Search

Conventional petrol vehicles emit a substantial quantity of greenhouse gases, leading to increasingly serious global warming problems. The expansion and development of renewable power generation technologies is conducive in promoting the use of electric vehicles, which are more environmentally friendly. This paper proposes a multi-objective power expansion model considering renewable energy policy objectives. The model regards the problem as a multi-period optimisation task, taking the newly installed capacity and the power generation capacity of each power generation technology as decision variables, and simulating the uncertain factors in the planning process using Geometric Brownian Motion and Monte Carlo approaches. The optimisation objective of the model is to minimise expected costs, reduce risk and environmental impacts, and incorporate changing policy objectives into the constraints to meet policy makers' expectations for renewable energy development. Then, a decentralised target search-based multi-objective evolutionary algorithm is proposed to solve the model. Its effectiveness is verified by a numerical example using real data from the Chinese power system. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm exhibits improved performance compared with benchmark algorithms and provides high quality and diverse Pareto-optimal solutions to decision makers. Finally, the optimal plans for power expansion and generation mix under different preferences and policy objectives are discussed and corresponding recommendations are made. [Display omitted] • Planning for the expansion of power generation under uncertainties is determined. • Strategies for the expansion of power generation towards renewable energy are optimised. • A novel multi-objective evolutionary algorithm with a constraint handling method is developed. • The impact of multiple renewable energy policies on power generation expansion planning is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to meet global sustainability goals, in particular, the rapid decarbonisation of the energy sector in combination with geopolitical energy security issues, as well as further improvement in regional air quality-the so-called renewable energy sources are becoming increasingly critical and important. Photovoltaic power (PV) generation is clearly the most widely deployed (non-hydro) renewable energy source globally, which still has a significant growth potential in many countries, including Hungary. However, due to the intermittent nature and the strong dependency of photovoltaic power production on meteorological factors, continuous adjustment of electric power in the electric grid is needed. This, in turn, requires the most accurate forecast of the photovoltaic energy to be produced in the ultra-short term (15 min) and short term (1 day) in order to minimise last-minute and high-price energy acquisition or unplanned kicks-in of gas-fired auxiliary power plants. In this paper, we evaluate the impacts of large-scale dust transport episodes on the accuracy of forecasts of PV power generation. The numbers and intensities of Saharan dust storm events reaching Central Europe have increased over the last decade, hitting a new record in 2022 with 16 (!) African dust episodes observed over Hungary. We have shown that the semi-direct effect of atmospheric dust particles on high-level cloud formation rather than their direct irradiance-reducing effect is responsible for the reduced accuracies of e short-term (24-h) PV energy production forecasts during these events. • 16 Saharan dust events (SDEs) were identified in Hungary in 2022. • SDEs caused photovoltaic (PV) generation drops and forecast errors. • Indirect effect of dust on irradiance (through cloud formation) was the dominant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract African countries are in a unique position to reap the socio-economic and environmental benefits of renewable resources as a means for meeting increasing energy demand in a sustainable way. A critical obstacle for the deployment of renewable energy technologies in Africa is the difficulty of attracting sufficient and affordable finance. This paper compares the impact of financial conditions on the cost of electricity generation across six renewable and three fossil-based technologies in 46 African countries. The results show large cost variations and highlight the extent to which renewables are disadvantaged by current financial practices. The energy-economy-environment model TIAM-ECN is used to show how lowering financing costs results in a much higher deployment of renewables. For example, solar PV could account for 10–15% of total electricity generation by 2050, even without explicit climate policy, thanks to financial de-risking programmes. The results demonstrate that changes in financing schemes could outweigh the impact of technology learning. This paper also demonstrates that, once ambitious climate policies are in place, reducing financing costs for renewables could be an efficient way to lower greenhouse gas emissions. Financial de-risking is thus a key ingredient for unlocking the renewable energy potential in Africa. Highlights • We show how renewables are disadvantaged by today's financial practices in Africa. • We show how lower financing costs result in a higher deployment of renewables. • PV can account for 10–15% of electricity generation by 2050 without climate policy. • Changes in financing schemes could outweigh the impact of technology learning. • Financial de-risking is key for unlocking the renewable energy potential in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy sector is undergoing substantial changes in order to promote better efficiency, increase the use of renewable energy, reduce emissions and effectively deploy technologies to trade off costs and benefits One emerging solution is the application of the Power-to-Gas technology, which can be used for different purposes. In recent years, Power-to-Gas has been studied to understand the role it could play in the electrical system. This paper has the aims of analysing the existing literature about the Power-to-Gas technology in detail, by considering some solutions that have a direct impact on the electrical system (in particular electrolyser and CO 2 production) and applications in the different sectors of the electricity value chain (i.e., generation, transmission, distribution and utilisation). This paper sets out the conceptual aspects that are necessary to include Power-to-Gas facilities in a more comprehensive analysis framework of the operation of the electrical system in various sectors. Some perspectives concerning new Power-to-Gas applications are also presented for each sector, and some promising aspects that are expected to play a relevant role in the future technical and economic evolution of electrical systems are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrical energy becomes necessary for human being. Generation of electrical energy mostly depends on fossils fuel, they are limited in nature and also responsible for environmental pollution. Renewable energy resources provides a better alternative for future,In comparison to conventional energy resources economical aspect is a major issue of renewable energy sources with the feasibility and efficiency. These limitations are tried to overcome by deployment hybrid renewable energy resources. There are certain criteria to analyze and implement the sized, optimized and cost efficient system. This paper focus on hybrid energy systems based on solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind resources. This paper shed lights on various parameters of economic feasibility, sizing strategies with logical advancements to enhance their utilization, future prospects, and their arrangement. Strategies to develop an effective storage system is also presented here.A brief review on developments in optimization techniques, reliability index and cost analyzing techniques for hybrid renewable energy systems are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy situation of the African island states which include Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles are overwhelmingly dependent on fossil fuels with paradoxically high potential of renewable energy which are sparsely developed. This paper lay emphasis on the present electricity situation in these countries and highlights the potential of renewable energy resources on their territories. Among Africa islands, demographic and economic features are dissimilar and their power sector is complex by unique challenges. It is seen that there is a critical lack of electricity in Guinea-Bissau and Madagascar, which are 21% and 13% respectively, due to political instability and high spending on diesel. Moreover, the electricity consumption per capita is alarming in Guinea-Bissau, Comoros and Madagascar where it is below the average consumption for low income countries. Sustainable energy supply can be achieved by renewable energy sources, however, not all renewable resources are technically and economically feasible for development in these countries, for example wind in Comoros and hydro in Mauritius have little potential – which this paper elaborated further. Based on these analysis, a roadmap was developed, on to how to address some of the energy issues in these countries and accelerate the uptake of renewable energy. Through energy governance reform, political decision makers can drive change within their government, especially when a reform entails opening market opportunities and stimulating private participation and exerting pressure on existing government agencies to work efficiently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a multi-objective model for expansion with a high share of renewable energy. The model considers three objective functions (minimizing the total cost, maximizing generation at the peak load, and maximizing the contribution of non-hydro renewable sources). The model was then applied to the Brazilian case, using the new government targets for renewable energy. The introduction of the objectives regarding peak load and non-hydro renewable generation lead to an increase of solar power generation. In many studies about Brazil, solar power was not considered, or its participation was negligible, but in this paper the results show solar energy as the main non-hydro renewable source in 2030, due to its capacity to meet the peak demand, since its daily curve coincides with the peak load period. In this study, it was possible to meet 90% of the annual load with renewable sources (with 23% being ensured by non-hydro) and the solar power increased from 21 MW to 40000 MW by 2030. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to review the literature focused on the energy/electricity-growth nexus, highlighting how the focus has shifted from aggregated energy/electricity consumption towards specific energy sources. Moreover, it aims to shed light on the relationships between different energy/electricity sources and economic growth. Empirically, the paper focuses on the analysis of interactions between electricity generation in Spain under both the Special Regime ( SR ) and the Ordinary Regime ( OR ), and their relationship with economic activity. Data for Spain is studied for a time span from January 2003 to January 2016. The Toda-Yamamoto causality test is carried out to check for causality relationships. Additionally, both short- and long-run effects are assessed by using the ARDL bounds test approach. Overall, the results reveal high internal consistency when comparing the ARDL results with the causality analysis. The substitution effect was detected between OR and SR. However, the negative effect of the SR on economic activity deserves special attention by energy policymakers. This paper argues that the main challenge of renewable sources for policymakers is their cost-effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric Vehicles (EV) are emerging due to ever increasing concerns on the energy issues and greenhouse gas effects. Also, due to the depletion of fossil fuels, electricity generated from Renewable Energy Sources (RES) like Photovoltaic (PV) arrays and Wind Turbine Generators (WTG) are used for charging the EV batteries which reduces the utility grid overload. A review on different power converter topologies which can be used in PV-EV and WTG-EV battery chargers are presented in this paper. Also, this paper reviews the various power converters which can be employed for interfacing RES-EV battery charger with the utility grid. This paper enlightens the researchers in the selection of appropriate power converters suitable for the stand-alone and grid-connected RES-EV battery charging systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bangladesh is a hugely populated country in South Asia. The country produces its electricity mainly from natural gas followed by liquid fuels. Although the installed electricity generation capacity of the country has been increased to 12,261 MW, there is scarcity of electricity in the hot summer season which is a barrier to industrial development as well as socio-economic development. Combustion of fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere which causes global warming. Bangladesh can be badly affected by greenhouse effect and global warming. These problems can be mitigated by incorporating renewable energy sources (e.g., solar, wind, hydro, biomass, etc.) to the country's electricity generation. Renewable energy resources are considered as clean and can serve the electricity demand in the remote areas where grid connection is not possible. The potential of solar energy and biomass is enormous in Bangladesh and people have already started to harness energy from these sources. The government and the policy makers should come forward to encourage the people of rural areas as well as urban areas to use renewable based electricity. The government of Bangladesh has set up a plan to generate 5% of the country's total electricity from renewable sources within 2015 and 10% within 2020. However, within 2015 the country has been able to generate only 3.5% of the total electricity from renewable sources. This paper presents a thorough review of the current status and future potentials of renewable energy sector in Bangladesh. In this paper the updated information is provided for the overall renewable energy sector of the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generation assets applying for grid connection must comply with certain grid code requirements. Grid code compliance verification shall include revision of documentation covering technical data and models, checking of requested capabilities, and validation of model performance. These procedures are singular regarding renewable power generation, due to their technical characteristics, specific topologies and short experience. This paper aims to carry out an updated review of the international regulations and current practices regarding the verification and certification of the electrical performance in renewable generation systems. Grid code compliance can be verified by practical tests or by simulation of validated models. Therefore, this paper also encompasses modelling and validation requirements, highlighting challenges caused by current procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unit Commitment (UC) is an optimization problem used to determine the operation schedule of the generating units at every hour interval with varying loads and generations under different generational, environmental and technical constraints. With the significant increase of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) integration into the power networks, effects posed by these system changes to the UC are actively being studied and investigated by global researchers and operation engineers. To this end, this paper firstly provides a literature survey of UC concept, objectives and constraints. Different UC models developed for addressing RES impacts are also reviewed. Moreover, many algorithms have been proposed in the past few decades to optimize the UC problem. This work explores the necessity for alternative optimization approaches for UC solution. In doing that, the work uncovers the advantages and disadvantages of the existing methodologies so that future algorithms could be designed in retaining the advantages of the existing methodologies while avoiding the presented weaknesses. In addition, installation of energy storage devices to balance the fluctuation in power generation and their associated impacts on UC models are reviewed. The contents of this paper provide ready-to-refer and ready-to-use information for the researchers working in the field of UC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of electricity from hydropower results in several environmental impacts that, in only some instances, have been analysed from an economic valuation approach. Moreover, as environmental impacts largely depend on the specific characteristics of the case study, benefit transfer techniques are inadequate for valuation. The present paper demonstrates through the review of valuation studies on the environmental impacts of this technology, and the analysis of the different environmental impacts associated with hydropower for specific case studies that in fact benefit transfer should not be applied as each hydropower plant has specific and different impacts. The paper demonstrates the importance of a case study approach, for defining priorities with respect to alternative hydropower production facilities. Finally, the paper demonstrates that choice experiments are particularly suited for valuing the identified environmental impacts, being relevant for policy planning purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India with a fast growing demand for electricity and increasing consideration to emissions reduction is investing strongly in renewable electricity generation. Among renewables, the Central and State Governments have set aspirational targets for on-grid solar electricity and legislated several supporting policies to realise these targets. As a result of the favourable political environment, the development of on-grid solar, in terms of the rate of growth in installed capacity, has been increasing in the recent years, and it is expected to continue in the future. This paper aims to investigate the impact of historical transitions of India's electricity sector on the ongoing development of on-grid solar electricity and to explore the prospect of solar sector development in the future. First of all, we investigate how the historical transformation of governmental intervention's approach intertwined with the gradual shift of the source of generation has paved the way for the current achievements in on-grid solar electricity. Second, we envision the future challenges and opportunities for the development of solar sector by looking ahead and discussing the continuity of government's support and the prospective competitions between different sources. We conclude the paper with some required steps to be taken in order to secure the achievement of the targets in solar electricity in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The penetration of photovoltaics (PV’s) in electric power generation is continually increasing. Tracking maximum power point in PV systems is an important task and represents a challenging problem. In maximum power point tracking (MPPT), the duty cycle of DC-DC converter is adjusted in a way that maximum achievable power is extracted from PV system. In this paper, the existing MPPT strategies are classified into two main categories and the strategies of each category are reviewed. Based on the conducted review, some directions for future research are recommended. The author strongly believes that this paper will be helpful for researchers and engineers in the field of PV systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variability and intermittency are some of the main features that characterize renewable energy sources. Intermittency usually includes both predictable and unpredictable variations. The many drawbacks of intermittency of renewable sources can be overcome by considering some special design considerations. Integrating more than one renewable energy source and including backup sources and storage systems are among the few measures to overcome these drawbacks. These additional design considerations usually increase the overall cost of the renewable system. Furthermore, the presence of more than one energy supply/storage system requires the control of energy flow among the various sources. Therefore, optimizing the size of the components and adopting an energy management strategy (EMS) are essential to decreasing the cost of the system and limiting its negative effects. The energy management strategy is commonly integrated with optimization to ensure the continuity of load supply and to decrease the cost of energy production. Therefore, energy management is a term that collects all the systematic procedures to control and minimize the quantity and the cost of energy used to provide a certain application with its requirements. The energy management strategy usually depends on the type of energy system and its components. Various approaches and techniques have been used to develop a successful energy management strategy. In this paper, a comprehensive review of the approaches proposed and used by authors of many papers is conducted. These approaches include both the standalone hybrid renewable energy systems and the grid-connected hybrid renewable systems. More attention is focused on popularly used techniques to address the features of each system. The selected papers in this review cover the various configurations of the hybrid renewable energy systems for electric power generation only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewables around the globe, provide fuel diversification, energy security and produce little or no emissions during the electricity generation. The unavailability of rotating masses prohibits on-grid renewable energy generation systems from providing inertia during a frequency disruption. This would be extremely unsettling and impactful when the proportion of energy in the grid due to renewables is high. India currently, has a 28.04% share of on-grid renewable energy. The grid infrastructure systems of India would face severe challenges when the share of on-grid renewables leaps past 50% in the future. Thus, this paper primarily addresses the repercussions of increasing share of on-grid renewables in terms of inertia and frequency response in India. The energy scenario of 2040 in India under 80% proliferation of on-grid renewables has been well reviewed in this paper. The novelty of this paper is the narrative literature review of the Indian Electricity Grid Code (IEGC) on frequency response which is unique and exclusive to this manuscript. It demonstrates the current strategies prevalent in the grid system of India towards frequency response and inertia support. This paper also explains the diverse control strategies and energy storage technologies required for adoption with the on-grid renewables in India for frequency response. The other novelty in this paper is the insight about the inertia lost due to an on-grid 100-kW p solar photovoltaic system to explain the readers about the impact when the integration is hundreds to thousands of kilowatts. • Share of renewables in the Indian grid network is 28.04% (113.226 GW) as of 2022. • India aspires to achieve 54% share of on-grid renewables by 2030 and 80% by 2040. • Indian Electricity Grid Code indicates need for expansion in active power reserves. • India requires diverse control strategies and energy storages for inertia support. • On-grid 100-kW p solar photovoltaic system loses inertia of 100-kW for 4.44 s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to highlight the most demanding aspects of grid interconnection of marine energy installations while at the same time providing an updated overview and comparative analysis of the connection requirements of eight European Grid Codes. Therefore, the major issues related to marine energy installations will be summarized as well as the requirements of this type of generation. Besides, the extent to which current Grid Codes include marine energy technologies will be analysed jointly with the need of harmonization of different Grid Codes into a generalised European grid code. Apart from this, several future trends of marine energy technology and its interconnection will be provided for the final discussion. Highlights • Capacity limits and critical power quality issues where not originally planned. • Impacts: limited dispatchability, electrical grid stress, high penetration effects. • Long submarine cables reduce precise voltage or reactive power control capability. • European Grid codes compared: only in UK and Germany offshore treated separately. • ENTSO-E effort for harmonization by setting common requirements for grid connection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Long-time search for green energy as a replacement of the depleting conventional sources to the eternal power demand still remains as an unanswered question. But the steady growth in the contribution of solar energy towards the electrical power generation for the past three decades have persuaded many researchers to consider it as a viable option. However, the power harnessed from solar PV is low due to its less conversion efficiency. Therefore, it is necessary to perform some critical analysis on the factors improving the efficiency of the solar PV system. In this paper, an attempt is made in performing a detailed comprehensive review on the factors affecting the efficiency of solar cell. A detailed review is carried out on basic material used for solar cells, Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) Techniques and the DC-DC converters used for power conversion. Highlights • Efficiency of PV system depending on materials used for manufacturing. • Efficiency of PV system depending on Maximum power point tracking techniques. • Comparative analysis of MPPT techniques on various factors. • Efficiency of PV system depending on Converter topologies employed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract As for other renewable energy sources in Germany like wind or photovoltaics, biogas has rapidly expanded in the past fifteen years. The installed electricity capacity for German biogas plants increased from 0.2 GW el in 2001 up to about 4.2 GW el by the end of the year 2016. This expansion has been supported in particular by the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) through electricity Feed-In-Tariffs (FITs). However, major uncertainties are linked to the future capacity expansion in particular due to volatile electricity and energy crops prices. Taking into account this situation this paper analyzes possible future developments of the German biogas plant capacity up to 2030. For this purpose, a regional optimization model is employed, with the objective of determining the optimal economic development of the future biogas plants under different legal framework conditions. The base scenario with a constant energy crops cost evolution shows that the EEG 2012 framework -if maintained- would have fostered the development of agricultural plants, especially co-digestion plants valorizing energy crops and manure. The new EEG 2014 stops the expansion of energy crops mono-digestion plants, which will no longer be built due to an unprofitable situation. The German biogas market will thus face a paradigm shift and move towards the increase of biowaste and small-scale manure plants. Further scenarios quantify the impact of a strong variation of three main fundamental drivers, namely the energy crop costs, the EPEX-Peak electricity price and the biowaste valorization revenues, on future capacity developments. Based on the model results recommendations in direction of plant operators and policy-makers are formulated aiming at a more sustainable electricity production from biogas. Further work should consist in integrating the present analysis in national bioenergy models under the EEG 2017 legal framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malaysia's framework for energy development was established in the early 1970s. Henceforth, many successive policies were introduced as potential resources for electricity generation and utilization. Currently, as a signatory to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Malaysia is sparing a number of effort to comply with the policy to meet the challenges of mitigating over-dependence on fossil fuels, reducing carbon levels, and achieving sustainable national development. This paper reviews the baseline studies on electrical energy policies and the measurement indicators used in Malaysia's electric power system. This research involves a comprehensive survey of electrical energy policies in Malaysia that focus on issues pertaining to energy supply, utilization, its environmental impact and considerations, renewable energy (RE) policies, production and consumption, energy efficiency, and feed-in tariffs. Fourteen energy indicators for sustainable development in Malaysia were investigated through the identification of energy policies in significant areas, such as reliability, safety, adequacy and cost-effectiveness of energy supply; increasing energy efficiency; minimizing environmental impact; and enhancing quality of life in terms of social well-being. The policies and the indicators are classified into different sustainable dimensions and summarized in tables along with the corresponding key references. In this study, future energy planning and options, especially in nuclear and RE programs, as well as the conflict between them, are illustrated through the overall performance relative to targets and benchmarks for past and future projections up to the year 2030. This review seeks to examine the past, present, and future policies and indicators to provide a sufficient overview of Malaysian energy policies for optimizing sustainable development. The goal is for this review to lead to increased efforts to accommodate the increasing demand for the management and utilization of RE, promote energy efficiency, and improve performance in achieving sustainable national development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable Energy Sources have been growing rapidly over the last few years. The spreading of renewables has become stronger due to the increased air pollution, which is largely believed to be irreversible for the environment. On the other hand, the penetration of renewable energy technologies causes major problems to the stability of the grid. Along with the fluctuations of the renewable energy technologies production, storage is important for power and voltage smoothing. Energy storage is also important for energy management, frequency regulation, peak shaving, load leveling, seasonal storage and standby generation during a fault. Thus, storage technologies have gained an increased attention and have become more than a necessity nowadays. This paper presents an up to date comprehensive overview of energy storage technologies. It incorporates characteristics and functionalities of each storage technology, as well as their advantages and disadvantages compared with other storage technologies. Comparison tables with several characteristics of each storage method are included, while different applications of energy storage technologies are described as well. Finally, several hybrid energy storage applications are analyzed and different combinations of energy storage technologies are reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates the net effect of renewable energy policy in Spain from 2002 to 2017 and calculates its cost-effectiveness in terms of CO 2 emission reductions in the production of electricity. Our conclusions indicate that although the phasing out of Feed-in Tariffs reduced the regulatory costs, it also limited renewable participation in the electricity market, leading to an increased electricity price and higher emissions. According to our results, the joint effect of (i) the value of avoided emissions due to renewable energy participation and (ii) the merit order effect was able to compensate for the regulatory costs (subsidies) up until 2010, while the sign of the net effect was reversed from 2011 to 2017. Finally, we find that the economic implications of emission reductions are highly dependent on how the social cost of carbon is measured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More and more wind farms are reaching the end of their useful lifetimes, so it is necessary to consider the need and/or suitability of dismantling or repowering them. This paper presents an analysis from the point of view of the potential environmental impact and benefit of a wind farm repowering process. The study has been performed by developing a life cycle assessment model of the repowering process of an old wind farm with low-power wind turbines. The results show the advantages of repowering wind farms of this type, especially in terms of increased capacity for electrical power generation from renewable sources and extending the useful lifetimes of wind farms. The main impact of the repowering process comes from the wind turbines, which show values of 2.43E + 07 kg CO 2 eq. in the Global Warming category, followed by the substation and electrical line (5.14E + 05 kg CO 2 eq.). These impacts are clearly offset by the benefits of increasing electrical power generation from renewable sources, which show values of − 9.03E + 08 kg CO 2 eq. Therefore, from the point of view of the decision-making process, the repowering of old wind farms with low-power wind turbines provides environmental benefits that must be taken into account when evaluating the future of wind farms approaching the end of their useful lifetimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) methods are becoming increasingly popular in solving energy selection problems because these problems involve multiple and often conflicting criteria. This paper presents comparative analysis of ranking renewable energy sources (RES) for electricity generation in Taiwan using four MCDM methods - WSM, VIKOR, TOPSIS, and ELECTRE. The Shannon entropy weight method is used to assess the importance of each criterion for the ranking of RES. After that, four MCDM methods are utilized for quantitative evaluation to rank all available RE alternatives. From the weights estimation results, efficiency is the first priority in all evaluation criteria, followed by job creation, operation, and maintenance cost. The purpose of this study is to rank the priorities of various RES and propose recommendations for Taiwan's RE development. The ranking results show that hydro is the best alternative in Taiwan, followed by solar, wind, biomass and geothermal. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis of the weights was conducted considering the ranking results heavily depend on the criteria weight. The results of sensitivity analysis indicated that when financial or technical aspects are focused upon, hydropower is the best RES because its technology is the most mature and the cost is the lowest in Taiwan. In addition, from an environmental perspective, wind energy is the best choice, and from the social perspective, solar PV is the best choice. The findings of this study can provide useful information to energy decision makers and serve as a reference for Taiwan's energy policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In present day scenario, the focus is reallocating towards integration of small and medium scale power plants based on renewable energy sources into the power distribution system. Solar is the fastest growing form of renewable energy and a single phase voltage source inverter is used to interface photovoltaic based plants with the distribution system. The grid integrated inverter has stringent control requirements. A current controller is employed to mitigate the harmonics in the current injected into the grid and regulate the power exchange between the plant and the grid. This paper presents a review of the current control strategies implemented for a single phase grid tied photovoltaic inverter. A comparative performance evaluation of the current control techniques is also presented through simulation and experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant advancements have been made in the past few decades (since the 1980s) on detailed evaluation and quantification of wave resources globally. Larger availability and advances of computational resources have contributed to the utilisation of numerical wave models as powerful tools in climatic and energy studies. This review presents current state-of-the-art numerical tools and their status in the process of wave power assessments. We focus on the evolution of studies undertaken at the European coastline regions and the Black Sea. Although, a number of studies have been successfully developed and implemented in the past contributing to our understanding of the resource, this paper discusses the benefits, limitations and potential for improvement of numerical tools. From the literature, it is evident that different applications and scale may require different models, however, it is also the experience and knowledge of the user, applied in the tuning of a number of parameters that govern the process of wave generation, propagation, and the quality of input parameters that are the cornerstones of a successful model. This review depicted that the use of numerical wave models, depending on specific region and application, offers significant benefits on quantification of coastal zone wave resources which benefit multiple offshore applications and the energy industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of existing electricity grids to smart grids is aimed at accommodating increasing shares of renewable generation thus contributing for the de-carbonization of economy, offering more diversified services to consumers, enhancing different types of markets (energy, capacity, ancillary services) and improving the system's overall efficiency. As the economic characteristics of the electricity sector tend to discourage investments in smart grids, many countries have adopted incentive policies to foster the deployment of new technologies, which vary according to the particular characteristics of each country. Therefore, the design of specific public policies for Brazil must consider not only the motivations involved, but also the existing challenges for the implementation of smart grids and the socio-economic context. Moreover, the relevance of the proposed policies can be seen from different perspectives. This justifies the need to elicit information from multiple stakeholders for decision support purposes. This paper presents and assesses a set of policies identified by different stakeholders as having a potential to foster the development of smart grids in Brazil. The methodology to shape this set of policies consisted of a thorough literature review of international experiences, combined with meetings with experts in several domains. Then, these policies were assessed by applying a Delphi questionnaire aiming at measuring their effectiveness in fulfilling the objectives associated with investments in smart grids. A first conclusion is that all policies were assessed as having a positive impact taking into account each of the objectives, differing only in the priority to be assigned to each one. The policies that were considered more relevant were: "Incentive Policies for Promoting Demand-Side Management, Distributed Generation and Storage", "Regulatory Changes to Foster Innovation in the Energy Sector" and "Regulation of New Business Models". Among the policies with the worst scores, "Mandatory Rollout of Smart Meters" and "Establishing Quality Standards for the Telecommunications Industry" were ranked as the two lower-ranked policies, i.e., they were assigned lower priority under all objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regular annual reports issued by the Ministry of Electricity and Energy show that the established power generating capacity of Egypt is based mainly on oil and natural gas resources. Due to its high energy demand, Egypt needs clean, renewable, alternative energy sources. From this perspective, it is earnestly imperative to utilize geothermal resources to produce power and add to the Egyptian energy supply in a clean and efficient way. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art geothermal resources in Egypt with an emphasis on the current investigation utilizing aeromagnetic data. Power spectral analysis was applied to the aeromagnetic data to estimate the Curie point depth (CPD), heat flow and geothermal gradient. The CPDs range from 8.6 to 35.7 km, the derived geothermal gradients vary from 16.3 to 67.4 °C/km, and the heat flow values range from 47.1 to 195.5 mW/m 2 . The relation between the CPDs and seismic activity was also examined. Most of the earthquakes that originated in areas with CPDs of less than 25 km are considered promising regions for geothermal exploration, especially in the Gulf of Suez. The results of the current study may guide governmental and private sectors interested in the geothermal energy industry to select the most appropriate geothermal power plant sites in Egypt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a set of policy recommendations for the market design of a future European electricity system characterized by a dominant share of renewable energy supply (RES), in line with the stated targets of European governments. We discuss the market failures that need to be addressed to accommodate RES in liberalized electricity markets, review the evolution of the EU's RES policy mechanisms, and summarize the key market impacts of variable RES to date. We then set out economic principles for wholesale market design and use these to develop our policy recommendations. Our analysis covers the value of interconnection and market integration, electricity storage, the design of RES support mechanisms, distributed generation and network tariffs, the pricing of electricity and flexibility as well as long-term contracting and risk management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the historical priority to grid-based electrification in South Asia, two out of every five people in the region still live without access to electricity. Due to various limitations of conventional grid-based rural electrification, as brought out by a number of studies and reports, demand for alternative models such as renewable energy based off-grid and distributed generation solutions are gaining increasing attention globally. However, due to the absence of any study that could juxtapose these two modes in terms of their merits and demerits, it is difficult to infer on their relative superiority or inferiority. In view of that, this paper makes an attempt to connect the dots by carrying out an extensive review of the literature, to analyse the role of grid and off-grid options in facilitating rural electrification, and come out with a comparative assessment of their costs and impacts on the South Asian countries. The paper infers that instead of considering each of the modes of electrification in a standalone manner and perceiving them as mutually exclusive or competing with one another, as usually perceived in the policy sphere, off-grid electrification can actually be considered as a complementary mode and should ideally be integrated with grid expansion to serve the bigger cause of ensuring universal and sustainable rural electrification in South Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inertia of today׳s power system decreases as more and more converter connected generation units and load are integrated in the power system. This results in a power system which behaves differently from before which causes concerns for many grid operators. Therefore, a detailed study is needed to investigate the relevance of this inertia in the operation, control and stability of the system. Moreover, a new definition of the term system inertia is necessary since is it expected that in the future also the renewable electricity generation units will deliver the so-called virtual (synthetic) inertia. In this paper a review of the research related to inertia in a power system is given. Both the challenges as the solutions from an operator point of view to control a system with low inertia are discussed. Also a new definition of inertia is proposed to incorporate the different forms of inertia which are each described in more detail. From recent studies, it can be concluded that the influence of reduced inertia on frequency stability is generally considered as the main challenge for system operators, but with the additional measures listed in this paper, this impact can be mitigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Confronted by increasingly tight budgets and a broad range of alternative options, policy makers need empirical methods to evaluate the effectiveness of policies aimed at supporting the diffusion of renewable energy sources (RES). Rigorous empirical studies of renewable energy policy effectiveness have typically relied on panel data models to identify the most effective mechanisms. A common characteristic of some of these studies, which has important econometric implications, is that they assume that the contribution of RES to total electricity generation will be stationary around a mean. This paper reviews such assumptions and rigorously tests the time series properties of the contribution of RES in the energy mix for the presence of a unit root. To that end, we use both individual and panel unit root tests to determine whether the series exhibit non-stationary behavior at the country level as well as for the panel as a whole. The analysis, applied to a panel of 19 OECD countries over the period 1990–2012, provides strong evidence that the time series of the renewable share of electricity output are not stationary in 17 of the 19 countries examined. This finding has important implications for energy policy assessment and energy policy making, which are discussed in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wind energy has played an increasingly vital role in renewable power generation, driving the need for more cost-effective wind energy solutions. Health monitoring of turbines could provide a variety of economic and other benefits to aid in wind growth. A number of commercial and research health monitoring systems have been implemented for wind turbines. This paper surveys these systems, providing an analysis of the current state of turbine health monitoring and the challenges associated with monitoring each of the major turbine components. This paper also contextualizes the survey with the various potential benefits of health monitoring for turbines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A widespread adoption of distributed generation (DG) technologies in energy systems can play a key role in creating clean, reliable energy and support the targets of emission reduction. A transition from current modes of production to a significant deployment of renewable energy technologies can fundamentally affect the structure of the industry and change the way energy is produced, transmitted and sold. The current paper provides an extended review of the socio-technical configurations of micro-generation based on journal publications and reports during the 21st century. The paper analyses currently existing and missing configurations and discusses technology and policy implications to support proliferation of micro-generation technology and local energy production from renewable sources. The potential for new configurations can be found particularly in heat producing micro-generation with solar heat, heat pumps, and biomass. Developing further the operations and maintenance of distributed generation technologies and business models appears an area that calls for further innovation, and corresponding innovation policy measures. Third party service and community-driven deployment models can aide the proliferation of distributed generation and further innovation therein, justifying the introduction of feed-in-tariffs to attract such models during their early diffusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the capability of Reunion Island to achieve electricity autonomy by 2030. Currently, electricity production in Reunion Island is mainly based on imported fuels while it is blessed with high levels of renewable energy potentials. The issue addressed in this paper is the technical and economical feasibility of this ambitious target. The approach relies on a prospective study conducted by the TIMES-Reunion model which provides future production mixes according to different scenarios. It is combined with a quantitative assessment of reliability of power supply with two reliability indicators, regarding that intermittent sources may highly develop and consequently worsen reliability. This study enables us to draw three main conclusions: (i) electricity autonomy can be achieved thanks to high levels of biomass production and of intermittent sources; (ii) however, since fuel oil׳s power plants appear as back-up units, the reliability of power supply will be lowered. This is illustrated by the decrease of the reliability indicators over the time horizon; (iii) however, provided that appropriate rules on the instantaneous production are enforced, a generation mix that both complies with the electricity autonomy target and with a satisfying reliability of power supply is possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of demand response (DR) technologies and increasing electricity demand, dynamic pricing has been a popular topic in many countries. This paper evaluates various dynamic pricing programs in the U.S. and Europe, and provides insights into various aspects including risks and rewards, enabling technologies, lower-income groups and customer types surrounding programs such as Time-of-Use (TOU), Critical Peak Pricing (CPP), Peak Time Rebates (PTR) and Real Time Pricing (RTP). We conclude this paper with three main findings: (1) policy coordination in promoting dynamic pricing programs between federal and state regulatory agencies is very critical; (2) customer engagement is very important and can be enhanced via more accessible educational programs and policy adjustments; and (3) more investment in related R&D is required to construct a commonly accepted methodology for measuring the effectiveness of dynamic pricing programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wind energy is one of the most promising renewable energy resources for power generation, and rapid growth has been seen in its acceptance since 2000. The most acceptable classification for wind turbines is by its axis of orientation: Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines (HAWT) and Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWT). HAWTs are used in many countries for medium-to-large scale power projects, and most commercial installations around the globe are solely based on these turbines. On the other hand, HAWTs are not recognized as a viable option to harness the energy of the wind in urban areas, where the wind is less intense, much more chaotic and turbulent. VAWTs are suggested as a better choice for cities and isolated semi-urban areas. Several attributes have been suggested for the large-scale deployment of VAWTs, e.g., good performance under the weak and unstable wind, no noise and safety concerns, and aesthetically sound for integration in urban areas. Significant research has been published on wind turbine technology and resources assessment methodologies, and this review paper is a modest attempt to highlight some of the major developments of VAWTs, with a focus on the integration with urban infrastructure. Several recommendations have been drawn based on the state-of-the-art information on the subject for future studies and acceptance of wind turbines in the urban areas. It was concluded that further research is critical in making VAWTs a viable, dependable, and affordable power generation technology for many low and decentralized power applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use the model DIETER, introduced in a companion paper, to analyze the role of power storage in systems with high shares of variable renewable energy sources. The model captures multiple system values of power storage related to arbitrage, capacity, and reserve provision. We apply the model to a greenfield setting that is loosely calibrated to the German power system, but may be considered as a more generic case of a thermal power system with increasing shares of variable renewables. In a baseline scenario, we find that power storage requirements remain moderate up to a renewable share of around 80%, as other options on both the supply and demand side may also offer flexibility at low cost. Yet storage plays an important role in the provision of reserves. If the renewable share further increases to 100%, the need for power storage grows substantially. As long-run parameter assumptions are highly uncertain, we carry out a range of sensitivity analyses. As a general finding, storage requirements strongly depend on the costs and availabilities of other flexibility options, particularly regarding flexible power generation from biomass. We conclude that power storage becomes an increasingly important element of a transition toward a fully renewable-based power system, and gains further relevance if other potential sources of flexibility are limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One major avenue for policymakers to meet climate targets is by decarbonizing the power sector, one component of which is raising the share of renewable energy sources (renewables) in electricity generation. However, promoting renewables --in liberalized power markets-- creates a paradox in that successful penetration of renewables could fall victim to its own success. With the current market architecture, future deployment of renewable energy will necessarily be more costly and less scalable. Moreover, transition towards a full 100% renewable electricity sector is unattainable. Paradoxically, in order for renewable technologies to continue growing their market share, they need to co-exist with fossil fuel technologies. Ignoring these findings can slow adoption and increase the costs of deploying new renewable technologies. This paper spots the incompatibility between electricity liberalization and renewable policy, regardless of the country, location or renewable technologies. The Paradox holds as long as market clear prices with short term marginal costs, and renewable technology's marginal cost is close to zero and not dispatchable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electricity production from renewable energy sources is increasing as costs are going down and concerns of climate change are driving political targets to shift away from fossil fuels. The fast expansion of renewable energy into the electric grid, from being negligible to becoming important for system stability, has implications for grid planning and operation. In this situation, grid operators need to ensure that the grid continues to operate in a safe, secure and economic way. To achieve this, grid codes have been introduced as common rules that regulate these responsibilities; and define standardized and transparent requirements for any facility connected to the grid. This paper gives a review of the status of grid codes in Northern Africa and Europe. It describes technical grid connection requirements particularly relevant for renewable energy integration with a focus on wind energy in general and more in-depth for Spain, Morocco and Egypt. Challenges regarding grid code standardisation and grid code compliance of renewable energy are addressed, and recommendations for further development of grid codes in North Africa are made, building on experiences from Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent climate change agreement in Paris highlights the imperative to aggressively decarbonize the energy economy and develop new technologies, especially for the generation of electrical energy that are environmentally clean. This challenge can only be addressed by a multi-pronged approach to research and education of the next generation of scientists and engineers as well as informed public discourse. Consequently this requires the introduction of new and comprehensive education programs on sustainable energy technologies for universities and, possibly, high schools. Among others, the new programs should provide in-depth knowledge in the development of new materials for more efficient energy conversion systems and devices. The enhanced level of education is also needed for properly assessing the competing technologies in terms of their economic and social benefits. The increasing recognition of the significance of clean and efficient energy conversion indicates the need for a comprehensive education program to be developed. The purpose of the present work is to consider the structure of both an education program and the related textbook where the energy-related fundamental and applied subjects are presented in a concentrated and uniform manner. Such a textbook could be an education aid for students of energy-related courses as well as the teachers involved in the formulation of the education programs. The textbook, which should be dedicated mainly for students at the undergraduate levels at universities, and possibly high schools, should include in-depth interdisciplinary sections dedicated to energy experts and graduate students. This paper considers the present international efforts in reducing the impact of climate change and the need to develop new technologies for clean energy generation. It is argued that progress in this area requires recognition of hydrogen as the main energy carrier of the future. This work also delineates the goals of the Sustainable Energy Network, SEN, involved in the UN program of Future Earth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Irrigation is one of the essential unit operations for agriculture and Sudan as an agricultural country with rich natural resources has an urgent need to optimize the utilization of energy, water, and land in a most sustainable way. The cost-effective irrigation pathway utilizing one of the clean energy technologies such as solar energy would contribute significantly to the sustainable development of agricultural sector in Sudan. This paper is intended to investigate the most cost-effective solar water pumping system for irrigation in Sudan. Three solar irrigation pumps were considered based on the collector configuration and type of energy conversion to include two thermal and one photovoltaic pump; parabolic trough pump (PTP), concentrating dish pump (CDP), and photovoltaic pump (PVP). Levelized energy cost (LEC) was used in this study as the economic indicator for the feasibility of solar water pumping systems. A comparative assessment model was developed based on weather conditions of Sudan and sensitivity analysis was conducted to study the effect of design parameters, weather conditions, and interest and inflation rates on the LEC of solar water pumping systems. The resulted LECs for PVP, CDP, and PTP in the base case were found to be 0.033 $/kWh, 0.062 $/kWh, and 0.075 $/kWh, respectively. PVP is the most feasible pathway among solar irrigation pumps in Sudan, and its initial cost per unit hydraulic power capacity is 1351 $/kW, compared to 4072 $/kW and 4884 $/kW for CDP and PTP, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tidal current turbines have the potential to make a considerable contribution to renewable energy supplies. However, the potential for utility-scale deployments will depend not only on the economics of power generation, but also on the likely hydro-environmental effects of deployments. These may include physical, acoustic, chemical, and electromagnetic effects but the effects of energy removal are considered most significant. This paper presents a review of the available published literature on the hydro-environmental effects of energy removal of tidal turbines. Given the limited number of ocean deployments of turbines to date, the relevant literature mostly comprises laboratory studies of singular scaled turbines and CFD model studies of multiple device arrays. The review finds that the hydrodynamic impacts of singular devices are relatively well understood and that it is generally accepted that the far-field effects of singular device deployments, and even small arrays, will be negligible. In contrast, large arrays have the potential to affect much greater changes in their far-field environments with the research showing potential for large reductions in current velocities inside, and upstream and downstream, of the array, and consequential impacts on mixing, mass transport and primary production. The review focused on those studies that attempted to quantify the magnitudes of any energy removal effects. As might be expected, the reported magnitudes of effects varied widely but there is a strong positive correlation with the level of energy removal. Indeed, the literature indicates that for most suitable deployment sites there exists a safe level of energy removal that would be both economical and environmentally sustainable. The authors recommend the application of combined hydrodynamic-biogeochemical models on a site-by-site basis to help determine the significance of any hydrodynamic impacts and therefore the appropriate sustainable levels of energy removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water is a prime element both for sustaining life on Earth and for complex human activity. In 2015 in Romania the average electricity production was of 7343 MW h and the average consumption was of 6590 MW h. The average hydropower generated was of 1894 MW h, which is equal to 26% of the total production. In this paper, we aim at reviewing the hydropower system in Romania from its beginnings, in 1884, to its present development. The first hydropower plant in Romania was in Sinaia and had an installed capacity of 4×250 kW. Now, Romania has more than 200 HPPs, with a total installed capacity of 6.443 MW. In Romania, hydropower is the first main source of energy among RES, followed by wind energy. Between 1950 and 1990 were built 115 hydropower stations. This period is characterized by the construction of most of the hydroelectric power plants in Romania, including the largest. The development of the hydro potential has begun in Bistrița basin. After 1990, in the transition period, after the fall of communism, the number of installed hydropower plants decreased, by 2010 totaling an installed capacity of only 838 MW, which means less than 14% of what was done before 1990. About 54% of Romania's hydropower potential is now arranged, and there are plans to reach 63.5% by 2025. The largest artificial lake of Romania is Lake Iron Gates I (Porțile de Fier I), constructed between 1964 and 1972 behind a 60 m’ dam. Iron Gate I rank position 52 out of 66, in the list of largest hydroelectric power stations in the world. Iron Gates I system is one of the largest hydro constructions in Europe and the largest on the Danube. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing trend in the consumption of various materials has also led to a huge increase in the final waste streams especially in the form of municipal solid waste (MSW) and the consequent environmental pollutions in particular greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These have made MSW management a significant environmental issue for governments and policy-makers. To address these challenges, developed countries have implemented sustainable material management (SMM) strategies which have been comprehensively reviewed herein. Moreover, waste generation statistics reported for most of the developed and developing countries as well as the existing gaps in MSW management among these countries have been fully discussed. The present paper was also aimed at comprehensively assessing electricity generation potentials from MSW using an integrated solid waste management system (including three different technologies of anaerobic digestion (AD), incineration, and pyrolysis-gasification) while the consequent GHG emission reduction potentials as a result of their implementation were also explored. To facilitate the understanding of the potential impacts of these treatment strategies, Iran's data were used as a case study. More specifically, the theoretical and technical potentials of electricity generation were calculated and the GHG emission reduction potentials were estimated using a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach. Overall, it was found that 5005.4–5545.8 GW h of electricity could be generated from MSW in Iran annually which could lead to approximately 3561–4844 thousand tons of avoided CO 2 eq. Such GHG reductions would be translated into approximately 0.5% of Iran's annual GHG emissions and would be considered a promising achievement given Iran's international GHGs reduction commitment, i.e., 4% reduction of anthropogenic GHGs emissions by 2030 below the business as usual scenario. Such findings could also be modeled for the other developing countries around the world where efficient MSW management is yet to be implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is anticipated that the decarbonisation of the entire energy system will require the introduction of large shares of variable renewable electricity generation into the power system. Long term integrated energy systems models are useful in improving our understanding of decarbonisation but they struggle to take account of short term variations in the power system associated with increased variable renewable energy penetration. This can oversimplify the ability of power systems to accommodate variable renewables and result in mistaken signals regarding the levels of flexibility required in power systems. Capturing power system impacts of variability within integrated energy system models is challenging due to temporal and technical simplifying assumptions needed to make such models computationally manageable. This paper addresses a gap in the literature by reviewing prominent methodologies that have been applied to address this challenge and the advantages & limitations of each. The methods include soft linking between integrated energy systems models and power systems models and improving the temporal and technical representation of power systems within integrated energy systems models. Each methodology covered approaches the integration of short term variations and assesses the flexibility of the system differently. The strengths, limitations, and applicability of these different methodologies are analysed. This review allows users of integrated energy systems models to select a methodology (or combination of methodologies) to suit their needs. In addition, the analysis identifies remaining gaps and shortcomings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The decision-making process regarding the choice of alternative energy technologies is multidimensional, made up of a number of aspects at different levels, economic, technical, environmental and social. This paper uses a multicriteria decision making model, PROMETHEE II, to determine the best fuel mix for electricity generation in an isolated Greek island, Lesvos. Having analyzed the energy profile of the island, a set of 7 energy policy scenarios are determined and assessed against economic, technical, environmental and social criteria. The energy policy scenarios include the use of conventional fuels, wind energy and natural gas, in its liquid form, liquefied natural gas (LNG). Weighting of criteria is carried out according to three different perspectives, each one focusing on sustainability, economic and environmental/social benefits. Two sensitivity analyses are performed taking into account the fluctuations of the electricity demand and the fluctuations of the fuel prices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is the greatest challenge of our time for development. Adaptation to this change combined with the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions can help to boost the economic transformation which stimulates growth, fills the energy gap and reduces poverty. This paper focuses on the potential of renewable energy sources (RES) for electricity generation in Madagascar which is a lower-income country. A large accessibility to electricity could be a driving force for the economic development of this fourth worldwide Island. The Electricity mix is currently heavily dependent to fossil fuel imports. Indeed, most of the electric demands are fulfilled by diesel power plants. An overview of the power situation and renewable energy potential of Madagascar is first presented, then different scenarios for the evolution its electricity mix are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conversion of waste to energy via a biological process establishes microbial fuel cells (MFC) as a prominent source of sustainable energy. MFC has been investigated for bioelectricity production through organic degradation of wastewater by microbial consortium. The potential of MFC applications in biosensors, desalination and hydrogen gas production has been explored. Many descendants of an MFC have been developed in recent years based upon the configurations, structures and purposes such as sediment MFC, mud MFC, soil MFC, constructed wetland MFC, photosynthetic MFC and biovolt-photogalvanic MFC. A plant microbial fuel cell (PMFC) is a promising modification of MFC that exercises the unique plant-microbe relationship at the rhizosphere region of a plant and converts solar energy into bioelectricity. In-situ bioelectricity and biomass production, rather than the supply of external substrates, make this technology different from traditional MFCs. Thus, designing and understanding PMFCs should be viewed from a biosystems engineering perspective rather than only through MFC methodology. Plant-microbe harmony at the soil interface, driven by rhizodeposition coupled with efficient engineering, ultimately directs towards its real applications. Thus, this paper reviews three main paradigms. Firstly, effects of plants in PMFC via rhizodeposition and photosynthetic activity are explored. Secondly, the role of microbes driven by soil physiochemical and biological characteristics are shown. Thirdly, the engineering aspects involved in designing an efficient configuration are revealed and an attempt is made to interpret the PMFC with biosystems principles. Furthermore, an overview of a PMFC system is done, along with the future perspectives and challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]