste and forest residues already constitute a large component of the traditional energy sources of most rural population the world over. A scientific study and proper planning are required for an optimum use of this abundant renewable bio energy (biomass). This paper discusses various options to evolve workable technologies for an efficient use of biomass as a sustainable energy resource for rural areas where it is mostly produced. An integrated strategy is proposed. (author)

Building-integrated renewable energy policy analysis in China

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

姚春妮; 郝斌

2009-01-01

With the dramatic development of renewable energy all over the world,and for purpose of adjusting energy structure,the Ministry of Construction of China plans to promote the large scale application of renewable energy in buildings. In order to ensure the validity of policy-making,this work firstly exerts a method to do cost-benefit analysis for three kinds of technologies such as building-integrated solar hot water (BISHW) system,building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) technology and ground water heat pump (GWHP). Through selecting a representative city of every climate region,the analysis comes into different results for different climate regions in China and respectively different suggestion for policy-making. On the analysis basis,the Ministry of Construction (MOC) and the Ministry of Finance of China (MOF) united to start-up Building-integrated Renewable Energy Demonstration Projects (BIREDP) in 2006. In the demonstration projects,renewable energy takes place of traditional energy to supply the domestic hot water,electricity,air-conditioning and heating. Through carrying out the demonstration projects,renewable energy related market has been expanded. More and more relative companies and local governments take the opportunity to promote the large scale application of renewable energy in buildings.

Organizational precedents for ownership and management of decentralized renewable-energy systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meunier, R.; Silversmith, J.A.

1981-03-01

Three existing organizational types that meet the decentralization criteria of local consumer ownership and control - cooperatives, Rural Electric Cooperatives, and municipal utilities - are examined. These three organizational precedents are analyzed in terms of their histories, structures, legal powers, sources of capital, and social and political aspects. Examples of related experiments with renewable energy technologies are given, and inferences are drawn regarding the organizations' suitability as vehicles for future implementation of decentralized renewable energy systems.

Institutional and Policy Assessment of Renewable Energy Sector in Afghanistan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmad Murtaza Ershad

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Renewable energy resources could play a vital role in the sustainable economic, social, and environmental development of Afghanistan. Heavy reliance of rural households on firewood, rising costs of fossil fuels, outdoor and indoor air pollution, and climate change are some of the challenges that can be addressed by diversifying our power production fuel inputs and adopting renewable energy technologies. In order to deploy and scale up renewable energy technologies and improve access to sustainable energy, clear policies and targets and dedicated institutions are crucial. Fortunately, Afghan government with the support of international community is setting ambitious targets for the renewable energy sector and is encouraging national and international investors to take part in the generation, transmission, and distribution of renewable energy especially electricity through Power Purchase Agreements or very cheap land leases. Thus, the objectives of this report are (I to review the existing institutions in the field of renewable energy, (II to review renewable energy policies and targets in Afghanistan, and (III to identify institutional and policy gaps and recommend solutions.

Renewables 2017 Global Status Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sawin, Janet L.; Sverrisson, Freyr; Seyboth, Kristin; Adib, Rana; Murdock, Hannah E.; Lins, Christine; Edwards, Isobel; Hullin, Martin; Nguyen, Linh H.; Prillianto, Satrio S.; Satzinger, Katharina; Appavou, Fabiani; Brown, Adam; Chernyakhovskiy, Ilya; Logan, Jeffrey; Milligan, Michael; Zinaman, Owen; Epp, Baerbel; Huber, Lon; Lyons, Lorcan; Nowak, Thomas; Otte, Pia; Skeen, Jonathan; Sovacool, Benjamin; Witkamp, Bert; Musolino, Evan; Brown, Adam; Williamson, Laura E.; Ashworth, Lewis; Mastny, Lisa

2017-01-01

Renewable energy technologies increase their hold across developing and emerging economies throughout the year The year 2016 saw several developments and ongoing trends that all have a bearing on renewable energy, including the continuation of comparatively low global fossil fuel prices; dramatic price declines of several renewable energy technologies; and a continued increase in attention to energy storage. For the third consecutive year, global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels and industry were nearly flat in 2016, due largely to declining coal use worldwide but also due to improvements in energy efficiency and to increasing use of renewable energy. As of 2015, renewable energy provided an estimated 19.3% of global final energy consumption, and growth in capacity and production continued in 2016. The power sector experienced the greatest increases in renewable energy capacity in 2016, whereas the growth of renewables in the heating and cooling and transport sectors was comparatively slow. Most new renewable energy capacity is installed in developing countries, and largely in China, the single largest developer of renewable power and heat over the past eight years. In 2016, renewable energy spread to a growing number of developing and emerging economies, some of which have become important markets. For the more than 1 billion people without access to electricity, distributed renewable energy projects, especially those in rural areas far from the centralised grid, offer important and often cost-effective options to provide such access. The renewable energy sector employed 9.8 million people in 2016, an increase of 1.1% over 2015. By technology, solar PV and biofuels provided the largest numbers of jobs. Employment shifted further towards Asia, which accounted for 62% of all renewable energy jobs (not including large-scale hydropower), led by China. The development of community renewable energy projects continued in 2016, but the pace of

Renewable Energy Policy Fact sheet - Netherlands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-07-01

The EurObserv'ER policy profiles give a snapshot of the renewable energy policy in the EU Member States. Main support scheme: sliding feed-in premium scheme which is used to promote RES based electricity, renewable gas and heating purposes is the SDE+ which is structured as feed-in premiums and financed through a levy on the energy bill of end consumers

The effectiveness of a community-based health promotion program for rural elders: a quasi-experimental design.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jeng; Chen, Chu-Yeh; Lai, Li-Ju; Chen, Min-Li; Chen, Mei-Yen

2014-08-01

A community-based health promotion program (CBHP) might be beneficial for the elderly, but evidence is limited. We therefore examined the effect of a CBHP on change of lifestyle, physiological indicators and depression score among seniors in 2 rural areas. A prospective quasi-experimental design involved a total of 520 senior participants living in 6 rural villages, who were clustered and conveniently assigned to 2 intervention groups. Senior nursing students were the interveners for group 1 and community peer supporters for group 2. The primary outcome measure was the change in health-related behavior measured on the geriatric health promotion scale (GHPS). The secondary outcome comprised changes in the short form of the Chinese geriatric depression scale (CGDS-15), fasting blood sugar, total cholesterol, waist circumference and blood pressure. Paired-t test and analysis of covariance were used for statistical inspection. Most of the participants were retired farmers or fishermen >75years of age who had little education. The total scores and all subscales of GHPS, along with some physiological indicators, improved significantly between pretest and post-test in both groups. After adjustment for confounders, intervention in group 1 was more effective than that in group 2 regarding self-protection behaviors. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure was significantly lower in group 2. CBHP programs are valuable for improving healthy lifestyle, fasting blood sugar, blood pressure and depression score among seniors. The low cost and effectiveness of incorporating multidisciplinary resources to help rural elders to maintain a healthy status and a healthier lifestyle. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Renewable Energy Policy Fact sheet - Belgium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-09-01

The EurObserv'ER policy profiles give a snapshot of the renewable energy policy in the EU Member States. Belgium consists of three regions: Brussels, Flanders and Wallonia, each with much autonomy in determining renewable support policies, except for support to offshore wind and hydro power which fall under the competence of the federal government. Electricity from renewable sources is promoted at regional and federal levels mainly through a quota system based on the trade of certificates, complemented by regional support measures. In the three regions small PV installations benefit from net metering. The federal government supports renewable heating and cooling by way of a tax deduction on investment costs. The main support scheme for renewable energy sources used in transport is a quota system under the competence of the federal government

Impacts of biogas projects on agro-ecosystem in rural areas — A case study of Gongcheng

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Jin; Chen, Weichao; Chen, Bin

2011-09-01

The rapid growth of agro-ecosystem has been the focus of "New Rural Construction" in China due to intensive energy consumption and environmental pollution in rural areas. As a kind of renewable energy, biogas is helpful for new energy development and plays an important role in the sustainable development of agro-ecosystem in China. To evaluate the effects of biogas on agro-ecosystem from a systematic angle, we discussed the status quo of household biogas and identified its main factors that may have impacts on agro-ecosystem. An indicator framework covering environmental, social and economic aspects was established to quantify the impacts exerted by biogas project on agro-ecosystem. A case study of Gongcheng was then conducted to evaluate the combined impact of biogas project using the proposed indicator framework. Results showed that there was a notable positive effect brought by the application of biogas, and the integrated benefit has been significantly improved by 60.36%, implying that biogas as a substitute energy source can promote the sustainable level of rural areas.

TLX activates MMP-2, promotes self-renewal of tumor spheres in neuroblastoma and correlates with poor patient survival.

Science.gov (United States)

Chavali, P L; Saini, R K R; Zhai, Q; Vizlin-Hodzic, D; Venkatabalasubramanian, S; Hayashi, A; Johansson, E; Zeng, Z-j; Mohlin, S; Påhlman, S; Hansford, L; Kaplan, D R; Funa, K

2014-10-30

Nuclear orphan receptor TLX (Drosophila tailless homolog) is essential for the maintenance of neural stem/progenitor cell self-renewal, but its role in neuroblastoma (NB) is not well understood. Here, we show that TLX is essential for the formation of tumor spheres in three different NB cell lines, when grown in neural stem cell media. We demonstrate that the knock down of TLX in IMR-32 cells diminishes its tumor sphere-forming capacity. In tumor spheres, TLX is coexpressed with the neural progenitor markers Nestin, CD133 and Oct-4. In addition, TLX is coexpressed with the migratory neural progenitor markers CD15 and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) in xenografts of primary NB cells from patients. Subsequently, we show the effect of TLX on the proliferative, invasive and migratory properties of IMR-32 cells. We attribute this to the recruitment of TLX to both MMP-2 and Oct-4 gene promoters, which resulted in the respective gene activation. In support of our findings, we found that TLX expression was high in NB patient tissues when compared with normal peripheral nervous system tissues. Further, the Kaplan-Meier estimator indicated a negative correlation between TLX expression and survival in 88 NB patients. Therefore, our results point at TLX being a crucial player in progression of NB, by promoting self-renewal of NB tumor-initiating cells and altering their migratory and invasive properties.

Cooperation Mechanisms To Achieve Eu Renewable Targets

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Klinge Jacobsen, Henrik; Pade, Lise-Lotte; Schröder, Sascha Thorsten

2014-01-01

targets. Furthermore, countries might find themselves competing for investment in a market with limited capital available. In both cases, the cost-efficiency of the renewable support policies is reduced compared to a coordinated solution. Barriers for joint support such as network regulation regarding......There are considerable benefits from cooperating among member states on meeting the 2020 renewable energy sources (RES) targets. Today countries are supporting investments in renewable energy by many different types of support schemes and with different levels of support. The EU has opened...... for cooperation mechanisms such as joint support schemes for promoting renewable energy to meet the 2020 targets. The potential coordination benefits, with more efficient localisation and composition of renewable investment, can be achieved by creating new areas/sub-segments of renewable technologies where...

Priority to renewable energies - on the amendment to the renewable energies act

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heller, W.

2003-01-01

The Federal Ministry for the Environment, which has been the competent authority for renewable energies since the 2002 federal election, has presented draft legislation on the accelerated development of renewable energies in the electricity sector. This is to reduce, through internalization, the costs to the national economy arising from power supply, to conserve nature and the environment, avoid conflicts over fossil energy resources, and promote the advanced development of renewable energy technologies. Emphasis is put solely on protection of the climate and of the environment. The way towards sustainable energy supply by taking into account ecological, economic and social aspects is abandoned. The funding rates laid down in legislation are not going to offer major incentives for further plant improvement by technological development. The quantitative goals of this draft legislation onesidedly aimed at electricity production are doubtful. Renewable energies are hardly the right way to replace nuclear power plants operated in the baseload mode. What is missing in the draft legislation, though it would be urgently needed, is a clear time limit on the eligibility of renewable energy plants for subsidizing, as this would counteract the impression of permanent subsidizing. (orig.)

The status and prospect of new energy and renewable energy in China

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Jiaxi

2018-06-01

Renewable energy is an important part of the energy supply system. At present, the scale of global renewable energy development and utilization continues to expand, and application costs are rapidly declining. The development of renewable energy has become the core content of many countries in promoting energy transformation and an important method to deal with the climate change. It is also a revolution in China's energy production and consumption and a promotion of energy. This article focuses on the status of the development of new energy and renewable energy in China. After analyzing the problems in China's development and understanding the related policies, we look forward to the prospects of China's future and renewable energy sources.

Renewable decentralized in developing countries: Appraisal from microgrids project in Senegal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thiam, Djiby-Racine [Groupe de Recherche en Economie Theorique et Appliquee (GRETHA), Avenue Leon Duguit, 33 608 Pessac Cedex (France)

2010-08-15

Sahelian developing countries depend heavily on oil-import for the supply of their increasing energy demand. This setup leads to an imbalance in the balance of payment, an increase of debt and budget asphyxia, whereas renewable resources are widely and abundantly available. The objective of this paper is to carry out a feasibility analysis of off-grid stand-alone renewable technology generation system for some remote rural areas in one Sahelian country. A survey conducted in 2006, within the framework of microgrids project, in rural areas located in three different regions in Senegal (Thies, Kaolack and Fatick) permits determination of demand estimations. Two reference technologies are chosen, namely a solar photovoltaic (PV) system of 130 Wc for solar endowment and a wind turbine of 150 W for wind speed. Taking into account the life-cycle-cost and the environmental externalities costs, our results show that the levelized electricity costs of PV technology are lower than the cost of energy from the grid extension for all these three regions. Thus, decentralized PV technologies are cost-competitive in comparison to a grid extension for these remote rural areas. For wind technology viabilities results are attained with a requirement demand lower than 7. 47 KWh/year for Thies and 7.884 KWh/year for the two remaining areas, namely Kaolack and Fatick. The additional advantage of the proposed methodology is that it allows the environmental valuation of energy generated from non-renewable resource. (author)

Energy and GHG Analysis of Rural Household Biogas Systems in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lixiao Zhang

2014-02-01

Full Text Available The Chinese government has taken great efforts to popularize rural household scale biogas digesters, since they are regarded as an effective approach to address energy shortage issues in rural areas and as a potential way of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG emissions. Focusing on a typical rural household biogas system, the aim of this study is to systematically quantify its total direct and indirect energy, concentrating on non-renewable energy and the associated GHG emission cost over the entire life cycle to understand its net dynamic benefits. The results show that the total energetic cost for biogas output is 2.19 J/J, of which 0.56 J is from non-renewable energy sources and the GHG emission cost is 4.54 × 10−5 g CO2-equivalent (CO2-eq, with respect to its design life cycle of 20 years. Correspondingly, a net non-renewable energy saving of 9.89 × 1010 J and GHG emission reduction of 50.45 t CO2-eq can be obtained considering the coal substitution and manure disposal. However, it must be run for at least 10 and 3 years, to obtain positive net non-renewable energy savings and GHG emission reduction benefits, respectively. These results have policy implications for development orientation, follow-up services, program management and even national financial subsidy methods.

The determinants of household energy demand in rural Beijing: Can environmentally friendly technologies be effective?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Jingchao; Kotani, Koji

2012-01-01

With the recent rapid economic growth, total energy demand in rural China has increased dramatically, and the energy structure is in the transition from non-commercial to commercial sources. Simultaneously, it is expected that households in rural areas will face energy shortages and additional environmental problems unless they have more access to renewable energy technologies. However, little is known about (i) the transition of energy use patterns and (ii) whether introduced technologies have been effective. To analyze these issues, we estimated the energy demands of rural households by using survey data taken from Beijing's ten suburban districts. The data contain information on both non-commercial and commercial energy use, key characteristics of the households and several renewable energy technologies. Our empirical analysis yielded three main results. First, the per capita income is a key factor in the per capita energy consumption. More specifically, the marginal increase (or marginal change) in per capita coal consumption strongly diminishes (or declines) as per capita income increases. Second, coal and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) prices do not exhibit substitution effects, but an increase in these prices has strong negative effects on the use of these energy resources. Third, renewable energy technologies are identified to reduce coal consumption and to improve energy efficiency. Overall, these findings suggest a positive perspective: if the Chinese government were to design appropriate policies associated with renewable energy technologies and related energy prices, then coal consumption can be reduced in the near future, and the substitution to cleaner energy use will accelerate. Therefore, a smooth energy transition in rural China could be made in a more environmentally sustainable manner. - Highlights: ► Energy demands of non-commercial/commercial sources are examined in rural Beijing. ► Income and energy prices are key determinants of the energy

Map of decentralised energy potential based on renewable energy sources in Croatia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schneider, D. R.; Ban, M.; Duic, N.; Bogdan, Z.

2005-01-01

Although the Republic of Croatia is almost completely electrified there are still regions where electricity network is not in place or network capacity is insufficient. These regions usually include areas of special state care (underdeveloped, war-affected or depopulated areas), islands, and mountainous areas. However, they often have good renewable energy potential. Decentralised energy generation based on renewable energy sources (wind power, hydropower, solar energy, biomass) has potential to ensure energy supply to users in remote and often isolated rural areas (off-grid applications). Such applications will primarily be related to tourism business in mountainous, rural and island/coastal regions. Also, agriculture, wood-processing and food-processing industries will potentially be interested in application of decentralised energy generation systems, most likely those using biomass as fuel (for example cogeneration facilities, connected on-grid).(author)

Smart sustainable energy for the rural built environment

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Szewczuk, S

2015-12-01

Full Text Available robust methodology to adapt innovative and renewable smart grid technologies to deliver real and sustainable decentralised energy solutions for remote and rural communities, thereby improving livelihoods and opportunities for inclusive growth...

Modelling renewable energy economy in Ghana with autometrics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ackah, Ishmael; Asomani, Mcomari

2015-01-01

Renewable energy consumption has been identified as a potential solution to the intermittent power supply in Ghana. Recently, a Renewable Energy Act has been passed which has a target of 10% of renewable energy component in Ghana's energy mix by 2020. Whilst effort is been made to enhance supply through feed in tariffs, education and tax reduction on renewable energy related equipment, there is the need to understand the drivers of renewable energy demand. In this study, the general unrestricted model through Autometrics is used to estimate the determinants of renewable energy demand in Ghana. The results indicate that both economic factors and non-economic affect the demand for renewable energy. In addition, the underlying energy demand trend exhibits energy using behaviour. The study recommends that economic factors such as consumer subsidies should be considered when promoting renewable energy demand.

Modelling renewable energy economy in Ghana with autometrics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ackah, Ishmael; Asomani, Mcomari [Africa Centre for Energy Policy, Accra (Ghana); Kwame Nkrumah Univ. of Science and Technology, Kumasi (Ghana)

2015-04-15

Renewable energy consumption has been identified as a potential solution to the intermittent power supply in Ghana. Recently, a Renewable Energy Act has been passed which has a target of 10% of renewable energy component in Ghana's energy mix by 2020. Whilst effort is been made to enhance supply through feed in tariffs, education and tax reduction on renewable energy related equipment, there is the need to understand the drivers of renewable energy demand. In this study, the general unrestricted model through Autometrics is used to estimate the determinants of renewable energy demand in Ghana. The results indicate that both economic factors and non-economic affect the demand for renewable energy. In addition, the underlying energy demand trend exhibits energy using behaviour. The study recommends that economic factors such as consumer subsidies should be considered when promoting renewable energy demand.

The Investment Environment for Renewable Energy Development in Lithuania: The Electricity Sector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Milčiuvienė Saulė

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The article analyzes the investment environment in renewable electricity generation capacities, evaluating the credibility of long term renewable energy targets, the stability of promotion schemes and the impartiality of national administrative procedure. The article explores two main questions: (i are the EU and Lithuanian energy policy targets and promotion schemes credible enough to convince private investors to put their money in renewable energy development; (ii does national administrative procedure put a disproportional burden on renewable energy investors or on certain group of investors? The assessment of the investment environment includes a large number of criteria, but we analyze three of them: the stability of long term strategy; the attractiveness of promotionmeasures; and the simplicity and transparency of administrative procedure. Two further criteria are investigated: the stability of targets in renewable energy and the stability of promotional measures. The greatest uncertainty for investors occurs because of constantly changing support schemes of renewable energy sources-schemes that are not harmonized among the member States. At the national level the main driver in the development of small generators is the feed-in tariff. However, the high feed-in tariff does not always guarantee the smooth development of small scale generators of renewable energy.

Lancashire and Yorkshire Renewable Energy Planning Study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-07-01

The central aims of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Renewable Energy Planning Study (LYREPS) are to: identify renewable energy resources in the region and evaluate the opportunities for their deployment; promote a local-level development plan policy framework for the utilisation of renewable energy sources which is fully integrated with established land use and economic development strategies in the region. The availability of the following resources was investigated: landfill gas; municipal and industrial wastes; animal slurry; biomass; straw; active solar; passive solar design; photovoltaics; hydro; and wind. (author)

International Development Partnerships and Diffusion of Renewable Energy Technologies in Developing Countries: Cases in Latin America

Science.gov (United States)

Platonova, Inna

Access to energy is vital for sustainable development and poverty alleviation, yet billions of people in developing countries continue to suffer from constant exposure to open fires and dangerous fuels, such as kerosene. Renewable energy technologies are being acknowledged as suitable solutions for remote rural communities in much of the developing world and international development non-governmental organizations (NGOs) increasingly play important roles in the diffusion of these technologies via development partnerships. While these partnerships are widely promoted, many questions related to their functioning and effectiveness remain open. To advance the theory and practice, this interdisciplinary exploratory research provides in-depth insights into the nature of international NGO-driven development partnerships in rural renewable energy and their effectiveness based on the case studies in Talamanca, Costa Rica and Cajamarca, Peru. The analysis of the nature of development partnerships shows that partnerships in the case studies differ in structure, size and diversity of actors due to differentiation in the implementation strategies, technological complexities, institutional and contextual factors. A multi-theoretical approach is presented to explain the multiple drivers of the studied development partnerships. The research highlights partnership constraints related to the provision of rural renewable energy, the organizational type and institutional environments. Based on the case studies this research puts forward theoretical propositions regarding the factors that affect the effectiveness of the partnerships. In terms of the partnership dynamics dimension, several key factors of success are confirmed from the existing literature, namely shared values and goals, complementary expertise and capacities, confidence and trust, clear roles and responsibilities, effective communication. Additional factors identified are personality match and continuity of staff. In

A Low Cost Concept for Data Acquisition Systems Applied to Decentralized Renewable Energy Plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fábio T. Brito

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The present paper describes experiences of the use of monitoring and data acquisition systems (DAS and proposes a new concept of a low cost DAS applied to decentralized renewable energy (RE plants with an USB interface. The use of such systems contributes to disseminate these plants, recognizing in real time local energy resources, monitoring energy conversion efficiency and sending information concerning failures. These aspects are important, mainly for developing countries, where decentralized power plants based on renewable sources are in some cases the best option for supplying electricity to rural areas. Nevertheless, the cost of commercial DAS is still a barrier for a greater dissemination of such systems in developing countries. The proposed USB based DAS presents a new dual clock operation philosophy, in which the acquisition system contains two clock sources for parallel information processing from different communication protocols. To ensure the low cost of the DAS and to promote the dissemination of this technology in developing countries, the proposed data acquisition firmware and the software for USB microcontrollers programming is a free and open source software, executable in the Linux and Windows® operating systems.

Renewable corn-ethanol and energy security

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eaves, James

2007-01-01

Though corn-ethanol is promoted as renewable, models of the production process assume fossil fuel inputs. Moreover, ethanol is promoted as a means of increasing energy security, but there is little discussion of the dependability of its supply. This study investigates the sensibility of promoting corn-ethanol as an automobile fuel, assuming a fully renewable production process. We then use historical data to estimate the supply risk of ethanol relative to imported petroleum. We find that devoting 100% of US corn to ethanol would displace 3.5% of gasoline consumption and the annual supply of the ethanol would be inherently more risky than that of imported oil. Finally, because large temperature increases can simultaneously increase fuel demand and the cost of growing corn, the supply responses of ethanol producers to temperature-induced demand shocks would likely be weaker than those of gasoline producers. (author)

Status and Benefits of Renewable Energy Technologies in the Rural Areas of Ethiopia: A Case Study on Improved Cooking Stoves and Biogas Technologies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yitayal Addis Alemayehu

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The majority of Ethiopia’s people (85% reside in rural areas, deriving their livelihood from agriculture. Ethiopia’s energy system is characterized mainly by biomass fuel supply, with households being the greatest energy consumers. The household sector takes up nearly 94 % of the total energy supplies. Access to energy resources and technologies in rural Ethiopia is highly constrained which makes the energy supply and consumption pattern of the country to show many elements of un-sustainability. The concern on cooking practices, household economics, health, forest and agricultural resource management, and global greenhouse gas emissions has emerged as a transformative opportunity to improve individual lives, livelihoods, and the global environment. More decentralized renewable energy projects could play an important role in mitigating traditional biomass fuel use. Improved cooking stove (ICS dissemination projects have been launched involving the private sector in the production and commercialization of the stoves. In doing so, about 3.7 million ICSs have been disseminated in the country so far which benefited stove users, producers and the total environment as about 30 million hectare of forest per year can be conserved. Conversion of animal waste to biogas energy to replace traditional fuel and use of the slurry as a fertilizer is the other current focus of the government of Ethiopia and installed more than 860 biogas digesters. The benefits obtained from these technologies are considerable and promising. However, the programs are not that much benefited the rural households where it had been intended to address. So, due attention should be given for those of the rural households in order to address the fuel wood crisis, environmental degradation and their health condition.

FUNCIÓN DE LAS COOPERATIVAS EN LA NORMATIVA DE FOMENTO DEL DESARROLLO RURAL/FUNCTION OF THE CO-OPERATIVES IN THE REGULATION OF THE RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROMOTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luis GALLEGO SEVILLA

2007-05-01

the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD. The member States’ legislation applies and implements the European rules, but it develops, in addition, local regulations about cooperatives and rural development. In the Spanish case, national and regional legislation about both cooperatives and rural development has to be taken into account. In this paper, the role that agrarian cooperatives fulfil on rural development within the EU, national and regional legal frameworks is analyzed, based on the substantive Spanish legislation. Agrarian cooperatives are local development promoting agents as a intermediary with the public administrations, and as members of the “local action groups” set up by the LEADER methodology. Likewise, agrarian cooperatives may be recipient of additional aids that several Spanish Autonomous Communities provide to carry out local development measures.

Cleaning the air with renewable energy : briefing note

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-09-01

The Clean Air Renewable Energy Coalition promotes the development of the renewable energy industry in Canada. It acknowledges the effort that the Canadian government has taken to advance investment in renewable energy, but the Coalition is concerned that these investments alone will not achieve the desired objectives without additional policy development by federal, provincial and territorial governments. This report presents an overview of 7 proposals designed to promote and advance renewable energy in Canada. The benefits of these proposals include cleaner air, improved health, engaging public and industry participation in climate change initiatives, and fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in the sector. Brief details were presented for the following 7 proposals: (1) establish a national low-impact renewable energy target for Canada, (2) increase the Wind Power Production Incentive (WPPI) to 2.7 cent per kilowatt hour to ensure appropriate investment in wind energy and harmonization with the United States, (3) extend incentive programs similar to the WPPI to other renewable energy technologies, (4) work with other levels of government to implement policy mechanisms to meet the recommended national renewable energy target, (5) expand the Market Incentive Program (MIP) funding to 30 million dollars per year to 2012 and consult with the provinces and territories to develop a broad-based consumer green energy rebate and education program, (6) identify mechanisms to ensure a meaningful role for renewable energy to contribute to the country's climate change strategy, and (7) develop a Wind Energy Mapping and Wind Measurement Initiative. In a recent update, the Coalition states that low environmental impact renewable energy needs market recognition for its environmental and social benefits. In general, these benefits are not financially valued in energy market pricing. In addition, energy sources that impact significantly on the environment are not financially

Cleaning the air with renewable energy : briefing note

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2002-09-01

The Clean Air Renewable Energy Coalition promotes the development of the renewable energy industry in Canada. It acknowledges the effort that the Canadian government has taken to advance investment in renewable energy, but the Coalition is concerned that these investments alone will not achieve the desired objectives without additional policy development by federal, provincial and territorial governments. This report presents an overview of 7 proposals designed to promote and advance renewable energy in Canada. The benefits of these proposals include cleaner air, improved health, engaging public and industry participation in climate change initiatives, and fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in the sector. Brief details were presented for the following 7 proposals: (1) establish a national low-impact renewable energy target for Canada, (2) increase the Wind Power Production Incentive (WPPI) to 2.7 cent per kilowatt hour to ensure appropriate investment in wind energy and harmonization with the United States, (3) extend incentive programs similar to the WPPI to other renewable energy technologies, (4) work with other levels of government to implement policy mechanisms to meet the recommended national renewable energy target, (5) expand the Market Incentive Program (MIP) funding to 30 million dollars per year to 2012 and consult with the provinces and territories to develop a broad-based consumer green energy rebate and education program, (6) identify mechanisms to ensure a meaningful role for renewable energy to contribute to the country's climate change strategy, and (7) develop a Wind Energy Mapping and Wind Measurement Initiative. In a recent update, the Coalition states that low environmental impact renewable energy needs market recognition for its environmental and social benefits. In general, these benefits are not financially valued in energy market pricing. In addition, energy sources that impact significantly on the environment are not

Raw and renewable polymers

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Joseph, S

2010-01-01

Full Text Available in the permeability of the membrane and HO H3C H3C H2C H2C HO OH NH NH OH O OC C n O O O O Fig. 4 Structure of Chitin Raw and Renewable Polymers promoting internal osmotic imbalances. This results in leaching of electrolytes and proteins. 2... is often lost. In most cases this denaturation is not reversible. R-CH-COOH NH2 w Amino acid H2N COOHR a Amino acid Fig. 5 Structure of amino acid Raw and Renewable Polymers The solubilities of proteins vary considerably based on compositions...

Aubergine Controls Germline Stem Cell Self-Renewal and Progeny Differentiation via Distinct Mechanisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Xing; Zhu, Xiujuan; Han, Yingying; Story, Benjamin; Do, Trieu; Song, Xiaoqing; Wang, Su; Zhang, Ying; Blanchette, Marco; Gogol, Madelaine; Hall, Kate; Peak, Allison; Anoja, Perera; Xie, Ting

2017-04-24

Piwi family protein Aubergine (Aub) maintains genome integrity in late germ cells of the Drosophila ovary through Piwi-associated RNA-mediated repression of transposon activities. Although it is highly expressed in germline stem cells (GSCs) and early progeny, it remains unclear whether it plays any roles in early GSC lineage development. Here we report that Aub promotes GSC self-renewal and GSC progeny differentiation. RNA-iCLIP results show that Aub binds the mRNAs encoding self-renewal and differentiation factors in cultured GSCs. Aub controls GSC self-renewal by preventing DNA-damage-induced Chk2 activation and by translationally controlling the expression of self-renewal factors. It promotes GSC progeny differentiation by translationally controlling the expression of differentiation factors, including Bam. Therefore, this study reveals a function of Aub in GSCs and their progeny, which promotes translation of self-renewal and differentiation factors by directly binding to its target mRNAs and interacting with translational initiation factors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Analysis of policy options and implementation measures promoting electricity from renewable biomass in the EU

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kautto, N.

2005-04-01

Biomass as a renewable energy source holds a great potential in responding to energy challenges of the future as well as meeting renewable energy targets set by the European Union. The objective of this study was to analyse various policy options and implementation measures promoting electricity from renewable biomass in the European Union, including new Member States (EU-25). The main political driving force behind this investigation was the RES-E Directive (2001/77/EC). The effectiveness of policy instruments regarding the development of electricity from biomass and biogas in the period of 1990-2002, and the framework conditions, i.e. success and risk factors, for this progress were assessed though a 'five-step approach'. Past development in terms of bioelectricity production and generating capacity was assessed based on statistics of Eurostat and the IEA. Policy instruments promoting bioelectricity and the framework factors on the national level in each EU Member State (excluding Cyprus and Malta) were investigated using the EU and governmental documents, independent evaluations and expert contacts as information sources. It became clear that determination of the effectiveness of policy instruments cannot be separated from the environment these mechanisms are applied to: mapping of the frame conditions for development is essential. Instead of selecting distinct policy instruments, successful Member State/bioelectricity combinations were chosen. The most successful combinations were found to be Germany, United Kingdom, Spain and Finland, whereas examples of unsuccessful measures were found in Greece, Luxembourg and the new Member States. Bioelectricity has clearly benefited from feed-in tariff system in countries like Germany but the use of biomass has essentially increased even without this measure in Sweden and Finland, where favourable taxation and strong links between forestry and power industries are defining factors for positive development. This study

Renewables in figures. National and international trends in 2014

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-08-01

This publication provides information for the fields electricity / heat / fuels in detail on the expansion of renewable energies and illustrates this with tables and graphs. Basis of the data are the results of the Working Group on Renewable Energy Sources Statistics (AGEE-Stat), on behalf of the BMWi working out the balance of renewable energy in Germany. In addition you will also find information about Renewable Energy Law and to promote renewable Energy for heating purposes as well as for research and Development. In addition to the figures for Germany are also developments in the use of renewable energy in the European Union documented which also has set ambitious targets. Data for global Development are also included. [de

Renewable Energy Policy Fact sheet - Italy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-07-01

The EurObserv'ER policy profiles give a snapshot of the renewable energy policy in the EU Member States. Italy approved the National Energy Strategy in 2013. It is built around 7 priorities and focusses on a sustainable deployment of renewable energy and stresses the importance of energy efficiency. The Strategy contains targets and measures until 2020 as well as long-term strategies until 2050. In 2013, the green certificate scheme was replaced by other support schemes to promote RES-E, namely different feed-in and premium tariffs. Very large plants are awarded contracts under a tender scheme (auction process). For RESH, there exists a tax regulation scheme and incentive for small RES-H sources. RES-T is promoted by quotas

Utilizing GIS to Examine the Relationship Between State Renewable Portfolio Standards and the Adoption of Renewable Energy Technologies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chelsea Schelly

2013-12-01

Full Text Available In the United States, there is no comprehensive energy policy at the federal level. To address issues as diverse as climate change, energy security, and economic development, individual states have increasingly implemented Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPSs, which mandate that utility providers include a specified amount of electricity from renewable energy sources in their total energy portfolios. Some states have included incentives for individual energy technologies in their RPS, such as solar electric (also called photovoltaic or PV technology. Here, we use GIS to visualize adoption of RPSs and electricity generation from renewable energy sources in the US and examine changes in renewable electricity and solar electric generation over time with the goal of informing future policies aimed at promoting the adoption of renewable energy technologies.

Multi-objective assessment of rural electrification in remote areas with poverty considerations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, Diego; Nakata, Toshihiko

2009-01-01

Rural electrification with renewable energy technologies (RETs) offers several benefits to remote areas where diesel generation is unsuitable due to fuel supply constraints. Such benefits include environmental and social aspects, which are linked to energy access and poverty reduction in less-favored areas of developing countries. In this case, multi-objective methods are suitable tools for planning in rural areas. In this study, assessment of rural electrification with renewable energy systems is conducted by means of goal programming towards fuel substitution. The approach showed that, in the Non-Interconnected Zones of Colombia, substitution of traditional biomass with an electrification scheme using renewable energy sources provides significant environmental benefits, measured as land use and avoided emissions, as well as higher employment generation rates than diesel generation schemes. Nevertheless, fuel substitution is constrained by the elevated cost of electricity compared to traditional biomass, which raises households' energy expenditures between twofold to five times higher values. The present approach, yet wide in scope, is still limited for quantifying the impact of energy access improvements on poverty reduction, as well as for the assessment of energy system's technical feasibility.

Renewable energy for productive uses in Mexico

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hanley, C.

1997-12-01

This paper describes a USAID/USDOE sponsored program to implement renewable energy in Mexico for productive uses. The objectives are to expand markets for US and Mexican industries, and to combat global climate change - primarily greenhouse gas emissions. The focus is on off-grid applications, with an emphasis on developing the institution structure to support the development of these industries within the country. Agricultural development is an example of the type of industry approached, where photovoltaic and wind power can be used for water pumping. There are hundreds of projects under review, and this interest has put renewables as a line item in Mexico`s rural development budget. Village power projects are being considered in the form of utility partnerships.

Renewable energies and energy choices. Summary of the colloquium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-05-01

This document is an executive summary of the colloquium organized by the French syndicate of renewable energies (SER) which took place at the Maison de l'UNESCO in Paris during the national debate on energies organized by the French government in spring 2003. The colloquium was organized around 6 round tables dealing with: the world perspectives and the environmental context of the contribution of renewable energies to the sustainable development (respect of Kyoto protocol commitments, contribution to the security of energy supplies, lack of large scale program of development of decentralized power generation in developing countries, lack of market tools linked with CO 2 emissions, improvement of competitiveness); development of renewable energies in Europe (promotion and sustain in all European countries, obligation of supply and purchase, pricing regulation, European harmonization of practices); renewable electricity and its place in the new orientation law about energies (tariff/pluri-annual investment planing, administrative authorizations, connections to the grid, calls for offer, costs of the photovoltaic solar energy); contribution of renewable energies in the transportation sector (bio-fuels, low taxes, ethanol fuel cells, vegetal chemistry); renewable heat and integration of renewable energy sources in buildings (intelligent architecture, promotion, quality labels and standards, lack of CO 2 penalties linked with fossil fuels, tax reduction for solar and wood fuel appliances, acknowledgment of geothermal heat pumps as renewable energy source); and the presentation of the first proposals for the future orientation law (balance between nuclear and renewable energy sources, integration in the local environment, competitiveness, use of market mechanisms, R and D etc.). (J.S.)

77 FR 16519 - Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) Inviting Applications for the Rural Community Development...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-21

... renewable energy, food production, rural tourism, natural resources, and advanced manufacturing. Qualified... Rural Housing Service (RHS) or its successor. Beneficiary--Entities or individuals that receive benefits... with those of State and local governments, educational institutions, and the private and nonprofit...

State-scale evaluation of renewable electricity policy: The role of renewable electricity credits and carbon taxes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levin, Todd; Thomas, Valerie M.; Lee, Audrey J.

2011-01-01

We have developed a state-scale version of the MARKAL energy optimization model, commonly used to model energy policy at the US national scale and internationally. We apply the model to address state-scale impacts of a renewable electricity standard (RES) and a carbon tax in one southeastern state, Georgia. Biomass is the lowest cost option for large-scale renewable generation in Georgia; we find that electricity can be generated from biomass co-firing at existing coal plants for a marginal cost above baseline of 0.2-2.2 cents/kWh and from dedicated biomass facilities for 3.0-5.5 cents/kWh above baseline. We evaluate the cost and amount of renewable electricity that would be produced in-state and the amount of out-of-state renewable electricity credits (RECs) that would be purchased as a function of the REC price. We find that in Georgia, a constant carbon tax to 2030 primarily promotes a shift from coal to natural gas and does not result in substantial renewable electricity generation. We also find that the option to offset a RES with renewable electricity credits would push renewable investment out-of-state. The tradeoff for keeping renewable investment in-state by not offering RECs is an approximately 1% additional increase in the levelized cost of electricity. - Research Highlights: →We examine state-scale impacts of a renewable electricity standard and a carbon tax. →Georgia has low electricity prices and bioenergy is the main renewable option. →A carbon tax of $50/tCO 2 does not significantly increase renewable generation. →Renewable electricity credits divert renewable investment to other states. →Keeping renewable electricity generation in-state increases electricity costs by 1%.

The gap in human resources to deliver the guaranteed package of prevention and health promotion services at urban and rural primary care facilities in Mexico.

Science.gov (United States)

Alcalde-Rabanal, Jacqueline Elizabeth; Nigenda, Gustavo; Bärnighausen, Till; Velasco-Mondragón, Héctor Eduardo; Darney, Blair Grant

2017-08-03

The purpose of this study was to estimate the gap between the available and the ideal supply of human resources (physicians, nurses, and health promoters) to deliver the guaranteed package of prevention and health promotion services at urban and rural primary care facilities in Mexico. We conducted a cross-sectional observational study using a convenience sample. We selected 20 primary health facilities in urban and rural areas in 10 states of Mexico. We calculated the available and the ideal supply of human resources in these facilities using estimates of time available, used, and required to deliver health prevention and promotion services. We performed descriptive statistics and bivariate hypothesis testing using Wilcoxon and Friedman tests. Finally, we conducted a sensitivity analysis to test whether the non-normal distribution of our time variables biased estimation of available and ideal supply of human resources. The comparison between available and ideal supply for urban and rural primary health care facilities reveals a low supply of physicians. On average, primary health care facilities are lacking five physicians when they were estimated with time used and nine if they were estimated with time required (P human resources in primary health facilities.

Renewable Energy Resources With Smart Microgrid Model In India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manikant Kumar

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Along with the development of civilization is increasing energy consumption. Due to which India is facing an energy crisis. It is estimated that global energy demand will double in 2030. India Trhurga other developing countries will face a crisis. Returning to the problem Fall growth of renewable energy resources will increase. Even for electricity generation from renewable sources. Naturally replenished renewable energy such as sunlight wind rain tides and geothermal heat as will have to depend on natural resources. High energy demand and environmental concerns in the papers smart microgrid is forced to change the existing power grid. This paper dynamic demand response and smart microgrid for residential and industrial consumption in the context of renewable energy production including the proposed management approach. The objectives of this research renewable energy resources with a smart microgrid has played an important role. Power system in rural areas in India to meet growing energy demand. The model deployed PLC networks data management system sensors Switchgears Transformers and other utility tools to integrate Smart Grid Smart homes are used together. Analytical results Residential renewable energy generation and smart meters show the effectiveness of the proposed system to optimize control of the electrical grid and is designed to improve energy conservation.

The impact of renewable energies on EEX day-ahead electricity prices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paraschiv, Florentina; Erni, David; Pietsch, Ralf

2014-01-01

In this paper, we analyze the impact of renewable energies, wind and photovoltaic, on the formation of day-ahead electricity prices at EEX. We give an overview of the policy decisions concerning the promotion of renewable energy sources in Germany and discuss their consequences on day-ahead prices. An analysis of electricity spot prices reveals that the introduction of renewable energies enhances extreme price changes. In the frame of a dynamic fundamental model, we show that there has been a continuous electricity price adaption process to market fundamentals. Furthermore, the fundamental drivers of prices differ among hours with different load profiles. Our results imply that renewable energies decrease market spot prices and have implications on the traditional fuel mix for electricity production. However, the prices for the final consumers increased overall because they must pay in addition the feed-in tariffs for the promotion of renewable energy. - Highlights: • We analyze the impact of renewable energies on the day-ahead electricity prices at EEX. • We discuss the impact of renewables on day-ahead prices. • We show a continuous electricity price adaption process to market fundamentals. • Renewable energies decrease market spot prices and shift the merit order curve. • The prices for the final consumers however increased because of feed-in tariffs

PV power and profit? Electrifying rural South Africa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karottki, R.; Banks, D.

2000-01-01

This article traces the background to the implementation of a programme of sustainable off-grid energy services delivered to rural areas through private-public partnership. The implementation of the school photovoltaic (PV) electrification programme, electrification of rural clinics, the solar electrification of rural households on a large scale through a joint venture between Shell Renewables and the national utility ESKOM, and the electrification of widely scattered homesteads are discussed. Details are given of the financial support from the government and the National Electricity Regulator, the development of a national standard for Solar Home Systems, identification of target regions, the regulatory framework, and the opportunities for business and for real improvement. (UK)

Sp5 induces the expression of Nanog to maintain mouse embryonic stem cell self-renewal.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Ling; Wang, Manman; Liu, Dahai; Gong, Mengting; Ying, Qi-Long; Ye, Shoudong

2017-01-01

Activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) by leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) maintains mouse embryonic stem cell (mESC) self-renewal. Our previous study showed that trans-acting transcription factor 5 (Sp5), an LIF/STAT3 downstream target, supports mESC self-renewal. However, the mechanism by which Sp5 exerts these effects remains elusive. Here, we found that Nanog is a direct target of Sp5 and mediates the self-renewal-promoting effect of Sp5 in mESCs. Overexpression of Sp5 induced Nanog expression, while knockdown or knockout of Sp5 decreased the Nanog level. Moreover, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays showed that Sp5 directly bound to the Nanog promoter. Functional studies revealed that knockdown of Nanog eliminated the mESC self-renewal-promoting ability of Sp5. Finally, we demonstrated that the self-renewal-promoting function of Sp5 was largely dependent on its zinc finger domains. Taken together, our study provides unrecognized functions of Sp5 in mESCs and will expand our current understanding of the regulation of mESC pluripotency.

Managing energy vulnerability and resilience for rural communities in Northern Denmark by means of energy atlases

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Möller, Bernd

Denmark has targets of developing a 100% renewable energy supply within the next 4 decades, while the country is facing polarization between urban areas and the rural countryside. Energy vulnerability develops as low income groups move to areas with poor building stock and no access to collective...... heat supply. With little room for extending mortgage, investments in added insulation or efficient heating technology become less affordable. About a quarter of the Danish population lives in rural areas where energy efficient heat supply and low-energy buildings are outside reach. Typical current...... problems are high energy costs, which contribute to the unattractiveness of rural areas, driven by centralization and the dismantling of public infrastructure. On the other hand, most renewable energy sources like wind and biomass are located in rural areas, where they could create resilience: income, jobs...

Factors that promote renewable energy production in U.S. states: A fixed effect estimation

Science.gov (United States)

Nwokeji, Ekwuniru Chika

2011-12-01

The unsustainability of conventional energy sources and its environmental destructions are well-known; the sustainability of renewable energy and its environmental benefits are also well-documented. The United States in common with many other countries is increasingly focused on developing renewable energy. At first, the pursuit of this strategy in U.S. was seen more as a way to reduce dependence on oil importation. With increased awareness of environmental challenges resulting from the consumption and production of conventional energy, an additional strategy for the continued interest in renewable energy development in the United States was as a result of its potential to ameliorate environmental problems. The U.S. government are utilizing policy measures and dedicating funding to encourage the development of renewable energy technologies. Beside government policies, there are contextual factors that also affect renewable energy production. These include, but not limited to population growth, energy demand, economic growth, and public acceptance. Given the pressing need to develop a sustainable energy, this study embarks on an outcome assessment of the nature of relationship of renewable energy policy incentives, and selected contextual factors on renewable energy production in the United States. The policy incentive evaluated in this study is the Renewable Energy Production Incentive program. The contextual factors evaluated in this study are energy consumption, population growth, employment, and poverty. Understanding the contextual factors within which policies are placed is essential to defining the most appropriate policy features. The methodological approach to the study is quantitative, using panel data from 1976 to 2007. The study tested two hypotheses using fixed effect estimation with robust standard error as a statistical model. Statistical analyses reveal several interesting results which lend support that besides policy incentives, contextual factors

Electricity access for geographically disadvantaged rural communities--technology and policy insights

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chaurey, Akanksha; Ranganathan, Malini; Mohanty, Parimita

2004-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to weigh the issues and options for increasing electricity access in remote and geographically challenged villages in interior Rajasthan, the desertstate in Western India where power sector reforms are currently underway. By first providing an overview of reforms and various electrification policy initiatives in India, the paper then analyzes the specific problems as studied at the grass-roots level with respect to rural electricity access and the use of off-grid renewables. Finally, it discusses interventions that could facilitate access to electricity by suggesting a sequential distributed generation (DG)-based approach, wherein consecutive DG schemes--incorporating the requisite technological, financial, and institutional arrangements--are designed depending on the developmental requirements of the community. In essence, this approach fits under the broader need to understand how the three 'Rs'- rural electrification (the process), power sector reforms (the catalyst), and the use of renewable energy technologies (the means) - could potentially converge to meet the needs of India's rural poor

Electricity access for geographically disadvantaged rural communities--technology and policy insights

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chaurey, Akanksha E-mail: akanksha@teri.res.in; Ranganathan, Malini E-mail: malinir@teri.res.in; Mohanty, Parimita

2004-10-01

The purpose of this paper is to weigh the issues and options for increasing electricity access in remote and geographically challenged villages in interior Rajasthan, the desertstate in Western India where power sector reforms are currently underway. By first providing an overview of reforms and various electrification policy initiatives in India, the paper then analyzes the specific problems as studied at the grass-roots level with respect to rural electricity access and the use of off-grid renewables. Finally, it discusses interventions that could facilitate access to electricity by suggesting a sequential distributed generation (DG)-based approach, wherein consecutive DG schemes--incorporating the requisite technological, financial, and institutional arrangements--are designed depending on the developmental requirements of the community. In essence, this approach fits under the broader need to understand how the three 'Rs'- rural electrification (the process), power sector reforms (the catalyst), and the use of renewable energy technologies (the means) - could potentially converge to meet the needs of India's rural poor.

Renewable Energy Resources in Lebanon

Science.gov (United States)

Hamdy, R.

2010-12-01

The energy sector in Lebanon plays an important role in the overall development of the country, especially that it suffers from many serious problems. The fact that Lebanon is among the few countries that are not endowed with fossil fuels in the Middle East made this sector cause one third of the national debt in Lebanon. Despite the large government investments in the power sector, demand still exceeds supply and Lebanon frequently goes through black out in peak demand times or has to resort to importing electricity from Syria. The Energy production sector has dramatic environmental and economical impacts in the form of emitted gasses and environment sabotage, accordingly, it is imperative that renewable energy (RE) be looked at as an alternative energy source. Officials at the Ministry of Energy and Water (MEW) and Lebanese Electricity (EDL) have repeatedly expressed their support to renewable energy utilization. So far, only very few renewable energy applications can be observed over the country. Major efforts are still needed to overcome this situation and promote the use of renewable energy. These efforts are the shared responsibility of the government, EDL, NGO's and educational and research centers. Additionally, some efforts are being made by some international organizations such as UNDP, ESCWA, EC and other donor agencies operating in Lebanon. This work reviews the status of Energy in Lebanon, the installed RE projects, and the potential projects. It also reviews the stakeholders in the field of RE in Lebanon Conclusion In considering the best R.E. alternative, it is important to consider all potential R.E. sources, their costs, market availability, suitability for the selected location, significance of the energy produced and return on investment. Several RE resources in Lebanon have been investigated; Tides and waves energy is limited and not suitable two tentative sites for geothermal energy are available but not used. Biomass resources badly affect the

A market for renewable energy credits in the Indian power sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, Anoop

2009-01-01

Electricity generation from renewable energy sources in India has been promoted through a host of fiscal policies and preferential tariff for electricity produced from the same. The fiscal policies include tax incentives and purchase of electricity generated through renewable energy sources. The enactment of the Electricity Act 2003 (the Act) has lent further support to renewable energy by stipulating purchase of a certain percentage of the power procurement by distribution utilities from renewable energy sources. The renewable portfolio obligation as well as the feed-in tariff for power procurement has been specified by a number of State Electricity Regulatory Commissions (SERCs) for the respective state under their jurisdiction. A feed-in tariff determined through a cost-plus approach under a rate of return framework lacks incentive for cost minimisation and does not encourage optimal utilisation of renewable energy resources in the country. Such regulatory provisions differ across states. The prevalent practice of fixing a renewable portfolio obligation along with cost-based feed-in tariffs disregards economic efficiency. The paper proposes nationally tradable renewable energy credits scheme for achieving the targets set by the respective SERCs as renewable portfolio obligation. This would reduce the cost of compliance to a renewable portfolio obligation, and would encourage efficient resource utilisation and investment in appropriate technologies. The paper highlights its advantages and implementation issues. This paper discusses regulatory developments for promotion of renewable energy in various Indian states. The paper also identifies a number of issues related to regulations concerning renewable portfolio obligation. (author)

Renewable Energy Sources Act and Trading of Emission Certificates: A national and a supranational tool direct energy turnover to renewable electricity-supply in Germany

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kirsten, Selder

2014-01-01

Aim: After the nuclear disaster at Fukushima in 2011, Germany decided to phase out atomic energy, without producing new CO 2 emissions. The article discusses the promotion systems that are used. Scope: The percentage of renewable energies in Germany's electricity consumption increased from 3 in 1990 to 23 in 2012. This development was introduced and guided by a law called Renewable Energy Sources Act. It guarantees a privileged acceptance of electricity and a fixed gratification for 20 years to the operators of regenerative power plants. It allows the operators to install regenerative power plants at a reduced risk. By contrast, the international means for CO 2 reduction is the trading of emission certificates, which is also valid for Germany. The article discusses how the promotion of the Erneuerbar-Energien-Gesetz (EEG) and other plant-based promotion systems fit into this condition. It also elucidates the actual decline of promotion, its problems to the country’s environmental economy and the approach of decentralized photovoltaic (PV) energy plants towards economical efficiency. Conclusions: Germany’s energy turnaround to a regenerative energy supply is characterized by a strong and differentiated promotion system. Substantial efforts have to be made as the percentage of the renewable energy sources has significantly increased but is still under 25%

Harmonization of renewable electricity feed-in laws: A comment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soederholm, Patrik

2008-01-01

This comment aims at critically analyzing some of the economic efficiency issues that are raised in the paper by Munoz et al. [2007. Harmonization of renewable electricity feed-in laws in the European Union. Energy Policy 35, 3104-3114] on the harmonization of feed-in law schemes for renewable electricity in the European Union. We comment on the choice between green certificate systems and feed-in laws, but pay particular attention to the implementation and design of a harmonized feed-in law scheme. In the comment we argue first that the approach suggested by Munoz et al. tends to downplay many of the practical difficulties in assessing the real costs facing investors in renewable electricity, not the least since the presence of regulatory uncertainty about the marginal costs of renewable electricity may be essential for the choice between different support systems. Concerning the benefit side of renewable electricity promotion, the Munoz et al. (2007) paper builds on an interpretation of the EU Renewables Directive that provides plenty of room for national priorities and that therefore essentially implies that harmonized support premiums per se are of little value. We argue instead that a harmonized system should primarily address the international spillover effects from renewable electricity promotion, not the least those related to improved security of supply in Europe. There exists then a strong case for disregarding the specific national benefits of renewable electricity production in the design of harmonized support systems, and for instead considering international-perhaps at the start bilateral-policy support coordination based on entirely uniform support levels

Libyan intuitive for rural electrification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ibrahim, I. M. Saleh; Kreama, N. M.; Khalat, M. A.

2006-01-01

One of the obstacles in rural electrification is choosing the type of the electric source which best fits rural areas technically, socially, and economically. Renewable sources can be used to electrify rural areas. Rural electrification in Libya by photovoltaic systems in a national program which is devoted to electrify isolated villages, as part of this program the installation of 300 systems was started at the beginning of the year 2003 with a total power of 400 K Wp, the sizes of stand alone systems are 1.8 K Wp, 1.2 K Wp, 0.75 K Wp, and 0.15 K Wp, beside a hybrid system of diesel and PV. The systems was designed to supply different family needs a total of 5000 inhabitants will benefit from this project. In this paper we will introduce the rural photovoltaic electrification in Libya program, company the performance of three different PV sizes through the first two years of working. The systems performing well and with performance ratio much more than the deigned, very little power failure was reported, and there are social and technical issues to be addressed before, and after the installation of the PV system.(Author)

Global Status Report on Local Renewable Energy Policies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinot, Eric; Yamashita, Noriaki; Tan, Vincent; Irie, Risa; Van Staden, Maryke; Zimmermann, Monika

2011-01-01

This report complements the REN21 Renewables Global Status Report by providing more detailed information at the city and local levels about policies and activities to promote renewable energy. It is intended to facilitate dialogue and illuminate pathways for future policies and actions at the local level. This 'working draft' version is intended to solicit comments and additional information

Renewable energy progress and biofuels sustainability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hamelinck, C.; De Lovinfosse, I.; Koper, M.; Beestermoeller, C.; Nabe, C.; Kimmel, M.; Van den Bos, A.; Yildiz, I.; Harteveld, M. [Ecofys Netherlands, Utrecht (Netherlands); Ragwitz, M.; Steinhilber, S. [Fraunhofer Institut fuer System- und Innovationsforschung ISI, Karlsruhe (Germany); Nysten, J.; Fouquet, D. [Becker Buettner Held BBH, Munich (Germany); Resch, G.; Liebmann, L.; Ortner, A.; Panzer, C. [Energy Economics Group EEG, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna (Austria); Walden, D.; Diaz Chavez, R.; Byers, B.; Petrova, S.; Kunen, E. [Winrock International, Brussels (Belgium); Fischer, G.

2013-03-15

On 27 March 2013, the European Commission published its first Renewable Energy Progress Report under the framework of the 2009 Renewable Energy Directive. Since the adoption of this directive and the introduction of legally binding renewable energy targets, most Member States experienced significant growth in renewable energy consumption. 2010 figures indicate that the EU as a whole is on its trajectory towards the 2020 targets with a renewable energy share of 12.7%. Moreover, in 2010 the majority of Member States already reached their 2011/2012 interim targets set in the Directive. However, as the trajectory grows steeper towards the end, more efforts will still be needed from the Member States in order to reach the 2020 targets. With regard to the EU biofuels and bioliquids sustainability criteria, Member States' implementation of the biofuels scheme is considered too slow. In accordance with the reporting requirements set out in the 2009 Directive on Renewable Energy, every two years the European Commission publishes a Renewable Energy Progress Report. The report assesses Member States' progress in the promotion and use of renewable energy along the trajectory towards the 2020 renewable energy targets. The report also describes the overall renewable energy policy developments in each Member State and their compliance with the measures outlined in the Directive and the National Renewable Energy Action Plans. Moreover, in accordance with the Directive, it reports on the sustainability of biofuels and bioliquids consumed in the EU and the impacts of this consumption. A consortium led by Ecofys was contracted by the European Commission to perform support activities concerning the assessment of progress in renewable energy and sustainability of biofuels.

Renewable energy progress and biofuels sustainability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hamelinck, C.; De Lovinfosse, I.; Koper, M.; Beestermoeller, C.; Nabe, C.; Kimmel, M.; Van den Bos, A.; Yildiz, I.; Harteveld, M. [Ecofys Netherlands, Utrecht (Netherlands); Ragwitz, M.; Steinhilber, S. [Fraunhofer Institut fuer System- und Innovationsforschung ISI, Karlsruhe (Germany); Nysten, J.; Fouquet, D. [Becker Buettner Held BBH, Munich (Germany); Resch, G.; Liebmann, L.; Ortner, A.; Panzer, C. [Energy Economics Group EEG, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna (Austria); Walden, D.; Diaz Chavez, R.; Byers, B.; Petrova, S.; Kunen, E. [Winrock International, Brussels (Belgium); Fischer, G.

2013-03-15

On 27 March 2013, the European Commission published its first Renewable Energy Progress Report under the framework of the 2009 Renewable Energy Directive. Since the adoption of this directive and the introduction of legally binding renewable energy targets, most Member States experienced significant growth in renewable energy consumption. 2010 figures indicate that the EU as a whole is on its trajectory towards the 2020 targets with a renewable energy share of 12.7%. Moreover, in 2010 the majority of Member States already reached their 2011/2012 interim targets set in the Directive. However, as the trajectory grows steeper towards the end, more efforts will still be needed from the Member States in order to reach the 2020 targets. With regard to the EU biofuels and bioliquids sustainability criteria, Member States' implementation of the biofuels scheme is considered too slow. In accordance with the reporting requirements set out in the 2009 Directive on Renewable Energy, every two years the European Commission publishes a Renewable Energy Progress Report. The report assesses Member States' progress in the promotion and use of renewable energy along the trajectory towards the 2020 renewable energy targets. The report also describes the overall renewable energy policy developments in each Member State and their compliance with the measures outlined in the Directive and the National Renewable Energy Action Plans. Moreover, in accordance with the Directive, it reports on the sustainability of biofuels and bioliquids consumed in the EU and the impacts of this consumption. A consortium led by Ecofys was contracted by the European Commission to perform support activities concerning the assessment of progress in renewable energy and sustainability of biofuels.

Recent incentives for renewable energy in Turkey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simsek, Hayal Ayca; Simsek, Nevzat

2013-01-01

Recently, the importance of renewable energy sources has increased significantly as climate change has become an important long term threat to global ecosystems and the world economy. In the face of increased concern about climate change and high fossil fuel costs together with a reduction in the primary energy sources such as oil, natural gas and coal, alternative energy sources (renewables) are increasingly needed to respond to the threat of climate change and growing energy demand in the world. Recent developments in Turkey, such as the liberalization of the electricity market and improvements in the renewable legislations, have accelerated the growth process and investment opportunities in the field of renewable energy. Turkey′s naturally endowed potential for renewables, such as solar, geothermal and wind, also accompanied these developments and attracted world attention to this market. In Turkey, renewable energy sources have gained great importance in the last decades due to growing energy demand and incentive policies which foster the utilization of renewable energy sources. This study aims to explore the availability and potential of renewable energy sources in Turkey and discuss the government policies and economic aspects. - highlights: • Turkey′s potential for renewable energy has attracted world attention. • Turkey has specific energy objectives in promoting renewable energy. • This paper evaluates recent incentives for renewable energy in Turkey. • Incentives in Turkey have led to more investment in renewable energy generation

Marine renewable energy policy in China and recommendations for improving implementation

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Haifeng; Wang, Ji; Liu, Yuxin; Chen, Libo

2018-02-01

Renewable energy is the effective solution for the harmonious coexistence of human and environment as well as for the sustainable development. Marine renewable energy as one of the renewable energies, potentially offer fewer environmental risks and thus community acceptance than other renewable energy developments. Government support is the key and initial power for developing marine renewable energy. To promote the development and utilization of marine renewable energy, the Chinese government has established the special funding plan for marine renewable energy, and released “the 13th Five-years Plan (2016-2020) for marine renewable energy”. This paper describes the mechanisms established by the marine renewable Energy policy in China, and provides a comparative analysis of the Chinese marine renewable energy policy framework. We provides some policy recommendations for future development of marine renewable energy in China.

Proceedings of the 8. Brazilian congress on energy: energy policy, regulation and sustainable development. v. 3: technological innovation, renewable sources and rural energization; Anais do 8. Congresso brasileiro de energia: politica energetica, regulamentacao e desenvolvimento sustentavel. v. 3: inovacao tecnologica, fontes renovaveis e energizacao rural

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-07-01

These proceedings cover the papers presented in the 8. Brazilian congress on energy held at Rio de Janeiro from November, 30 to December, 02, 1999, focusing energy policy, regulation and sustainable development, specifically the contribution of energy to a satisfactory quality of life for everyone. Within such a context, the congress technical programme has been structured around six different divisions: energy, environment and development; energy sector regulation; energy policy and planning; technology innovation; energy conservation; renewable energy sources and rural areas energy supply.

Renewables portfolio, individual preferences and social values towards RES technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kontogianni, Areti; Tourkolias, Christos; Skourtos, Michalis

2013-01-01

The massive deployment of renewable energy sources represents a high priority for Greece in order to comply with the Directive 2009/28/EC on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources by 2020. In this perspective, Aegean islands especially Lesvos, are endowed with a considerable potential of a portfolio of renewables, a fact that the entrepreneurial interest has already been targeted. However, regulatory attempts for a massive penetration of renewables do not take seriously into account preferences and risk perceptions of local communities where the proposed projects are to be installed. The aim of this study is to investigate individual preferences and social values towards specific technologies of renewables in Lesvos island. We apply an open-ended contingent valuation survey in order to analyze factors shaping public attitudes towards a portfolio of renewable technologies and estimate the economic welfare (Willingness To Pay) of the preferred technologies. We argue that such information is relevant for energy policy design and the establishment of effective measures for the promotion of renewable energy sources. - Highlights: ► We investigate individual preferences and attitudes towards a portfolio of RES technologies. ► We elicit public acceptance for investing in specific RES technologies. ► We analyze factors shaping public preferences of the preferred technologies. ► We estimate the economic welfare of the preferred technologies

Political will and collaboration for electric power reform through renewable energy in Africa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chineke, Theo Chidiezie; Ezike, Fabian M.

2010-01-01

Climate change, in particular rainfall variability, affects rain-dependent agriculture in Africa. The resulting food shortages, in combination with rising population and lack of access to electricity needed for development, require the governments and people of Africa to consider renewable energy sources. One example that has high potential in Africa is solar energy. Many African governments have begun discussions about renewable energy but tangible results have yet to materialize. This research contributes to the governmental efforts by presenting the solar electricity potentials for some African cities. Using photovoltaic geographical information system (PVGIS) data, it is clear that there is enough electricity for urban and rural dwellers if there is political will and if the solar panels are mounted at the suggested optimal angles ranging from 8-34 . The solar irradiation at all sites was higher than the typical daily domestic load requirement of 2324 Wh/m 2 in urban and rural areas. We provide a strong rationale for political will, collaboration and transparent energy policies that will ensure that life is enhanced through the use of environmentally-friendly renewable energy technologies such as solar power. (author)

A comprehensive method to find RPO trajectory and incentive scheme for promotion of renewable energy in India with study of impact of RPO on tariff

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shereef, R.M.; Khaparde, S.A.

2013-01-01

Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) regime in India started in 2011 with the announcement of benchmark RPO (BRPO) of states for the Financial Year (FY) 2011 by respective State Electricity Regulatory Commissions (SERC), to promote Renewable Energy (RE). The report submitted to Forum of Regulators (FoR) in this regard has recommended uniform rate of increase of BRPO of states and studied the impact of RPO on tariff for FY 2011–2015. However, more rigorous analysis is needed for fixing BRPO in a scientific manner and for fair allocation of incentives to promote RE. This paper attempts to evaluate all states on a common platform to find BRPO, giving due weightage to the state-wise energy demand and RE generation, ensuring minimum change in BRPO of consecutive years and hence less impact of RPO on tariff. To encourage the states to align their actual RPO with BRPO, a financial incentive scheme is proposed giving due weightage to RE consumption, RE capacity addition and RPO compliance of the states. The methods are illustrated for the Indian states using real system data. A study of RPO's impact on electricity tariff of Indian states is also conducted and reported for FY 2011–2015, considering Renewable Energy Certificate (REC). - Author-Highlights: • Proposes a comprehensive method to find the BRPO of Indian states for promoting RE. • Minimum change in BRPO of consecutive years hence less impact of RPO on tariff. • Incentive scheme to encourage the states to align their actual RPO with BRPO. • Study of impact of RPO on tariff of Indian states is conducted

PEI's perspective on renewable energy development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, B.

2005-01-01

Approximately 7 per cent of Prince Edward Island's (PEI) energy supply is from renewable sources, acquired mainly from biomass. Wind power accounts for 0.5 per cent of electricity production. This paper discussed issues concerning renewable energy developments in PEI, with particular reference to the PEI Renewable Energy Act as well as the PEI energy framework and renewable energy strategy, which was the result of public consultation sessions held in 2003. The results of these sessions indicated that greater development of indigenous renewable energy resources was desired, particularly in wind power. It was also stated that the government should help to advance renewable energy development in the province. Several development opportunities were highlighted, including: wind; biodiesel; ethanol; biomass; bio-gas; and small-scale hydro. The advantages of wind power were reviewed and wind data was presented. The economic and community benefits of renewable energy include local price stability, development opportunities, diversity of fuel type and security of supply. It was noted that renewable energy fully complemented the energy goals of the PEI government. Several strategies were discussed towards the development of renewable energy, including feasibility studies in biogas and biomass generation. The PEI government's commitment towards developing a regulatory framework acknowledging environmental sustainability was re-stated. Objectives include the promotion of renewable energy sources through the establishment of a Renewable Portfolio Standard for electricity; improvements in the economics of small-scale electricity production from renewable resources through the introduction of net metering; decreases in peak demand; enablement of green credits; the designation of areas for large-scale wind developments; and provision of guaranteed prices paid to producers for medium and large-scale renewable energy generators through feed-in tariffs. tabs, figs

Promoting STEM to Young Students by Renewable Energy Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Pecen, Recayi; Humston, Jill L.; Yildiz, Faruk

2012-01-01

The Math-Science-Engineering Technology in Iowa on Applied Renewable Energy Areas (MSETI-AREA) projects are aimed at providing area school teachers with an applied mathematics and science curriculum package based on photovoltaic (PV) power, wind power, human power and hydrogen fuel-cell fundamentals. The MSETI-AREA project has established a…

Renewable energy sources in Basque Country

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ente Vasco de la Energia

1992-01-01

The Autonomous Basque Energy Authority makes an analysis on the final results obtained during 1980 decade promoting renewable energies: Minihydroelectric power plants, solar thermal, photovoltaics, biomass and Wind Energy. New goals until the year 2000 are outlined

Renewable energies - Situation and perspectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Acket, Claude; Vaillant, Jacques

2011-01-01

The world has to face increasing energy needs while it is today dependent of fossil fuels at 80%. Getting out of the fossil fuels dependence model requires an important effort to promote the energy saving and the carbon-free energies as well, and in particular the renewable energy sources. Taking all this information into account, the authors evaluate the global share that renewable energies could represent in the energy mix, in France and in the entire world. This share represents today only 10% of the energy consumed, but will it remain marginal or will it become important and eventually prominent? (J.S.)

Renewable energy projects in Croatia: Present situation and future activities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Granić Goran

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Renewable energy sources should play an important role in the promotion of numerous Croatian energy goals. The development of a successful sector of renewable could in the long run contribute to energy efficiency improvement, diversification of production and supply safety, domestic production and lesser imports of energy sources and significant reduction of the environmental influences. Targets and strategy of the implementation for every renewable energy resource depends on the specifics of the particular one, with general trends in the European Union of renewable resource ratio increase in the energy balance.

Carbon Emissions, Renewable Electricity, and Profits: Comparing Policies to Promote Anaerobic Digesters on Dairies

OpenAIRE

Key, Nigel D.; Sneeringer, Stacy E.

2012-01-01

Anaerobic digesters can provide renewable energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from manure management. Government policies that encourage digester adoption by livestock operations include construction cost-share grants, renewable electricity subsidies, and carbon pricing (offset) programs. However, the effectiveness and efficiency of these policies is not well understood. For the U.S. dairy sector, we compare predicted digester adoption rates, carbon emission reductions, renewable elect...

Policies and programmes on new and renewable energy in the Philippines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elauria, J.C.

1995-01-01

The New and Renewable Energy Programme aims at accelerating the promotion and commercialization of new and renewable energy systems. In pursuit of this goal, the Programme has the following policies: (a) pursue the large-scale use of new and renewable energy sources (NRSE), (b) enhance energy self-sufficiency through continuous exploration, development and exploitation of indigenous energy sources and (c) encourage greater private sector investment and participation in all energy activities. The strategies to be implemented include the intensification of R and D and the demonstration of technologically feasible and socio-environmentally acceptable NRSE; the institutionalization of area-based energy planning and management for NRSE; the encouragement of a favourable market environment for manufacturers, suppliers and users of NRSE; the promotion of commercially viable energy sources such as solar and wind energy, and continuing applied R and D for less-advanced technologies such as ocean thermal and wave energy conversion, fuel cells and municipal wastes. The sub programmes of the New and Renewable Energy Program are as follows: The technology sub programme aims at developing economically viable NRSE to levels of technical maturity at which NRSE can compete commercially with conventional energy; The commercialization sub programme envisages the creation of a favourable market environment to encourage private sector investment and participation in NRSE projects and activities; The promotion sub programme attempts to heighten public awareness of NRSE; The area-based energy sub programme is a mechanism for accelerating the promotion and commercialization of new and renewable energy systems at the regional and subregional levels using a decentralized, area-based approach. (author)

Renewable energies, the key for growth in Africa?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petitot, Pauline

2016-01-01

This article proposes an overview of opportunities and projects of development of renewable energies in Africa, and discusses how this development could be a key for economic growth. In a context where access to water, to health, to education, to jobs, to an improvement of living conditions are at stakes, electrification appears as a prerequisite to social and economic development. The article outlines the precarious status of African electric utilities, the notably low level of production in some countries, the high but unexploited potential of renewable energies, the promising perspectives for solar photovoltaic energy, the interest of a decentralised production to open up rural areas, and also of the introduction of durable and resistant components for public lighting or cell phone battery loading

Renewable Energy Policy Fact sheet - Lithuania

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-09-01

The EurObserv'ER policy profiles give a snapshot of the renewable energy policy in the EU Member States. The main support scheme to stimulate electricity from renewable energy sources is a feed-in premium scheme. RES-E project developers with installations = 10 kW have to acquire access to this scheme by submitting successful bids in tenders. Subsidies and loans can be obtained by RES-E project developers through successful applications at the Climate Change Special Programme or the Lithuanian Environmental Investment Funds (investment subsidies only). RES-E plants are exempted from excise duty. Consumers with a small PV installation can benefit from net metering. Producers of heating and cooling from renewable energy sources are exempt from environmental pollution tax and are eligible for grants. Moreover, heat suppliers are obliged to purchase all heat produced from renewable energy sources. Renewable transport fuels are promoted through reimbursement of raw materials for bio-fuel production, a bio-fuels (blending) quota scheme as well as exemption from excise tax and environmental pollution tax

Exploration of renewable sources for isolated systems

OpenAIRE

Apolo, Cristhian Agustin Apolo

2017-01-01

Providing universal access to electricity is a priority worldwide. Renewable Energy Sources (RES) play an important role in the supply of energy to rural and remote areas, where grid electricity is not available, or the cost of the grid extension is excessively. Isolated communities in the Amazon region of Ecuador are frequently far away from each other, formed by scattered housing, exhibit very low population density, and are surrounded by dense vegetation. Supplying such communities is typi...

Renewables without limits : moving Ontario to advanced renewable tariffs by updating Ontario's groundbreaking standard offer program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gipe, P.

2007-11-01

The Ontario Sustainable Energy Association (OSEA) promotes the development of community-owned renewable energy generation. It was emphasized that in order to achieve OSEA's original objectives of developing as much renewable energy as quickly as possible through community participation, changes are needed to Ontario's groundbreaking standard offer contract (SOC) program. This report examined the status of Ontario's SOC program and proposed changes to the program as part of the program's first two-year review. The report provided a summary of the program and discussed each of the program's goals, notably to encourage broad participation; eliminate barriers to distributed renewable generation; provide a stable market for renewable generation; stimulate new investment in renewable generation; provide a rigorous pricing model for setting the tariffs; create a program applicable to all renewable technologies; provide a simple, streamlined, and cost-effective application process; and provide a dispute resolution process. The program goals as developed by the Ontario Power Authority and Ontario Energy Board were discussed with reference to mixed results to date; simplicity; removing barriers; balancing targets with value to ratepayers; and building on the efforts of OSEA. Advanced renewable tariffs (ART) and tariff determination was also discussed along with ART's in Germany, France, Spain and Ontario. Inflation indexing; tariff degression; proposed new tariffs by technology; and other costs and factors affecting profitability were also reviewed. ref., tabs

Assessment of instruments in facilitating investment in off-grid renewable energy projects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi, Xunpeng; Liu, Xiying; Yao, Lixia

2016-01-01

Renewable off-grid solution plays a critical role in supporting rural electrification. However, off-grid Renewable Energy (OGRE) project financing faces significant challenges due to limited financing access, low affordability of consumers, high transactions costs and etc. Various supporting instruments have been implemented to facilitate OGRE investment. This study assesses the effectiveness of those instruments with a framework consists of three dimensions: feasibility, sustainability and replicability. The weights of each dimension in the framework and the scores of each instrument are assessed by expert surveys based on the Delphi method. It is suggested that all the three dimensions should be taken into consideration while assessing the instruments, among which feasibility and sustainability are considered as the most important dimensions in the assessment framework. Furthermore, the top-5 most effective instruments in facilitating OGRE investment are local engagement in operation and maintenance, loan guarantee, start-up grant, end user financing, and concessional finance. Developing countries that need to increase electrification, such as most of the ASEAN member states, could use these top scored instruments despite of their limited amount of public finance. - Highlights: •Assess the effectiveness of instruments for promoting financing for OGRE projects. •A three-dimension assessment framework: feasibility, sustainability, replicability. •Use online surveys and the Delphi method to collect experts’ assessment. •The most effective instruments: local engagement, loan guarantee, and start-up grant.

Trends in renewable energy strategy development and the role of CDM in Bangladesh

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noim Uddin, Sk; Taplin, Ros

2009-01-01

This article analyses and discusses trends in renewable energy strategy development in Bangladesh and the prospective role of the clean development mechanism (CDM) under the Kyoto Protocol. Use of renewables for electricity generation results in less greenhouse gas emissions compared with fossil fuel energy systems and often offers additional synergistic benefits. Despite the large potential for development of renewable energy sources in Bangladesh, currently their contribution to electricity generation remains insignificant. Existing policies and programs on renewable energy in Bangladesh are reviewed in relation to the specific requirements needed for CDM. A number of barriers are identified that impede the implementation of the CDM mechanism. Overall, it is recommended that more appropriate energy strategies, including a new national renewable energy strategy, need to be formulated and implemented and more suitable institutional settings need to be provided to promote energy sustainability for Bangladesh. Also, the suggestion is made that incorporation of objectives for CDM promotion in the new national renewable energy strategy to tie in with Bangladesh's CDM strategy should assist in advancement of renewables

Promotion of electricity from renewable energy in Europe post 2020. The economic benefits of cooperation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fuersch, Michaela; Lindenberger, Dietmar

2013-08-15

In Europe, the availability of renewable energies, especially from sun and wind, differs significantly across regions. Consequently, cooperation in the deployment of renewable energy among European countries potentially yields substantial efficiency gains. However, in order to achieve the 2020 renewable energy targets for electricity, Member States of the European Union almost purely rely on domestic production. For the period after 2020, a European renewable energy target has not yet been defined, but decarbonization pathways outlined in the Roadmap of the European Commission include renewable energy shares of electricity generation to be 50-60% by 2030. Therefore, we analyze the benefits of cooperation compared to continuing with national renewable energy support after 2020. We use a large-scale dynamic investment and dispatch model of the European electricity system and find that compared to a 2030 CO{sub 2}-only target (-40% compared to 1990 emission levels), electricity system costs increase by 5 to 7% when a European-wide renewable energy target for electricity generation (of around 55%) is additionally implemented. However, these additional costs are lower by 41 to 45% compared to the additional electricity system costs which would arise if the renewable energy target was reached through national support systems (without cooperation). Furthermore, we find that the cooperation gains (i.e., the cost reduction achieved by cooperation) are quite robust: They decrease only slightly when interconnectors are not further extended (compared to today) and depend only slightly on assumptions about investment cost developments of renewable energy technologies. With regard to the practical implementation of cooperation, however, unclear administrative issues and questions concerning the fair sharing of costs and benefits between the Member States represent major obstacles that need to be tackled in order to reach renewable energy targets at the lowest costs possible.

Distribution of decentralized renewable energy resources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bal, J.L.; Benque, J.P.

1996-01-01

The existence of a great number of inhabitants without electricity, living in areas of low population density, with modest energy requirements and low income provides a major potential market for decentralized renewable energy sources. Ademe and EDF in 1993 made two agreements concerning the development of Renewable Energy Sources. The first aims at promoting their decentralized use in France in pertinent cases. The second agreement concerns other countries and has two ambitions: facilitate short-term developments and produce in the longer term a standardised proposal for decentralized energy production using Renewable Energy Sources to a considerable extent. These ideas are explained, and the principles behind the implementation of both Ademe-EDF agreements as well as their future prospects are described. (R.P.)

Strategy on renewable energy sources in Romania

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chadjivassiliadis, J.

1996-01-01

The key to successful development of renewable energies in Romania requires a combination of political commitment and decision making as well as support mechanism including well defined government targets, technological advances and public acceptance. Overall short, medium and long term targets and required funding are recommended while expected benefits are estimated. Public funds in the form of grants and subsidies to promote and support RES constitute one of the best investments in the national economy. Commercial investments in RES will contribute to the country's balance of payments as well as towards the environmental protection. Therefore these actions may be supported through a special fund, in particular designed for RES and energy conservation investments. As a first step towards the commercialization of RES a short term action plan needs to be implemented for achieving the set forth long term objectives. This plan includes promising projects for the demonstration of technologically and economically viable applications in each RES sector as well as institutional and other soft measures .The RES promotional policy measures have to be translated into concrete legislation providing the necessary framework into which the sector will operate with transparency and open competitiveness. One of the key policies for RES strategy is to organize a flexible and efficient scheme for the implementation of the policy adopted by the government. The total rural population, together with the urban population living in medium sized towns will be considered as the primary market segment for RES applications (about 61 % of total population). (author). 1 fig., 2 tabs., 18 refs

The future of renewable energy sources in Romania

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matei, Magdalena; Cristache, Adriana; Ene, Simona; Matei, Lucian

2004-01-01

Assuming that RES developments are in line with the indicative targets of the EU Directive for 2010 and that the present support mechanisms applied to EU-15 in the year 2001 remain unchanged at that time, the total RES payments in 2010 for the EU-15 countries using direct support for RES can be estimated at EURO 22 billion, with prices ranging from 2.7 EUROc/kWh in Finland to 9 EUROc/kWh in Germany and Luxembourg, and 11.9 EUROc/kWh in Italy with a weighted average of 6.8 EUROc/kWh. Compared to average wholesale electricity market price, RES support in EU-15 countries in 2010 would amount to 13.3 %, varying between 2.6% in Belgium to about 56% in Denmark. In case of EU-15 countries using only feed-in tariffs to promote RES, the weighted average of RES direct support is 17% If the existing RES direct support schemes continue to 2010 (including feed-in tariffs), this will result in a very substantial level of expenditure, with a significant impact on the average level of European electricity prices, with very significant variability and thus potential market distortions between countries. Romanian Governmental Decision No. 443/2003 aimed to the harmonization of the national legislative framework with EU Directive. The harmonization of Romanian legislative framework with European Union regulation concerning the promotion of renewable resources has to contribute to new renewable resources penetration into the electricity market. The development of the EU green electricity market could offer good opportunities for Romania. The harmonization of Romanian legislative framework with European Union regulation concerning the promotion of renewable resources has to contribute to new renewable resources penetration into the electricity market. The important share of large hydroelectricity generated in Romania could represent a good opportunity for Romania to participate in the EU green electricity market, but the key problem in Romania's case is the target of 12.5 % of RES-E in

DC micro-grid with distributed generation for rural electrification

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sarker, M.J.; Asare-Bediako, B.; Alipuria, B.; Slootweg, J.G.; Kling, W.L.

2012-01-01

This paper investigates the use of low voltage DC distribution network for rural electrification within an intelligent grid concept. The goal is to provide local communities in sparsely populated areas with electricity supply generated from renewable energy sources. Since these communities subsist

Bioenergy in Ukraine-Possibilities of rural development and opportunities for local communities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raslavicius, Laurencas; Grzybek, Anna; Dubrovin, Valeriy

2011-01-01

This review paper deals with colligated aspects of the BioPlus Project (ERA-ARD) implemented by Institute of Technology and Life Sciences (Poland) and Lithuanian University of Agriculture Institute of Agro-Engineering (Lithuania) in cooperation with National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine Institute of Ecobiotechnologies and Bioenergy (Ukraine). The drawn inferences intended to be an auxiliary material for policy makers and can briefly indicate on direction of the regional development of rural Ukraine, focusing on: (i) country's specific and sub-regional assessments of renewable energy potentials and spheres of its application; (ii) identification of major barriers for the expansion of renewable energy technologies and policy guidance to overcome those barriers; (iii) recommendations for future actions and strategies concerning renewable energy in Ukraine. The article concludes that low contribution of bioenergy towards rural development is to a large extent driven by energy policy that inhibits the delivery and use of modern energy sources in rural Ukraine. Consequently, an incentive for achieving bioenergy's future that has greater relevance to development of the Ukraine's regions requires a mix of policy tools and institutional actions, briefly summarized in this paper. - Highlights: → We examine current status and the potentials of bioenergy in Ukraine. → We examine major barriers for the expansion of bioenergy technologies in Ukraine. → Ukraine has the highest potential for renewable energy production in Europe. → Bioenergy sector of UA requires better mix of policy tools and institutional actions. → Cost-competitiveness and financing of technologies and projects are major challenges.

Rural Design Ethics Based on Four Dimensions

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jiaxin; Zhu, Li

2017-12-01

China has a large rural area with a large population, whose architectural features, natural landscape, organizational structure and industrial structure are very different from that of cities. In the past, the contradictory between city and rural areas in China had negative effects on rural construction, resulting in a slow development. The excessive focus on city design has led to the neglect of rural design. Blindly using the concept and method of city design to renewed the countryside is a kind of destruction to the countryside, and also wastes a lot of construction resources. Design is influenced by ethical concepts, which needs to pay more attention to the culture tendency and society. Urban design makes theoretical investigation aiming at the ethical questions that emerged from city, then summarizes the design strategies of the city. While Chinese rural design has only begun to enter people’s horizon, and there is very little discussion about it. Due to the lack of ethical value guidance, Chinese rural design and construction has many problems at different levels of ecology, culture and industry. Therefore this paper primarily explores the domestic and foreign design ethics, attempting to provide a new perspective for Chinese rural design, aiming at finding a realistic and forward-looking solution for Chinese rural design concerning to the complex relation between city and rural areas.

Power from renewable resources - 'We want to find out how much we can squeeze out of the lemon'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aeberli, O. E.

2005-01-01

This interview with Swiss energy expert Kurt Wiederkehr presents his opinions on the promotion of renewable forms of energy and the model for their promotion proposed by the Swiss Association of Electric Utilities VSE. The topics discussed include the VSE's basic views on the promotion of renewable forms of energy, the association's criteria for its promotion and demands made on state support. In particular, the promotional measures proposed in new Swiss legislation are discussed and the association's ideas concerning concrete methods of promoting renewable forms of energy are discussed. These include the so-called 'call for tender' variant. Various technologies are discussed and alternative methods of promotion proposed by other organisations are looked at. The question of the replacement of nuclear power in the future is also discussed

Valuation of environmental and societal trade-offs of renewable energy sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kosenius, Anna-Kaisa; Ollikainen, Markku

2013-01-01

Use of renewable energy sources is one solution to decrease green house gas emissions and the use of polluting fossil fuels. Renewables differ in their environmental and societal impacts, and to design sound renewable energy policy, societies need to assess the trade-offs between alternative sources. To enable the evaluation and comparison of renewable energy production alternatives in Finland, this paper applies the choice experiment to elicit the monetary information on people's preferences for four renewable energy sources: wind power, hydro power and energy from crops and wood, and considers four impacts of energy production: effects on biodiversity, local jobs, carbon emissions and household's electricity bill. The nested logit analysis reveals that higher income, male gender, young age, and pro-environmental attitude increase the probability to choose renewable energy instead of the current energy mix. Wind power is, on average, the most popular renewable energy technology, but regional differences exist. Biodiversity deterioration should be avoided. The national aggregate willingness to pay, based on stated preferences rather than preferences revealed by actual market behavior, for a combination of renewable energy technologies that corresponds to Finland's climate change and energy policy is over 500 million Euros. - Highlights: • Preferences for renewable energy sources are elicited with choice experiment. • Wind power is the most popular source in general. • Regional differences exist: energy from wood is favored in rural areas. • Biodiversity deterioration should be avoided

Techno-economic study of a distributed hybrid renewable energy system supplying electrical power and heat for a rural house in China

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Jindou; Xu, Jinliang; Wang, Yaodong

2018-03-01

Energy saving and emission reduction have become targets for modern society due to the potential energy crisis and the threat of climate change. A distributed hybrid renewable energy system (HRES) consists of photovoltaic (PV) arrays, a wood-syngas combined heat and power generator (CHP) and back-up batteries is designed to power a typical semi-detached rural house in China which aims to meet the energy demand of a house and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the use of fossil fuels. Based on the annual load information of the house and the local meteorological data including solar radiation, air temperature, etc., a system model is set up using HOMER software and is used to simulate all practical configurations to carry out technical and economic evaluations. The performance of the whole HRES system and each component under different configurations are evaluated. The optimized configuration of the system is found

Small-scale bioenergy projects in rural China: Lessons to be learnt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han Jingyi; Mol, Arthur P.J.; Lu Yonglong; Zhang Lei

2008-01-01

Large amounts of small-scale bioenergy projects were carried out in China's rural areas in light of its national renewable energy policies. These projects applied pyrolysis gasification as the main technology, which turns biomass waste at low costs into biogas. This paper selects seven bioenergy projects in Shandong Province as a case and assesses these projects in terms of economy, technological performance and effectiveness. Results show that these projects have not achieved a satisfying performance after 10 years experience. Many projects have been discontinued. This failure is attributed to a complex of shortcomings in institutional structure, technical level, financial support and social factors. For a more successful future development of bioenergy in rural areas, China should reform its institutional structure, establish a renewable energy market and enhance the technological level of bioenergy projects

Renewable Energy Policies and Market Developments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Dijk, A.L.; Beurskens, L.W.M.; Boots, M.G.; Kaal, M.B.T.; De Lange, T.J.; Van Sambeek, E.J.W.; Uyterlinde, M.A.

2003-03-01

Reviews and an analysis of the policy support for the stimulation of renewable electricity in the current energy market are presented, and an overview is given of the main new developments influencing the renewable energy market. The report is part of the analysis phase of the project REMAC 2000, which has led to the publication of a roadmap for the acceleration of the RE market. REMAC 2000 aims to promote a sustainable growth of the renewable energy market. For such a sustainable growth, important success factors are not only effectiveness of policy, but also security for investors, which is essential for building up a sector and developing the renewable energy market. Consistency of regulations and policies at different levels and between policy fields form a condition for security, as does the active involvement of market stakeholders. Further, the increasing role of trade within the energy and renewable energy sector leads to a priority for international coherence of policies and markets. To guarantee a sustainable growth of the renewable energy sector, a broad perspective of policy makers and planners is required- to include a long time frame, a comprehensive view of related policy fields and authorities involved, and an orientation that looks beyond national borders

Public perceptions of opportunities for community-based renewable energy projects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rogers, J.C.; Simmons, E.A.; Convery, I.; Weatherall, A.

2008-01-01

It now widely acknowledged that the UK needs to increase renewable energy capacity and it has been claimed that community-based renewable energy projects, with high levels of public participation, are more likely to be accepted by the public than top-down development of large-scale schemes and may bring additional benefits such as increased engagement with sustainable energy issues. However, little research has investigated public expectations of how people would like to participate in such projects and why. The aim of this study was to explore one rural community's response to a proposed sustainable energy project. A questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews provided quantitative and qualitative data. There was widespread support for local generation and use of renewable energy, with respondents expecting benefits from a project in terms of increased community spirit and conservation of natural resources. However, desire for active involvement was lower and residents viewed themselves participating as consultees, rather than project leaders. We suggest community renewable energy projects are likely to gain public acceptance but are unlikely to become widespread without greater institutional support

Policies and programmes on new and renewable energy in the Philippines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elauria, J C [Department of Energy, Energy Utilization Management Bureau, Metro Manila (Philippines)

1995-12-01

The New and Renewable Energy Programme aims at accelerating the promotion and commercialization of new and renewable energy systems. In pursuit of this goal, the Programme has the following policies: (a) pursue the large-scale use of new and renewable energy sources (NRSE), (b) enhance energy self-sufficiency through continuous exploration, development and exploitation of indigenous energy sources and (c) encourage greater private sector investment and participation in all energy activities. The strategies to be implemented include the intensification of R and D and the demonstration of technologically feasible and socio-environmentally acceptable NRSE; the institutionalization of area-based energy planning and management for NRSE; the encouragement of a favourable market environment for manufacturers, suppliers and users of NRSE; the promotion of commercially viable energy sources such as solar and wind energy, and continuing applied R and D for less-advanced technologies such as ocean thermal and wave energy conversion, fuel cells and municipal wastes. The sub programmes of the New and Renewable Energy Program are as follows: The technology sub programme aims at developing economically viable NRSE to levels of technical maturity at which NRSE can compete commercially with conventional energy; The commercialization sub programme envisages the creation of a favourable market environment to encourage private sector investment and participation in NRSE projects and activities; The promotion sub programme attempts to heighten public awareness of NRSE; The area-based energy sub programme is a mechanism for accelerating the promotion and commercialization of new and renewable energy systems at the regional and subregional levels using a decentralized, area-based approach. (author) 9 figs, 2 tabs

Electricity access for geographically disadvantaged rural communities - technology and policy insights

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chaurey, A.; Malini Ranganathan [The Energy and Resources Institute, New Delhi (India). India Habitat Centre; Parimita Mohanty [Jadavpur University, Kolkota (India). School of Energy Studies

2004-10-01

The purpose of this paper is to weigh the issues and options for increasing electricity access in remote and geographically challenged villages in interior Rajasthan, the desert state in Western India where power sector reforms are currently underway. By first providing an overview of reforms and various electrification policy initiatives in India, the paper then analyzes the specific problems as studied at the grass-roots level with respect to rural electricity access and the use of off-grid renewables. Finally, it discusses interventions that could facilitate access to electricity by suggesting a sequential distributed generation (DG)-based approach, wherein consecutive DG schemes-incorporating the requisite technological, financial, and institutional arrangements-are designed depending on the developmental requirements of the community. In essence, this approach fits under the broader need to understand how the three ''Rs'' - rural electrification (the process), power sector reforms (the catalyst), and the use of renewable energy technologies (the means)- could potentially converge to meet the needs of India's rural poor. (author)

Solar energy in the Northern Cameroon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Djuikom, M.; Ndjomaha, Ch.; Vandenbergh, M.

2004-01-01

In 2003, the Cameroon Ministry of the Environment and Forestry has initiated a research project for studying the promotion of renewable energies and their impact on rural development. This work has been realized jointly with the department of Economy and Rural Development of the Agronomic University of Gembloux (Belgium), the Centre Des Etudes de L'Environnement et de Developpement du Cameroun (CEDC, Maroua) and the Institut fur Solare Energieversorgungstechnik (ISET, Germany). This initiative comes when the electricity sector in Cameroon has been facing important changes (Privatization of the national company of electricity, creation of a rural electrification agency, multiplication of the dialogues and seminars around the strategies of promotion for renewable energies, frequent black-outs during the dry season). The first objective of the project is to contribute to a better knowledge of the situation of the use of renewable energies in Cameroon. Therefore, Mrs Marthe Djuikom undertook from July to September 2003 a socio-economic survey on the use of solar energy in the northern Cameroon. The next step will be the creation of an energy program at the CEDC with the following tasks: promotion of photovoltaic technology, support of local and international synergies on the organisational aspects, training, information and coordination of reflexions at the local level for the promotion of rural electrification projects. (authors)

Rural finance and natural resources

OpenAIRE

Gordon, Ann

2000-01-01

The Department for International Development (DFID), through its Renewable Natural Resources Knowledge Strategy (RNRKS), emphasizes demand-led research and a clear identification of uptake pathways in research design and implementation. These guidelines aim to provide RNRKS programme managers and project managers with sufficient information on rural finance to judge the extent to which project design may have to take it into account. This includes in particular the possibility that the charac...

New and renewable energy sources and the ecological problem. Developments from the Republic of Argentina

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moragues, Jaime A.

1992-01-01

This paper focuses the renewable energy sources developments in Argentina. Every one of sources are described in details, including environmental aspects. The problems with energy demand, mainly in rural areas, are also presented. 9 figs., 3 tabs

A renewable energy policy concept for the rural district of Schmalkalden-Meiningen - Assessment of potential and modelling calculations; Potentiale und Modellrechnungen zur Nutzung erneuerbarer Energien im Landkreis Schmalkalden-Meiningen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krah, N. [Fachhochschule Schmalkalden (Germany). Fachbereich Maschinenbau

2001-06-01

The publication is based on previous studies, facts, information, analyses and project results. Using this available reservoir of information, the author examines the potentials and demonstrates that the rural district of Schmalkalden-Meiningen meets all requirements and owns all means to put into place an energy policy that focuses on the use of renewable energy sources and the relevant technologies. The aspects examined are: increasing the energy efficiency; rational use of energy and development of environmentally sound energy supply; use of renewable energy sources; reducing greenhouse gas emissions. (orig./CB) [German] Die Veroeffentlichung baut auf fruehere Untersuchungen, Fakten, Daten, Erkenntnisse und Projekten auf. Unter Verwendung dieser Quellen wird ein Energiekonzept fuer den Landkreis Schmalkalden-Meiningen erarbeitet, das die Nutzung erneuerbarer Energien in den Vordergrund stellt und zeigt, dass der Landkreis alle Voraussetzungen besitzt, um die folgenden Potentiale nutzbar zu machen oder auszubauen: Energieeinsparmoeglichkeiten; rationelle, umweltfreundliche Energieversorgung; Anwendung erneuerbarer Energien; Reduzierung der Schadstoffemissionen. (orig./CB)

External Benefit Evaluation of Renewable Energy Power in China for Sustainability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huiru Zhao

2015-04-01

Full Text Available China’s renewable energy power has developed rapidly in recent years. Evaluating the external benefits of renewable energy power can provide a reference for the Chinese government to set diverse development goals and to implement differentiated supporting policies for different renewable energy power types, which can promote their sustainable development. In this paper, a hybrid MCDM method was applied to evaluate the external benefits of China’s renewable energy power. Firstly, the impacts of renewable energy power accessing the power grid for multiple stakeholders in the electric power system were analyzed. Secondly, the external benefit evaluation index system for renewable energy power was built from the economic, social and environmental factors, based on the concept of sustainability. Then, the basic theory of the hybrid MCDM method employed in this paper was introduced in two parts: the superiority linguistic ratings and entropy weighting method for index weight determination and the fuzzy grey relation analysis for ranking alternatives. Finally, the external benefits of wind power, solar PV power and biomass power were evaluated. Taking a regional electric power system as an example, the results show that PV power has the greatest external benefit, followed by wind power and biomass power. Therefore, more policies supporting PV power should be put in place to promote the harmonious and sustainable development of the whole renewable energy power industry.

Renewable Energy in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valery I. Salygin

2015-01-01

Full Text Available China is the most densely populated country in the world with high rate of economic growth resulting in higher demand for energy resources and in strive to guarantee stable supply of these resources. Chinese annual GDP growth in 2012 and 2013 was down to 7.7% comparing to 10% in 2000-2011 [7]. In 2012 and 2013 economic growth stumbled because of slowdown in manufacturing and exports, taking into account that Chinese government was eager to cut inflation and excessive investments in some segments of the market. Speaking about energy sector Chinese government is aimed at promotion of market-based pricing systems, activities for advanced energy efficiency and higher competition between energy companies, and increased investment in renewable energy resources. Considering renewables as one of many ways to diversify energy supplies, lower dependence on coal and improve environmental situation Chinese government actively supports and develops programs aimed at support of renewable energy industry in China. Chinese economic development is tightly attached to five-year plans. It seems important to mention the fact that main energy goals for current 12-th "five-year plan" are to achieve 15% renewables consumption and CO2 sequestration up to 40-45% by2020 in order to lower dependency on coal and improve environmental situation. As a result of Chinese state policy to develop renewables China achieved certain results in wind energy, helioenergetics, hydroenergetics and energy from waste recycling.

WHY IS IT REASONABLE TO INVEST IN RENEWABLE ENERGY IN UKRAINE?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuliia Bashynska

2015-11-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the paper is to present the current status of renewable energy development in Ukraine and to highlight the main advantages of investing in renewables in Ukraine. The purpose is also to reveal the biggest renewable energy installations in Ukraine. The paper displays the main financial initiatives of several international organizations and world economic leaders that have already announced plans to aid Ukraine’s transition to renewable energy. Methology. The survey is based on an analysis of the natural potential, legislative frameworks of the industry and active financial programmes. Results of the survey provide the most attractive opportunities for investing in the emerging market of renewable energy in Ukraine. The survey also shows the amount of economically viable potential of different renewable energy sources. Besides, it is expected that renewable energy will enhance energy security and reduce the negative impact of industry on the environment. Practical implications. Since 2009 when the green tariff was first introduced in Ukraine, the renewable energy sector has been developed to a great extent. Although the sector faced some policy challenges in 2015, such as the imposition of new taxes, but technologies experienced rapid growth. Nowadays the use of renewable energy sources is a priority way of sustainable energy system building in Ukraine. There are several state and regional financial initiatives promoting renewable energy sources. As policymakers have focused on the renewable energy development, new investment centered in energy efficiency technologies. There will be a big step in the direction of renewables usage in private housing complexes. Due to the survey, the main problem of renewable energy development is lack of funding. All the efforts made by the government create an enabling environment for foreign direct investments in renewable energy in Ukraine. Value/originality. Wide renewable energy use would be a

The European directive on renewable electricity: conflicts and compromises

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rowlands, I.H.

2005-01-01

As part of its efforts to increase the use of renewable energy in Europe, a Directive regarding renewable electricity was agreed by the European Union in 2001. The purpose of this article is to examine this Directive, examining how the discussions surrounding its content unfolded. The investigation focuses upon three contentious issues that were debated during the Directive's development: the definition of 'renewable', the national targets for renewable electricity (their levels, as well as whether they should be 'binding' or 'indicative') and the questions associated with harmonisation (whether one Union-wide 'support scheme' for renewable electricity should be in place, and, if so, what it should be). During the 5 years that the Directive was negotiated, many intra-Union conflicts were eventually resolved, at least temporarily, by compromises. Nevertheless, some difficult decisions regarding the promotion of renewable electricity in the European Union still have to be taken

Behavioral change in rural practice: improving patient motivation in primary care.

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Karen; Weir, Christine

2013-01-01

As the disparities in rural healthcare have become better understood, the need to adjust and compensate for these unique challenges becomes a priority. This manuscript suggests three constructs that can be readily integrated into rural care providers' daily work to improve treatment outcomes. Autonomy support, relational support, and competence support are among the motivational constructs discussed with a special consideration for the unique cultural and environmental influences of rural West Virginia residents. The overall objective of this review is to renew the basic tenants of shared decision making as they related to successful behavioral change in primary care.

Rural electrification in Zambia: A policy and institutional analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haanyika, Charles M.

2008-01-01

Zambia is well endowed with hydropower and other energy resources, which could facilitate production of electricity for both urban and rural areas of the country. The country has an installed electricity generation capacity of 1786 MW and undeveloped hydropower potential of over 6000 MW. In the last few years, demand has been growing and it is anticipated to outstrip supply in 2008. The load growth is attributed to increased mining activities and development of the industrial base. The country is also endowed with abundant natural resources such as arable land, water, minerals and wildlife. With the available resource base, electricity along with other social and economic infrastructure such as roads and telecommunications could facilitate increased economic activities. In rural areas, electricity could be used for crop irrigation, agro-processing, small-scale mining and to facilitate tourism. However, rural electrification (RE) faces many challenges such as long distances from existing power stations to targeted rural areas, low population densities, high poverty levels and low skills availability. These and other factors have contributed to continued low levels of access to electricity in rural areas of the country. Measures so far undertaken to facilitate access to electricity in rural areas of Zambia include the adoption of a new National Energy Policy (NEP) in 1994. With regard to the electricity sector and RE in particular, the NEP was aimed at facilitating increased access by liberalising and restructuring the electricity market and promoting the use of low-cost technologies and decentralised renewable energies. To facilitate implementation of the new policy, the government established a legal and institutional framework by enacting new legislation, namely, the Electricity Act and the Energy Regulation Act in 1995. The Electricity Act provided for liberalisation and regulation of the electricity sector, while the Energy Regulation Act provided for the

Promoting Food Safety and Food Security in Rural Tourism Destination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sikhiram N.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This study was conducted at two villages, Ban Mae Kampong, Mae On, Chiang Mai and Ban Pa Miang, Muang, Lampang, Northern Thailand. This community is supported by Thai government tourism ministry to develop their skills in order to create and offer rural tourism. The study focus on community member groups who are involved with rural tourism activities; Homestay members, food preparation management members, tour guides, community leader groups, in order to assess the acceptance, collaboration and preparation of safety indigenous food menu and food security management where will support rural tourism community objectives. This study was carried out as in a participatory stage which included various seminars and workshops of rural tourism management concluded from homestay services, Thai herbs medication beneficiary, basic and applied nutrition concepts, indigenous healthy food productivity with standardized recipes, food safety handling and food security management for preparing food for themselves as well as suitable for tourism consumption. In addition of this useful vegetarian calendar information, which is highly appropriate serving as a tool for their daily meal management.

Possibilities of electricity generation from solar and other renewable resources in Turkey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tasdemiroglu, E.

1993-01-01

The paper begins by reviewing the conventional power generation in the country. Increasing power demand due to rapid industrialization as well as the environmental consequences of power generation will be discussed. The potential of renewable energy resources including solar, biomass, wind, and wave and their role in the power generation will be pointed out. Among the strong alternatives are thermal power plants, and rural electricity production by photovoltaic and by small wind machines. Finally, the technical economic difficulties in adapting renewable electricity generation systems for the conditions of the country will be discussed. (Author) 22 refs

Multi criteria analysis for sustainability assessments of electricity generation systems in a rural community in South Africa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Amigun, B.; Mehlwana, M. [Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria (South Africa). Sustainable Energy Futures, Natural Resources and the Environment; Musango, J.K. [Department of Energy (DoE), Pretoria (South Africa); Brent, A.C. [Stellenbosch Univ. (South Africa). Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies

2011-07-01

One of the key challenges of the energy policy in South Africa is to ensure that rural areas have access to electricity. This is reflected in the key energy policy documents (the 1998 Energy White Paper and the 2002 Renewable Energy White Paper). Both these documents identified renewable energy resources as immediate alternatives to grid electricity in especially remote rural communities that are characterised by low population densities. Centralised energy generation and transmission is very costly and inefficient in these areas due to greater transmission and distribution losses. While the cost of electricity in South Africa is relatively cheaper, it is not accessible for many rural households. There are still over two million households in rural areas without access to electricity. This paper presents a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) technique to compare various electricity technologies (mainly renewables) in a specific rural community of South Africa using social, economic, environment and technical indicators. These technologies were than ranked against each indicator assuming that the high-level criteria have equal importance for sustainable development. It is demonstrated that energy from wind is the most sustainable, followed by photovoltaic, anaerobic digestion (biogas) and then gasification. A sensitivity analysis was also performed to verify the stability of the priority ranking. The outcome of this study will specifically assist energy planners and decision-makers to choose the best alternative from a range of technology alternatives in a milieu of conflicting and competing criteria. (orig.)

RIMISP Core Support for Rural Development Research (Latin ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

... needs policies that promote economic growth, social inclusion and sound environmental governance. ... para el Desarrollo Rural] or [Corporación Rimisp]. Institution Country. Chile ... Rural Territorial Dynamics Program : annual report 2008.

How primary health care staff working in rural and remote areas access skill development and expertise to support health promotion practice.

Science.gov (United States)

McFarlane, Kathryn A; Judd, Jenni; Wapau, Hylda; Nichols, Nina; Watt, Kerrianne; Devine, Sue

2018-05-01

Health promotion is a key component of comprehensive primary health care. Health promotion approaches complement healthcare management by enabling individuals to increase control over their health. Many primary healthcare staff have a role to play in health promotion practice, but their ability to integrate health promotion into practice is influenced by their previous training and experience. For primary healthcare staff working in rural and remote locations, access to professional development can be limited by what is locally available and prohibitive in terms of cost for travel and accommodation. This study provides insight into how staff at a large north Queensland Aboriginal community controlled health service access skill development and health promotion expertise to support their work. A qualitative exploratory study was conducted. Small group and individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with staff at Apunipima Cape York Health Council (n=9). A purposive sampling method was used to recruit participants from a number of primary healthcare teams that were more likely to be involved in health promotion work. Both on-the-ground staff and managers were interviewed. All participants were asked how they access skill development and expertise in health promotion practice and what approaches they prefer for ongoing health promotion support. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. All participants valued access to skill development, advice and support that would assist their health promotion practice. Skill development and expertise in health promotion was accessed from a variety of sources: conferences, workshops, mentoring or shared learning from internal and external colleagues, and access to online information and resources. With limited funds and limited access to professional development locally, participants fostered external and internal organisational relationships to seek in-kind advice and support. Irrespective of

Renewable energy sources in the Colombian energy policy, analysis and perspectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruiz, B.J.; Rodriguez-Padilla, V.

2006-01-01

In this work; five basic elements for the formulation of a policy on renewable energy sources for Colombia, are discussed. A balance of the institutions of the energy sector related to the formulation, elaboration and execution of plans, programs and projects on renewable energy sources is carried out. The technology costs that take advantage of such sources are compared and the 967 Law issued in 2001 and its regulatory decree are analyzed. This law promotes the efficient and rational use of energy and also promotes the alternative energies

Renewable Energy Integrated Islanded Microgrid for Sustainable Irrigation—A Bangladesh Perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Md Asaduzzaman Shoeb

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Due to high investment and maintenance costs, the government on Bangladesh is unable to provide sufficient support for grid extension and supplying electricity to remote or rural areas. The deficit in electricity introduces a crisis in powering irrigation systems, which influences negatively the country’s dominant income-generating sector, agriculture. Islanded microgrids with solar photovoltaic (PV cells is one of the most attractive solutions for providing power to rural areas due to their cost-effectiveness, reliability and environment-friendly attributes. Therefore, a techno-economic feasibility study has been undertaken to investigate the prospects of renewable energy-based islanded microgrids to support rural electrification to power both households and irrigation systems. Three case studies based on the operation time of irrigation pumps during the day are developed using the HOMER Pro Microgrid Analysis Tool to identify the optimised configurations for the proposed system. The optimised configurations are then assessed considering the performance matrices of the cost of electricity (COE, net present cost (NPC, greenhouse gas (GHG emissions and renewable energy fraction (RF. From the analyses, it is perceived that the operation of irrigation pumps at different times of a day is a significant influence, and the optimum method considering techno-economical evaluation is to run the irrigation pumps during the daytime by solar PV. It is evident that the proposed islanded microgrid has significant potentialities in powering irrigation systems as well as rural electrification with low energy generation costs, a contribution to the reduction of global warming and to ameliorating the energy crisis in Bangladesh in order to achieve a sustainable future.

Community : a powerful label? Connecting wind energy to rural Ireland

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Walsh, B.M.

2016-01-01

Much of the research on the social sustainability of renewable technologies has focused on local acceptance issues, community benefits from exogenous developments, and matters related to the planning and development process. Grassroots-initiated wind energy schemes as a form of rural enterprise have

Market introduction of renewable energy technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-01-01

On 11 and 12 November 1997 the VDI Society for Energy Technology (VDI-GET) held a congress in Neuss on the ''Market introduction of renewable energy technologies'' The focal topics of the congress were as follows: market analyses for renewable energy technologies, the development of markets at home and abroad, and the framework conditions governing market introduction. Specifically it dealt with the market effects of national and international introduction measures, promotion programmes and their efficiency, the legal framework conditions governing market introduction, advanced and supplementary training, market-oriented research (e.g., for cost reduction), and improved marketing [de

Renewable Energy Policy Fact sheet - Portugal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-07-01

The EurObserv'ER policy profiles give a snapshot of the renewable energy policy in the EU Member States. In Portugal, electricity from renewable sources from existing plants is mainly promoted through a feed-in tariff. Support to new RES plants can currently only be remunerated through the open energy market. For RES-H there is currently no direct support mechanism or fiscal benefit in place (as of January 2017); only indirect support. In the transport sector, the main incentives are a bio-fuel quota system and a tax exemption to small producers of bio-fuels

Vision for a low-impact renewable energy future for Canada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-11-01

The Clean Air Renewable Energy Coalition promotes the development of the renewable energy industry in Canada. The Coalition's vision for low-impact renewable energy focuses on green forms of electricity to provide not only light, heat and power, but to produce hydrogen fuel that could be used in fuel cell technologies. Low-impact renewable energy is a non-depleting resource with minimal environmental impacts. It includes wind energy, hydro energy, geothermal energy, biomass, tidal energy, and solar energy. The Coalition's goal is to have low-impact renewable energy account for at least 7 per cent of Canada's electricity production by 2010, and 15 per cent by 2020. It is currently at 1 per cent. This goal can be achieved by: defining a comprehensive renewable energy vision for Canada; setting long term targets for renewable energy in Canada; committing to a package of long term incentives; developing partnerships between all levels of government to increase financial investments in renewable energy projects; and, recognizing the potential for renewable energy in a carbon-constrained economy. refs., tabs

Renewable energies for the South. New support for clean energy investment in developing countries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jung, W; Schmitz-Borchert, H P [eds.

2001-07-01

At the beginning of the 21st century there are still more than two billion people in the world without access to electricity and basic energy services. 'Energy poverty' impedes sustainable economic, social and environmental development of rural areas in developing countries. Large-scale diffusion of renewable energy technologies can help to overcome this situation. Major barriers are now beginning to be removed. This volume is the result of an international symposium on 'Renewable Energies for the South', held at the Science Park Gelsenkirchen, Gelsenkirchen/Germany. In took place on June 5-6, 2000 with more than 200 participants from 27 countries. The conference aimed at enhancing the dialogue between the multiple groups and actors involved in the development, transfer and application of renewable energy technologies. The following issues are covered in this book: - technology needs and framework conditions in developing countries - appropriate renewable energy technologies - financing renewable energy investment - capacity building and training programmes. (orig.)

Renewable energies for the South. New support for clean energy investment in developing countries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jung, W.; Schmitz-Borchert, H.P. (eds.)

2001-07-01

At the beginning of the 21st century there are still more than two billion people in the world without access to electricity and basic energy services. 'Energy poverty' impedes sustainable economic, social and environmental development of rural areas in developing countries. Large-scale diffusion of renewable energy technologies can help to overcome this situation. Major barriers are now beginning to be removed. This volume is the result of an international symposium on 'Renewable Energies for the South', held at the Science Park Gelsenkirchen, Gelsenkirchen/Germany. In took place on June 5-6, 2000 with more than 200 participants from 27 countries. The conference aimed at enhancing the dialogue between the multiple groups and actors involved in the development, transfer and application of renewable energy technologies. The following issues are covered in this book: - technology needs and framework conditions in developing countries - appropriate renewable energy technologies - financing renewable energy investment - capacity building and training programmes. (orig.)

Renewable Energy Water Pumping Systems Handbook; Period of Performance: April 1--September 1, 2001

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Argaw, N.

2004-07-01

Water is one of the most basic necessities of rural development. This book provides valuable information on how renewable energy technologies can be used for irrigation, livestock watering, and domestic water supplies. This report emphasizes wind and solar energy resources, and hybrid water pumping systems.

Integrating the Technology Acceptance Model and Diffusion of Innovation: Factors Promoting Interest in Energy Efficient and Renewable Energy Technologies at Military Installations, Federal Facilities and Land-Grant Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Dudik, C. E. Jane

2017-01-01

Energy managers are tasked with identifying energy savings opportunities and promoting energy independence. Energy-efficient (EE) and renewable-energy (RE) technology demonstrations enable energy managers to evaluate new energy technologies and adopt those that appear most effective. This study examined whether energy technology demonstrations…

Renewable energy policy and electricity market reforms in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cherni, Judith A.; Kentish, Joanna

2007-01-01

The article examines the potential effectiveness of the renewable energy policy in China and its regulatory Law framework. It frames the option of renewable energy technology within the background of the long-lasting electricity problems that China has faced including serious supply shortages, reliance on coal, and severe environmental contamination. Its dual administrative and ownership system based on state and privately owned industry is discussed together with the market reform measures adopted in the sector. Current renewable energy policy is analysed, and the scope of the 2005 Renewable Energy Promotion Law is investigated. This is conducted within the context of the electricity sector reform that China adopted, and its effects upon the prospects of encouraging as well as expanding the development of renewable energy. This study draws upon primary information collected from interviews with stakeholders on the policy adequacy, and identifies three main types of shortcomings that have interfered with a more successful expansion of renewable energy in China. (author)

Potential of CDM in renewable projects in Malaysia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kannan, K.S.

2006-01-01

The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is a market-based tool introduced under the Kyoto Protocol to assist developing countries achieve their sustainable development objectives and at the same time provide opportunities for developed countries to meet their greenhouse gas targets cost-effectively. Projects based on renewable sources are eligible under the CDM. Such projects are also in line with the development of the fifth fuel option in Malaysia. The paper assesses the potential of CDM in renewable energy projects in particular the grid-connected biomass power projects under the Small Renewable Energy Power (SREP) Programme. The criteria (both national and international) that have to be met for the renewable energy projects to obtain approval as a CDM projects is outlined. The additional CDM activities are elaborated. The methodology for the determination of reduction in carbon dioxide emissions is provided. The paper further investigates the impact of CDM in the promotion of renewable energy projects in Malaysia

Scoping study into community-based renewable energy projects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-07-01

This scoping study has been carried out by the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE), a charity which promotes energy efficiency and renewable energy. CSE have used their involvement in the development of the Energy Club (the first energy service company for householders in the UK) and the Bristol Environment and Energy Trust (a cross-sector organisation initiating environmental projects) as the basis of the study. This study is the first phase of a long term project to set up two small-scale renewable energy schemes to demonstrate the benefits of a community based approach. Specific objectives of the study were: to identify, quantify and cost, renewable energy resources for interested community organisations; to evaluate two routes for developing community based projects - Environment Trusts and Energy Clubs'; to organise a seminar with the objective of bringing together community interest groups with experts in renewable energy; to identify two communities with viable renewable projects for the next phase - full feasibility studies/pilot projects. (author)

Assessing the effectiveness of policies to support renewable energy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

-size-fits all approach to designing renewable policies, a number of principles of policy design exist, which can dramatically increase the effectiveness and efficiency of renewable energy policies. Some recommendations for policy- makers include: - assessing which of the three factors is holding back deployment......Close to 80% of the world’s energy supply could be generated through renewables by mid-century with the right enabling public policies. Policies can play a fundamental role in promoting a sustainable energy-mix and it is key to measure their effectiveness in the medium and long run. What...... is the most effective way to measure and monitor this effectiveness? What can we learn from Brazil, one of the first emerging countries to refocus its national energy strategies toward renewable energy? And from South Africa, which committed to develop 42% of additional capacity in renewable by 2030...

Renewable energies and the challenge for a sustainable development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

After a presentation of some basic definitions and data (locations, assessment, utilisation), this collective report proposes a first set of contributions about perspectives for renewable energies: their role in middle- and long-term world scenarios, their relationship with greenhouse effect, the relentless technological pursuit through the example of hydrogen. A second set of contributions deals with the relationship between renewable energies and sustainable development: in northern countries (an environmental responsibility and a society issue), in southern countries (the challenge of access to energy), the promotion of renewable energies in the North-South cooperation, the chaotic decentralized electrification program in South Africa, the relationship between energy and struggle against poverty, the search for instruments to stimulate renewable electricity development, the sociological constraints to renewable energy development, the sustainable development at the service of new industries in countries of the North

Electricity feed-in laws as a universal means of promoting renewable energy? Taking a look at Brazil.; Stromeinspeisegesetze als Generalrezept zur Foerderung erneuerbarer Energien? Fallbeispiel Brasilien

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kissel, Johannes; Assmann, Dirk [GIZ Brasilien (Germany); Kolks, Corinna [Bonn Univ. (Germany)

2012-01-15

Electricity feed-in tariffs modelled on Germany's renewable energy law are giving impulses for growth and development in many other countries. However, the successes achieved with this concept should not mislead one into thinking that electricity feed-in laws are a universal promotion instrument that can be adapted to the situation of any country. Taking as an example the promotion scheme adopted in Brazil, a rising threshold country, it can be shown that there are alternative instruments for utilising the continuing cost decline to dynamise the market.

ASSESSING FEED-IN-TARIFF POLICY APPROACHES FOR AN ACTIVE PROMOTION OF RENEWABLE POWER. COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS FOR WIND AND PV TECHNOLOGIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

IRINA NASALCIUC

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The consequence of business-as-usual frameworks (BAU has occasioned the market failures of modern economies inclusively of energy markets which shifted from BAU models to low carbon economies. Periodic paradigm shifts operating on energy markets drive impressive market transitions aiming to perform higher innovative approaches over the composite energy generation portfolios thus providing advanced managerial mechanisms for renewable energy sources-electricity (RES-E strategic deployment inclusively. In this context it appeared imperious to develop smart policies and patterns of promoting renewables beyond and stimulate a fast transition to smart grids. The current paper aims to better address the policy risks and to extend the relevance of policy learning process involved in the course of boosting up a whole industry system. The study reveals an updated overlook on the feed-in-tariff policies operating on green markets, identifies their regulatory risks and offers a new sight over the interconnection Investment- Regulatory Policy- Economic efficiency in targeting new investments of RES-E, focusing on a case study assessment.

The myth and realities of renewable energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shargal, M.; Houseman, D.

2008-01-01

Renewable energies use natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are naturally replenished. Renewable energy technologies range from wind power, hydroelectricity, wave, solar, biomass, and biofuels. While most renewable energy sources do not produce pollution directly, the materials, industrial processes, and construction equipment used to create them may generate waste and pollution. This paper discussed the myths and realities of these energy applications. The following were described as being myths: plug-in cars could help reduce air pollution; current electric infrastructure can support the growth in plug-in cars; transmission grid can support the transportation of renewable electricity generated in rural areas to homes and business that need it in large metropolitan areas; there is a shortage of renewable energy sources on earth; biofuels do not have environmental issues; renewable energy facilities last forever; biofuel and biomass energy positively influence greenhouse gas; and greater efficiency results in lower energy consumption, resulting in energy independence. The paper also addressed the myth that ethanol is an eco-friendly fuel, and that if the United States tapped into its vast coal reserves effectively with clean and efficient coal-to-liquids technology, America would achieve energy independence. The paper also discussed the transformation from surplus fossil fuel resources to constrained gas and oil carriers, and subsequently to new energy supply and conversion technologies. Specifically, the paper addressed carbon offsets and allowance, cow power, and innovative experiments. It was concluded that the world is not on course to achieve a sustainable energy future. The global energy supply will continue to be dominated by fossil fuels for several decades. In order to reduce the resultant greenhouse gas emissions, a transition to zero and low-carbon technologies will be required. 10 refs

FAR from the grid: A rural electrification field study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Diaz, P.; Pena, R. [Escuela Politecnica, Universidad de Alcala, Campus Universitario, 28805 Alcala de Henares, Madrid (Spain); Arias, C.A.; Sandoval, D. [Empresa Jujena de Servicios Energeticos Dispersos (EJSEDSA), Independencia 60, 4600 San Salvador de Jujuy, Jujuy (Argentina)

2010-12-15

This paper analyses the field performance of different off-grid generation technologies applied to the electrification of rural villages. Autonomous diesel generators are the most extended technology. It is a well known application, although it has also some disadvantages: fuel transportation and consumption costs, maintenance needs or environmental problems. In places where accessibility is difficult and costly, the use of local energy resources (basically renewable) constitutes a significant advantage. Due to the intermittent character of those resources, renewable generation systems are sometimes associated to diesel gen-sets in order to increase the reliability of supply of small and medium-size communities. A comparative analysis between diesel, hydro-diesel and photovoltaic-diesel technologies is presented in this article. It is based on data collected from systems installed in the rural area of the province of Jujuy, northwest of Argentina. The study covers from year 2001 to 2008, with a research universe of 16 locations supplied by thermal diesel generation (1 with a large-diesel system and other 15 with smaller ones), 5 locations with hydro-diesel and 7 with photovoltaic-diesel systems. The energy demand evolution of rural villages is also studied because of its influence on the system operation and sustainability. (author)

The Development of the Renewable Energy Power Industry under Feed-In Tariff and Renewable Portfolio Standard: A Case Study of China’s Photovoltaic Power Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuzhuo Zhang

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Among the regulatory policies, feed-in tariffs (FIT and renewable portfolio standards (RPS are the most popular to promote the development of renewable energy power industry. They can significantly contribute to the expansion of domestic industrial activities in terms of sustainable energy. In this paper, we synthetically consider various important factors with the analysis of the existing literature, and use system dynamics (SD to establish models of long-term development of the renewable energy power industry under FIT and RPS schemes. The model not only clearly shows the complex logical relationship between the factors but also reveals the process of coordination between the two policy tools in the development of the renewable energy power industry. In addition, as an example of development of renewable energy industry, the paper studies the development of China’s photovoltaic power industry under different scenarios. The models proposed in this paper can provide a reference for scholars to study development of the renewable energy power industry in different countries, thereby facilitating an understanding of the renewable energy power’s long-term sustainable development pattern under FIT and RPS schemes, and helping to provide references for policy-making institutions. The results show that in the perfect competitive market, the implementation of RPS can promote long-term and rapid development of China’s photovoltaic power industry given the constraints and actions of the mechanisms of RPS quota proportion, the TGC valid period, and fines, compared with FIT. At the end of the paper, policy implications are offered as references for the government.

On the self-renewal of teachers.

Science.gov (United States)

Waters, David J; Waters, Lane S

2011-01-01

In previous issues of the Journal of Veterinary Medical Education, wide-ranging insights on how to achieve excellence in the classroom have been framed by award-winning teachers. These recipes for educational success, however, invariably lack a key ingredient-the teacher's process of self-renewal. What skills and attitudes prime the teacher for continued high performance? To stay out of the ruts of expertise, where does the teacher turn? Teachers and administrators alike recognize its great importance, yet few opportunities for the renewal of teachers are built into the educational system. In this article, we challenge teachers to see their own self-renewal as an underutilized approach to innovate education. We propose a schema for sustained self-renewal: each educator developing her own personalized, hand-picked gallery of intellectual heroes who in turn serve as the educator's life-long teachers. To illustrate the value of this activity, we introduce our own collection of 10 gifted thinkers, providing a brief encounter with each sage as a way of stimulating new thinking on the skills and attitudes that promote personal growth and transformative teaching. We conclude that the veterinary profession should work to create better opportunities for the self-renewal of teachers. By envisioning even our best teachers as unfinished and under construction, we open up a new dialogue situating the self-renewal of teachers at the very core of educational excellence.

Local agenda 21 and renewable energy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-10-01

This study, involving a questionnaire survey of UK local authorities, was carried out in order to examine the effectiveness of the Local Agenda 21 (LA21) in promoting the use of renewable energy, overcome barriers to the uptake of renewable energy, collect examples of good practice, and identify the possible role of the Department of Trade and Industry and other governmental programmes in meeting the needs of LA21 which was an outcome of the 1992 Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit. The background to the project, and the government's commitment to increasing the amount of electricity produced from renewable energy sources are discussed along with the setting up of LA21, and key areas where local authorities can help contribute towards LA21. The funding of the study and examples of good practice are discussed. Recommendations are provided.

RENEWABLE ENERGY POLICY IN THE WESTERN BALKANS: ALBANIA, BOSNIA HERZEGOVINA, KOSOVO AND SERBIA

OpenAIRE

Mihaela PÃCE?ILÃ

2013-01-01

This paper presents reviews and an analysis of the policy and support mechanisms for the promotion of renewable in the Western Balkan countries, as well as an overview of the legislation and other official documents influencing the renewable energy sector. The importance of renewable energy sources, along with key information about the countries commitments to renewable energy are also summarized. The methodology used in this article consists in studying and analysing a range of published mat...

RURAL TEACHERS IN SINALOA: PEDAGOGUES, HEALTH PROMOTERS AND SOCIO-POLITICAL ACTIVISTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rafael Santos-Cenobio

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The objective of this article is to study the formation of the postrevolutionary Mexican State based on the actions undertaken by rural teachers belonging to the Ministry of Public Education (SEP. From these actors a cultural revolution was programmed and undertaken at the national level, which established as a mission to integrate and incorporate the masses of peasants and workers into the national culture. In this sense, the teachers functioned as articulators between the communities and the national State, they became pedagogues, organizers of peasants and workers; promoters of unity and legitimacy through songs, dances, theater and oratory, introducing the new heroes and principles of the Revolution to political processes and local artistic expressions. (Kay, 1997, p.57 The work consists of two sections. In the first one it refers to the educational actions undertaken by the State as manifestations against alcoholism, Day and Tree Week. These projects were executed by state governors, municipal presidents, teachers and students, who were responsible for touring the streets shouting and shouting slogans against alcoholism and the damage it caused. The second section refers to the work of teachers, especially in their respective communities where they organized clean-up campaigns, sporting events, tree planting and formation of parent committees to raise funds for the construction of schools. At the same time, teachers are analyzed as articulators between the national State and rural communities. To realize the socialist project, the professors organized plays, founded night schools, chaired meetings and gave lectures to the citizens of the community. Likewise, the professors became popular leaders, because they advised and founded labor unions; In addition, they created Agrarian Committees, of which they themselves were established as leaders.

Enhanced Hematopoietic Stem Cell Self-Renewal-Promoting Ability of Clonal Primary Mesenchymal Stromal/Stem cells Versus Their Osteogenic Progeny.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Qiling; Scott Swindle, Claude; Wan, Chao; Flynn, Robert J; Oster, Robert A; Chen, Dongquan; Zhang, Fengjie; Shu, Yinglan; Klug, Christopher A

2017-02-01

Long-term self-renewing hematopoietic stem cell (LT-HSC) homeostasis within the bone marrow (BM) of adult mammals is regulated by complex interactions between LT-HSC and a number of niche-associated cell types including mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSC), osteoblasts (OB), macrophage, and neuronal cells in close proximity with the vasculature. Here, we cloned and functionally characterized a murine BM MSC subpopulation that was uniformly Nestin + Lepr + Sca-1 + CD146 + and could be stably propagated with high colony-forming unit fibroblast re-cloning efficiency. MSC synergized with SCF and IL-11 to support a 20-fold expansion in true LT-HSC after 10-days of in vitro coculture. Optimal stimulation of LT-HSC expansion was minimally dependent on Notch signaling but was significantly enhanced by global inhibition of Wnt signaling. The self-renewal-promoting activity of MSC was progressively lost when MSC clones were differentiated into mature OB. This suggests that the stage of osteoblast development may significantly impact the ability of osteolineage cells to support LT-HSC homeostasis in vivo. Stem Cells 2017;35:473-484. © 2016 AlphaMed Press.