Search

As energy plays a vital role in the modern lifestyle of any country, understanding how sustainable the energy system of a country remains an important policy issue. This paper reviews the comprehensiveness of existing metrics in tracking and tracing energy sustainability and finds that the existing multi-dimensional indicators do not capture the sustainability dimension adequately. This paper proposes a composite index, SEDI (Sustainable Energy Development Index), to fill the gap. SEDI focuses on establishing the sustainability level of both intra- and inter-generational needs. The paper discusses the methodology, data availability and initial country comparisons. It is found that SEDI has a positive correlation with both the Human Development Index (HDI) and the Energy Development Index (EDI) but provides a better understanding of the different dimensions of energy sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Demand-side management (DSM) is an effective means to construct low-carbon electricity system, improve energy efficiency and fastly enhance the sustainable development of economy. DSM in China has entered a period of rapid development. A series of policies and regulations related to DSM have been issued by some national ministries in China. However, some problems exist in the implementation of DSM. In view of that, the current situation of DSM development in China is analyzed in this paper from the three aspects of policies and regulations related to DSM, DSM organizational management and DSM development of representative regions. Following that, the challenges faced in DSM implementation are discussed and feasible measures are proposed based on the challenges. This paper is conducive to give impetus to the development of DSM in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iran is rich in energy resources and oil has dominated the politico-socio-economic life of this country, but nevertheless Iran has no documented policy and vision for its massive resources. This poses a major challenge to policy makers and the society. It is necessary to have a clear picture of Iran׳s energy status in recent years showing the flow of energy supply, demand, consumption, import and export to know how the energy situation in Iran is and identify its weaknesses and strengths. This paper is the first step in that direction and presents an overview of Iran energy situation and the potential and current state of renewable energy application. The status of energy in Iran is compared to world’s energy status via five key factors, and finally this comparison shows hints for designing roadmap of energy for Iran to attain sustainable and secure energy in long term. The novel contribution of this work is the STEEP analysis of Iran energy situation for designing the long-term supporting mechanisms for sustainable and secure energy for Iran based on Social (S), Technological (T), Economical (E), Environmental (E) and Political (P) criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limited fossil resources, the continuous increment in fuel prices and severe environmental problems require new sustainable electricity generation options, which utilize renewable energies. Solar photovoltaic generation is a proven renewable energy technology and has the potential to become cost-effective in the future, for it produces electricity from the solar radiation. In Ghana, the electricity demand is rapidly increasing at a rate of 10% annually. In the attempt to change the conventional energy intensive economical development and its negative impact on the environment, the government has begun to support the development of the solar photovoltaic technology strongly. In this paper, the state of solar photovoltaic, the challenges facing the industry, the potential of the technology, the policies and strategies to promote development of the technology have been presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper introduces a transparent methodology to assess new suitable locations for mini and small hydro power plants in Europe. The expansion of hydro electricity production is a policy focus not only in Europe, but in the US (Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act of 2013) and in the developing world as well. The analysis of the technical potential points out the exact geographical locations and their corresponding capacities instead of only a theoretical potential; therefore it can serve as a reference for the policy debate over the sustainable management of water resources. This debate is reflected already in two major European policies: the Water Framework Directive (WFD) (2000/60/EC) and the RES Directive (2009/28/EC) on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources. As both policies have major influence on the priorities of water use, it is important to identify water management practices capable of accommodating sustainable energy purposes while maintaining water quality objectives at the same time. As the WFD poses limitation on the further expansion of large scale hydro options in the European water bodies, the present study focuses on local mini and small hydropower options and their suitability mapping. The presented, geographically explicit method is based on geospatial analysis and the results can contribute to the prioritization of potential hydro power sites in order to improve water quality and its use for energy simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving sustainable energy development in a region requires rational use of energy resources and technologies, and the development of appropriate policies. Three concerns are therefore required to achieve these issues: (i) to acquire a picture of the local current energy situation, (ii) to measure the state of development and the progress towards a sustainable energy system, and (iii) to have energy decision- and policy-makers fully aware of the implications on sustainable development of selected policies. It is in this perspective and in the frame of activities on sustainable energy for all and access to energy in developing countries carried out by the UNESCO Chair in Energy for Sustainable Development, that we developed this review. The objective of this paper is to depict the current energy situation of Africa by using the most up to date data, describing it as far as the concept of sustainable development is concerned, and to see if and how energy policies promoted by local players fit with this asset. We assess the energy situation of Africa by combining (i) data, mainly by the International Energy Agency, about national energy balances for primary and electric energy, the Energy Development Index and energy resources, with (ii) a more comprehensive analysis of the African energy system, accomplished by the Energy Indicators for Sustainable Development. An overview of the energy-related policies and action plans developed by different local players in the African continent is also carried out with the goal of providing remarks by coupling such plans with the above mentioned energy analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable energy development is a complex multi-dimensional concept that can vary in meaning based on the context it is applied in and the perspective of the user. The role of energy in achieving sustainable development was recognized when the concept was first put forward in 1987. However, what that role consisted of was not made clear. Since then, the concept of sustainable energy development has developed to become a prominent policy objective on the international agenda, as evidenced by the introduction of the UN's Sustainable Development Goal 7 on energy. This paper presents an overview of the history of the concept as well as its emerging themes. Through a citation analysis, the most cited open-access publications relevant to the concept were identified. A thematic analysis of these most cited publications led to the identification of four interrelated themes of sustainable energy development; access to affordable modern energy services, sustainable energy supply, sustainable energy consumption, and energy security. The overarching goal of sustainable energy development was defined as furthering sustainability. Equitable access to affordable and reliable modern energy services is integral to sustainable development. A transformation of the current energy system is necessary to reduce its harmful impacts, both on the supply and demand side. This transformation is not possible unless it is economically viable through, for instance, cost-competitive technologies and changes in energy pricing to reflect the external costs of energy. • Sustainable energy development is a young multi-dimensional concept. • Common themes of sustainable energy development are identified. • Access to modern energy services for all is essential to further sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]