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Offshore wind farms are great options for addressing the world's energy and climate change challenges, as well as meeting rising energy demand while taking environmental and economic impacts into account. Floating wind turbines, in specific, depict the next horizon in the sustainable renewable energy industry. In this study, a life-cycle cost analysis for floating offshore wind turbines is developed by combining the most recent data and parametric formulas from databases and relevant papers. The cost analysis models focused on cost minimization with special emphasis on Operation and Maintenance Cost (OPEX), Decommissioning Cost (DECOM), and Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE), which are important factors in wind power economy. Given that floating wind energy is still developing, the presented scenarios should be beneficial in making future decisions. The cost analysis scenarios include on-site and off-site maintenance scenarios for OPEX. In addition, four alternative scenarios for DECOM have been examined: mechanical recycling, mechanical-incineration, incineration processes, and landfill. According to the findings of these scenarios, OPEX varies from 16.89 to 19.93 £/MWh and DECOM between 3.47 and 3.65 £/MWh, whilst the total LCOE varied from 50.67 to 66.73 £/MWh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to study the current regulation and governance of wind energy turbines on the high seas and detect regulatory challenges. We focus on the existing regulatory framework to develop marine wind farms in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ), the nature of wind farms and wind turbines in said areas, and which governance schemes and institutions ought to coordinate and regulate any future marine wind energy development. Our research shows that under public international law, the deployment of wind turbines on (most parts of) the high seas for all States is possible, but many issues still remain, either thinly regulated or unanswered. We inquire where, by whom, and how can marine wind parks be built on the high seas according to public international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (the LOSC). Lastly, we evaluate the possible role of marine spatial planning (MSP) in developing wind energy on the high seas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional methods of climate change (CC) mitigation have not 'bent the curve' of steadily rising annual anthropic CO2 emissions or atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases. This study reviews the present position and likely future of such methods, using the recently published literature with a global context. It particularly looks at how fast they could be implemented, given the limited time available for avoiding catastrophic CC (CCC). This study then critically examines solar geoengineering, an approach often viewed as complementary to conventional mitigation. Next, this review introduces equity considerations and shows how these even further shorten the available time for effective action for CC mitigation. The main findings are as follows. Conventional mitigation approaches would be implemented too slowly to be of much help in avoiding CCC, partly because some suggested technologies are infeasible, while others are either of limited technical potential or, like wind and solar energy, cannot be introduced fast enough. Due to these problems, solar geoengineering is increasingly advocated for as a quick-acting and effective solution. However, it could have serious side effects, and, given that there would be winners and losers at the international level as well as at the more regional level, political opposition may make it very difficult to implement. The conclusion is that global energy consumption itself must be rapidly reduced to avoid catastrophic climate change, which requires strong policy support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change as a challenge we all are facing, varying degree of economic development as a result of COVID-19, the volatility in energy prices and political as well as other factors, most countries have restructured their electricity markets in order to facilitate the use of green renewable energy. The right energy mix in a period of energy transformation is the best strategy for achieving reduction of carbon emissions. Bulgaria is a special case because it has expanded the use of solar and wind energy exponentially, without conducting an adequate preliminary forecast analysis and formulating a parallel strategy for the development and expansion of the energy storage infrastructure. In this regard, the article is focused on how the power energy market is structured with the increasingly large-scale and global penetration of renewable energy sources as primary energy sources, observing several key factors influencing the energy transition. Due to the cyclical nature of energy production and the necessity for a smooth and efficient transition, a long-term seasonal storage plan should be considered. Furthermore, solar energy production facilities have a greater share of installed power, but wind power facilities generate a roughly equivalent amount of electric energy over the course of a year. One of the aims of this research is to discover an appropriate model for predicting the electricity output of wind and solar facilities located in Bulgaria that can be used to ease the transition process. Based on thorough data analysis of energy production over the past 11 years and 5 months, our findings suggest that a SARIMA model might be appropriate, as it takes into account the seasonal cycles in the production process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable energy development is growing fast and is expected to expand in the next decades in West Africa as a contribution to addressing the power demand and climate change mitigation. However, the future impacts of climate change on solar PV and the wind energy potential in the region are still unclear. This study investigates the expected future impacts of climate change on solar PV and wind energy potential over West Africa using an ensemble of three regional climate models (RCMs). Each RCM is driven by three global climate models (GCMs) from the new coordinated high-resolution output for regional evaluations (CORDEX-CORE) under the RCP8.5 scenario. Two projection periods were used: the near future (2021–2050) and the far future (2071–2100). For the model evaluation, reanalysis data from ERA5 and satellite-based climate data (SARAH-2) were used. The models and their ensemble mean (hereafter Mean) show acceptable performance for the simulations of the solar PV potential, the wind power density, and related variables with some biases. The Mean predicts a general decrease in the solar PV potential over the region of about −2% in the near future and −4% in the far future. The wind power density (WPD) is expected to increase by about 20% in the near future and 40% in the far future. The changes for solar PV potential seem to be consistent, although the intensity differs according to the RCM used. For the WPD, there are some discrepancies among the RCMs in terms of intensity and direction. This study can guide governments and policymakers in decision making for future solar and wind energy projects in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]