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This paper is the editorial for the virtual special issue (VSI) of Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews (RSER) dedicated to three Sustainable Development of Energy Water and Environment Systems (SDEWES) Conferences held in 2022, namely: (i) the 5th South East European Conference SEESDEWES 2022 held from May 22 to 26, 2022 in Vlore, Albania; (ii) the 3rd Latin American LASDEWES 2022 held from July 24 to 28, 2022 in Sao Paulo, Brazil and (iii) the 17th SDEWES 2022 held from November 6 to 10, 2022 in Paphos, Cyprus. The VSI collected both high quality review papers and original research articles presented at these conferences, aligning with the aims and scope of RSER. Following a rigorous peer review process, seventeen articles were accepted and published. These articles explore techniques and technologies essential for advancing feasible Renewable and Sustainable Energy Systems. Spanning multidisciplinary topics, many of them address almost all the Sustainable Development Goals, offering feasible solutions for much-needed decarbonization pathways. • The VSI SDEWES 2022 presents the ready solutions for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Systems. • Five clusters for presenting the Renewable and Sustainable energy cutting edge solutions. • The positioning in the scientific context of the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Systems. • Feasible solutions for much-needed decarbonization pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid growth in population and economic development in Iran and its neighboring countries has resulted in a dramatic increase in electricity demand over the past few years. A substantial amount of electricity must be produced to meet this growing demand in this region. By installing conventional fossil power plants, using renewable energy, and interconnecting with neighboring countries, this growing demand can be accomplished. The main aim of this research is to identify prospects and challenges in the electrical sector around Iran. To this end, this paper evaluates the existing and future state of the electrical sector in Iran and its neighboring countries. Despite the fact that there is still a long way to go in terms of renewable energy in this region, there are some promising targets for the future that will allow fossil fuels to be replaced effectively. Notwithstanding this, we should point out that a number of cross-border interconnection projects are being pursued by Iran and its neighbors in order to integrate their networks and supply this growing demand. Finally, this study presents an overview of the future prospects and challenges of electricity capacity expansion, cross-border interconnections, and electricity transmission corridors in this region. The review results provide comprehensive background knowledge to all the researchers in order to investigate further into the field. This paper assists energy policy makers regarding the development of sustainable energy planning. • •In addition to providing a general overview of the geographical location, population growth, and economic indicators of Iran and its neighboring countries, this paper presents the current state of the Iranian electricity sector and its neighboring countries in light of the trends in electricity production, energy mix, price, and exports and imports. • •This paper explores the existing and future states of electricity capacity expansion in the region, specifically focusing on renewable energy sources. • •The existing and future states of cross-border electricity interconnections are examined to present a comprehensive overview of the cross-border interconnections in this region. • •This region's potential electricity transmission corridors are proposed to create the opportunity to transmit electricity across countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the banner of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7), governments, industry, and civil society organisations have supported many energy access projects since 2015. Notably, funding and investments allotted to renewable energy are regarded not only to provide 'energy for all' but also support the delivery of other SDGs related to climate change, food security, health, and poverty reduction, among others. With less than 10 years left to meet the SDG 7 targets, it is timely to take stock and examine how the provision of access to energy is driving development initiatives, impacting local communities, and influencing governance processes. This paper offers a critical review and analysis of the impact of access to energy projects based on empirical work from eight country case studies across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. It interrogates how these projects contribute towards achieving SDG 7 and other sustainable development goals, highlights challenges, and then draws lessons for research, policy, and development practice. To advance SDGs, it recommends action in four areas: addressing rural-urban disparities, ensuring that energy is linked to sustainable outcomes, balancing top-down and bottom-up agendas, and appraising implications of techno-economic factors. [Display omitted] • Energy access has been constrained by multiple factors outside of policy decisions. • Governance decisions have overlooked local actors who are key to project sustainability. • Improved efficiency is more vital to energy security and access than increased generation. • Alignment between policies, governance processes, and institutional commitments is crucial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual power plants possess the capability to effectively manage the inherent conflict between dispersed electricity generation and user demand, hence optimising market advantages. Nevertheless, the presence of severe weather conditions, geopolitical factors, the phenomenon of global warming, and several other global concerns greatly enhance the level of uncertainty related to the establishment of sustainable energy sources and the corresponding demand from users. Consequently, these factors expose the limitations of virtual power plants in effectively controlling power supply. The active involvement of community members has the potential to invigorate the process of development. This study presents a novel model, referred to as the CE-based cVPP (CE-cVPP) model, that combines the principles of circular economy (CE) and community-based virtual power plant (cVPP). The objective of this model is to enhance the effectiveness of sustainable development efforts. This research redefines the concept of a CE-cVPP, elucidates its defining features, scopes, and classification, and constructs a technological framework, together with an explanatory community case structure. The CE-cVPP energy life cycle framework is constructed based on the principles of the circular economy paradigm. This study investigates the enduring and sustainable benefits of the CE-cVPP across four dimensions: energy, environment, economics, and society. In conclusion, this paper provides a comprehensive examination of the energy, digital, and circular economy perspectives, encompassing critical analysis, problems, prospective analysis, and future directions. • Circular economy and community-based Virtual Power Plant (CE-cVPP) is a paradigm for the future energy sector. • CE-cVPP is a novel sustainable pattern that combines circular economy and community virtual power plants. • CE-cVPP features renewable energy, electricity, gas, cold, heat, and biodegradable waste. • CE-cVPP promotes economic, social, and ecological sustainability. • CE-cVPPs enhance the power and energy system's adaptability, versatility, and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract While auctions are becoming increasingly popular for tendering renewable energy projects to private developers in Africa, their specific project risk implications are not yet fully understood. This paper identifies project risks arising from two types of auction schemes. It compares an approach where the government pre-selects the sites for future renewable energy plants in Zambia's Scaling Solar initiative to one where project developers choose, secure and conduct due diligence on their sites before bidding in South Africa's Africa's Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme (REI4P). Semi-structured interviews with developers who have participated in both schemes reveal notably different risk profiles. Despite contrary intentions, site-specific risks have been perceived as the highest overall project risk in the government-led site selection process in Zambia. Specifically, site-specific risks were driven by several severe technical issues such as geotechnical, grid connection and solar irradiation uncertainties. In contrast, in South Africa's developer-led site selection process, site-specific risks have been reported to be important, but less pronounced, and more evenly distributed among technical, economic, legal, permitting and social risk factors. This paper recommends an auction design which minimises project risks for all stakeholders. Where governments pre-select sites, closely consulting the private sector is advisable prior to bidding to identify and mitigate technical and other site-specific risks. Highlights • Explores risk impact of two site selection & preparation strategies for solar PV project procurement in sub-Saharan Africa. • The widely used strategy in the region is for a government institution or utility to select and prepare the project site. • The second strategy is where the private sector developers are responsible for selecting & preparing the site before bidding. • We find that a government-led site selection strategy can lead to increase risks, costs and timelines if poorly executed. • It is argued that more private sector involvement in the site selection & preparation process might reduce these risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capture and sequestration of CO 2 released by conventional fossil fuel combustion is an urgent need to mitigate global warming. In this work, main CO 2 capture and sequestration (CCS) systems are reviewed, with the focus on their integration with renewables in order to achieve power plants with nearly zero CO 2 emissions. Among these technologies under development, the Dry Carbonate Process shows several advantages. This manuscript analyses the integration of a CO 2 sorption-desorption cycle based on Na 2 CO 3 /NaHCO 3 into a coal fired power plant (CFPP) for CO 2 capture with solar support for sorbent regeneration. The Dry Carbonate Process relies on the use of a dry regenerable sorbent such as sodium carbonate (Na 2 CO 3 ) to remove CO 2 from flue gases. Na 2 CO 3 is converted to sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO 3 ) through reaction with CO 2 and water steam. Na 2 CO 3 is regenerated when NaHCO 3 is heated, which yields a gas stream mostly containing CO 2 and H 2 O. Condensation of H 2 O produces a pure CO 2 stream suitable for its subsequent use or compression and sequestration. In this paper, the application of the Dry Carbonate CO 2 capture process in a coal-based power plant is studied with the goal of optimizing CO 2 capture efficiency, heat and power requirements. Integration of this CO 2 capture process requires an additional heat supply which would reduce the global power plant efficiency by around 9–10%. Dry Carbonate Process has the advantage compared with other CCS technologies that requires a relatively low temperature for sorbent regeneration (< 200 °C). It allows an effective integration of medium temperature solar thermal power to assist NaHCO 3 decarbonation. This integration reduces the global system efficiency drop to the consumption associated with mechanical parasitic consumption, resulting in a fossil fuel energy penalty of 3–4% (including CO 2 compression). The paper shows the viability of the concept through economic analyses under different scenarios. The results suggest the interest of advancing in this Solar-CCS integrated concept, which shows favourable outputs compared to other CCS technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important energy base of China, Xinjiang is the key part of the “Silk Road” economic belt development strategy and is in an superior position. This paper analyzes the problems exist in the sustainable energy industry based on the distribution status of sustainable resources of Xinjiang. The evaluation index system of the application level of Renewable Energy Systems (RESs) is discussed using the wind farm as an example. Besides it investigates the advantages and disadvantages of the development process of each node in the “Silk Road” economic belt areas according to the current situation of the resources, economic and social development. Suggestions for the development of each area are proposed in the end. This paper will contribute to the sustainable development of renewable energy industry and economy in Xinjiang. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water and energy are the key drivers of agricultural production while the world is facing severe energy and water crisis. Increasing crop production per unit area for the increasing population of the world is dire need of time. Thus, sustainable approaches are required to ensure food security and energy security. One of the sustainable development approach is solar photovoltaic water pumping system (SPVWPS). It is a promising alternative to the conventional pumping systems and a cost-effective application especially in remote off-grid areas of developing countries. In recent years, through continuous improvement, the photovoltaic pump system has been widely used in agricultural, industrial, and domestic sectors. Present paper intends to review and summarize the recent research and development performed in SPVWPS. The study focuses on components of the photovoltaic pump system, factors affecting system efficiency, performance assessment, optimization of the system, and possibility of combination with other green technologies. An update on the research and current situation of SPVWPS is presented. SPVWPS is found to be feasible in comparison to the conventional pumping systems. Application of PV pumping in different regions of the world are also discussed. This paper aims to provide a broad outlook on SPVWPS for the researchers, engineers, manufacturers, and policy makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global anthropogenic activities resulting in the emission of harmful greenhouse gases (GHGs) to the atmosphere have increased the challenges faced from climate change. The greater awareness of the need to mitigate climate variability has brought about intense focus on the adverse impacts of fossil-fuel based energy on the environment. Being the single largest source of carbon emissions, energy supply has attracted much attention and more so that, climate change impacts extend beyond national boundaries. Since energy use is sine qua non to economic development, scientists have reiterated the necessity of developing and utilising renewable energy. Although, past and present CO 2 emissions have and are majorly caused by industrialized countries, it is envisaged that future GHGs emissions would be mostly from developing countries as they industrialize. Renewable energy sources that include biomass, hydroelectric, wind, solar and hydrothermal systems, are carbon-neutral, releasing relatively no emissions. This paper discusses the initiatives associated with the provision of renewable energy to the energy mix in Nigeria as an indication of the country’s commitment to adopt a sustainable development strategy in shaping the economy. It reviews the literature and employs a discourse analysis to examine the limited use of renewable energy sources in Nigeria and the factors prevailing against their development. The paper concludes by identifying social and political obstacles as most significant roadblocks towards rapid implementation of a green economy through the deployment of renewable energy for sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy demand in China has risen rapidly and reached an unprecedented level due to the high-speed economic growth and modern development. As a result, the Chinese government faces a growing pressure to address the energy shortage and environmental deterioration, mainly resulting from an over-dependence on fossil energy. China has become both the largest energy consumer and CO 2 emitting country in the world in 2015. Utilization of potential for renewable energy is necessary for changing inappropriate energy consumption structure, protecting environment and achieving sustainable economic and social development. In view of such mentioned situation, this paper firstly introduces the energy structure as well as the development status of renewable energy in China, which includes hydropower, wind power, solar power, biomass power and other renewable energy. Besides, based on the current situation in China, the paper makes a preliminary prediction of the development of renewable energy in the country for the future decades, and proposes targeted countermeasures and suggestions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Europe has a large tradition of Small Hydropower stations (SHP); these proliferate wherever there was an adequate supply of moving water and a need for electricity. As electricity demand grew many of these plants were abandoned. Today with the rising price of energy, SHP can be a solution to help rural electrification, furthermore SHPs do not consume the water that drives the turbines. The advantage of this technology is extremely robust and systems can last for 50 years or more with little maintenance. This paper summarizes an overview of SHP Hydropower in Europe. Hydropower on a small scale, or micro-hydro, is one of the most cost effective energy technologies to be considered for rural electrification in less developed countries. Europe is a market leader of SHP technology. Optimal turbine designs are available and new technical developments offer automated operation of SHP. The present role of SHP in Europe in the development of renewable energy sources is discussed through this paper. The main producers of SHP electricity in Europe are Italy, France, Spain, Germany and Sweden. On the other hand, 10 European countries are ranked based on the total numbers of SHPs: Germany (7,512), Italy (2,427), France (1,935), Sweden (1,901), Spain (1,047), Poland (722), Romania (274), Portugal (155) and UK (120). The research shows that there is a considerable scope for development and optimization of this technology. This opens new perspectives because it has a huge, as yet untapped potential in most areas of Europe and can make a significant contribution to future energy needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable energy sources can help combat climate change but knowing the land, water and carbon implications of different renewable energy production mixes becomes a key. This paper systematically applies land, water and carbon footprint accounting methods to calculate resource appropriation and CO 2 eq GHG emissions of two energy scenarios. The '100% scenario' is meant as a thinking exercise and assumes a complete transition towards bioenergy, mostly as bioelectricity and some first-generation biofuel. The 'SDS-bio scenario' is inspired by IEA's sustainable development scenario and assumes a 9.8% share of bioenergy in the final mix, with a high share of first-generation biofuel. Energy inputs into production are calculated by differentiating inputs into fuel versus electricity and exclude fossil fuels used for non-energy purposes. Results suggest that both scenarios can lead to emission savings, but at a high cost of land and water resources. A 100% shift to bioenergy is not possible from water and land perspectives. The SDS-bio scenario, when using the most efficient feedstocks (sugar beet and sugarcane), would still require 11–14% of the global arable land and a water flow equivalent to 18–25% of the current water footprint of humanity. In comparative terms, using sugar or starchy crops to produce bioenergy results in smaller footprints than using oil-bearing crops. Regardless of the choice of crop, converting the biomass to combined heat and power results in smaller land, water and carbon footprints per unit of energy than when converting to electricity alone or liquid biofuel. • The greenhouse gas emission savings of bioenergy entail large land and water use. • Land, water and carbon footprints of biofuels and bioelectricity are calculated. • A dynamic energy feedback loop is used to clarify gross and net footprints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to keep sustainable development, the Chinese government has issued series of policies to reduce CO 2 emissions. Renewable energy technologies applied in building field, mainly including solar energy and geothermal energy technologies, are recommended because of advances of energy efficiency, environmental protection and economic sustainability. Carbon trading has been widely accepted as an effective market approach, but it hasn’t covered the renewable energy application in building projects in China as yet. Reasonable solutions should be proposed to encourage building projects to participate in the carbon trading market. This paper aims at establishing a feasible mechanism to help improve the carbon market for renewable energy application in buildings. To attend this goal, this paper introduces and analyzes the status of carbon trading market and the position for building projects in China. By comparing the present mechanisms, Programmatic CDM with building portfolio is considered appropriate for building projects with renewable energy application. Volume verifying method, the core of the mechanism, is modified to fit the building projects. Then five different specific cases are studied to prove the practicality and reasonableness of the methodology. Programmatic CDM with modified verifying method is concluded as the proper mechanism for renewable energy application in buildings in carbon trading market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainability has become a critical perspective in managing firms via a holistic approach by considering economic, environmental and social dimensions of firms. With the rising significance of sustainable development, the theories of sustainability in firms have evolved during the past six decades. This article offers a critical review of the evolving theories linking sustainability to firms, and discusses their implications for future renewable energy research. The relationships among different theories are critically analysed, and the directions for future research are discussed. The paper shows that, the main theories linking sustainability to firms, in a chronological order, are: 1) Corporate Social Responsibility, 2) Stakeholder Theory, 3) Corporate Sustainability, and 4) Green Economics. Currently various innovative approaches and new theories emerged, such as Co-evolution Theory and Multi-level Perspective, reflecting three directions of theory development, namely 1) shifting from "what" to "how", 2) growing use of interdisciplinary approach, and 3) towards broader systems. Renewable energy studies associated with firms and future research opportunities in this area are also critically analysed. The comprehensive review offered in this paper provides a useful reference for policy makers, corporate managers and researchers interested in corporate sustainability and renewable energy related studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The major contributor to global warming is human-generated greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions that pollute the air. GHGs emissions are a global issue dominated by emission of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). Notably, CO 2 accounts for an estimated 77% of GHGs and thus has a huge impact on the environment. The capture, sequestration, and utilization of CO 2 emissions from flue gas are now becoming familiar worldwide. These methods are a promising solution to promote sustainability for the benefit of future generations. Previously, many researchers have focused on capturing and storing CO 2 ; however, less effort has been spent on finding ways to utilize flue gas emissions. Moreover, several issues must be overcome in the field of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology, especially regarding the cost, capacity of storage and the durability of the storage reservoir. In addition, this paper addresses new technology in carbon capture and sequestration. To make CCS technology more feasible, this paper suggests a sustainable method combining CCS and biofuel production using CO 2 as a feedstock. This method offers many advantages, such as CO 2 emission mitigation and energy security through the production of renewable energy. Due to the many advantages of biofuels, the conversion of CO 2 into biofuel is a best practice and may provide a solution to pollution while encouraging sustainability practises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, five most emerging renewable energy sources are analyzed. These emerging renewables are either special or advanced forms of the mainstream energy sources (solar, wind, geothermal, biofuels, biomass, and hydro) or brand new technologies. The five emerging renewable technologies discussed in this paper include marine energy, concentrated solar photovoltaics (CSP), enhanced geothermal energy (EGE), cellulosic ethanol, and artificial photosynthesis. Marine energy is divided into wave energy, tidal energy, tidal/ocean currents, salinity gradient, and ocean thermal energy conversion. CSP technologies are divided into parabolic troughs, linear Fresnel reflectors, parabolic dishes, and solar towers. The process for developing EGE reservoirs is also explained in detail. Cellulosic ethanol energy extraction is explained for both cellulolysis and gasification. Artificial photosynthesis is explained by considering semiconductor particles, electrolyzers, artificial leaves, and dye-synthesized solar cells. Each emerging renewable source's explanation is followed by its market share, challenges, implications for increased adoption, future prospects, and drawbacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Turkey’s rapid economic growth followed by increasing gap between domestic energy production and consumption signifies the large-scale integration of low-carbon and renewable resources into energy system. Turkey’s energy demand is increasing and supplying fossil energies such as oil and gas is becoming more challenging due to the lack of domestic hydrocarbon resources. The country is facing two main issues; first, maintaining energy balance and second, handling environmental issues. Nevertheless, Turkey has substantial renewable and low-carbon energy resources with co-benefits for the country’s fast growing economy and environmental sustainability. This paper aims to present a comprehensive update on Turkey’s renewable and low-carbon energy sector. It reviews not only the current status of the technology, policy and economy, but also provides an insight into the social aspects as well. From a policy point of view, the paper critically discusses Turkey’s energy strategy and perspectives and from the social point of view, the paper argues that there is a research gap in recent literature regarding public awareness and social acceptance of low-carbon energy technologies. Also, the future challenges for promoting low-carbon society in Turkey are discussed in terms of sustainable development and socio-environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recognizing the multidimensional role that hydropower can potentially play in achieving a more sustainable energy supply system, this paper reviews a series of published economic, environmental and social indicators that are often used to characterize this energy source. Getting the right balance between measures assessing benefits and costs is often a challenge in complex evaluations. The current paper argues that present studies sometimes set system boundaries too narrowly so that they omit key factors associated with hydropower. In particular, the role that hydroelectric resources can play to stabilize the overall electrical grid, and thus to leverage investments in other intermittent renewables, is only rarely accounted for in sustainability assessments. Based on a broad literature review, the authors articulate two key recommendations for future assessments: first, that such assessments should reflect on policy issues as well as environmental challenges with respect to existing hydropower potential within the current framework; second, that system boundaries should be extended not only to allow broad hydrological, ecological and geological assessments, but also to reasonably estimate hydro's potential benefits to the functioning of the overall electrical grid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar home systems (SHSs) are the real hope for electrification of the off-grid areas in Bangladesh by utilizing the solar energy in renewable and sustainable basis. This paper demonstrates the solar energy prospect, the present status and dissemination schemes of SHSs in off-grid and coastal areas of Bangladesh by several government and Non-government organizations (NGOs). The country has an average daily solar radiation ranges between 4–6.5 kWh/m 2 . Currently, more than 3.8 million SHSs of capacity range 10–135 Wp (watt peak) with a total capacity of 150 MW have been disseminated in rural and isolated areas in Bangladesh. In this paper, ten case studies of capacity 20 Wp, 30 Wp and 42 Wp were investigated to evaluate economic viability at two randomly selected villages in Sirajgonj district and Jessore district, Bangladesh. The analysis showed that the SHSs for small business enterprise and household with small income generation are economically viable rather than only household lighting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biobased products are complete or partial derivatives from naturally occurring/growing materials such as agricultural, plants, and forest materials and serve as an alternative to traditional product derivatives of petroleum. Technically, biobased product counterparts can replace almost every fossil resource-based industrial material. Adopting life cycle analysis and circular economy concepts has also accelerated the move towards biobased products. It meets the criteria for easy recycling and can facilitate the shift from linear fossil-based productions to a greener circular economy. In line with the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews (RSER) policy, this Virtual Special Issue (VSI) published two types of articles, high-quality review papers and original research papers with a strong review component. After a rigorous peer-review process, 32 articles were accepted and published in this VSI. This editorial overview these articles and examines their contribution to the field. This RSER VSI has contributed with new insights on value-added biobased products from various bioresources to their applications, technical challenges and advancement in a sustainable manner. • VSI is focused on the recent development of biobased biorefineries. • Greener technologies offering biobased products. • Sustainable bioprocesses and bioproducts development from bioresources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sun is the primary energy source for all life on Earth. Solar energy is clean and is available all over the world. The total energy produced, in 2016, was 7236 MWh, while the total consumed was 6660 MWh. The average photovoltaic energy generated was 255 MWh, which accounts for 3.5% of the total production and 8.2% of the RES (3096 MWh). Investments in renewable energy in Romania began in late 2008, when Green Certificates were granted by Law no. 220. In this paper, we review the photovoltaic system development in Romania, from 2011, when the market began to develop, to the present day. The climate change and air pollution have to be slowed down and reduced by implementing renewable and sustainable solutions in order to generate electricity. The photovoltaic industry has an important role in Romania's development, both economically and environmentally and by having the “unlimited resource” advantage, it is a good alternative to fossil fuels. Now, the largest solar park in Romania, with 332,000 operational PV units, located in Ucea de Sus, Brasov County and commissioned in 2013, has an installed capacity of 82 MW, and covers a land surface of 200 ha. 178 years ago, French physicist Edmond Becquerel discovered the photoelectric effect, in 1839. At the moment, the typical power of solar PV modules is less than 500 W, depending on efficiency and temperature sensitivity. Currently, long-term research on photovoltaic cells focus on increasing the power output, increasing the efficiency and reducing the temperature sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global firms are increasingly adopting greenhouse gas mitigation targets in response to climate change. These targets serve as a spur for carbon mitigation initiatives, provide guidelines to select appropriate mitigation actions, and set the standards to measure the progress of the mitigation efforts. Despite their important functionalities, firm-level mitigation targets have rarely been studied. In this paper we aim to provide a comparative view on mitigation targets set by global firms across different countries and industrial sectors. The analysis focuses on four dimensions, i.e., adoption, metric, scope, and stringency. We find Japan far leads the other major countries in terms of target adoption, but the targets of Japanese firms are generally less stringent. Canadian firms are laggards in both target adoption and target stringency. The mitigation targets are also considerably uncommon among Australian firms. Firms in developing countries fall behind in target stringency and display a significantly greater divergence than developed countries in sectoral adoption rate. The European Union firms are most likely to cover the emissions in their supply chains in targets. Target stringency has substantially tightened from 2005 to 2012. For all the countries in this study, around 95% of the firm-level targets are more stringent than the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions submitted to the Paris Agreement. Setting mitigation target has a significant positive impact on both the likelihood of investing in renewable energy and the amount of investment in renewable energy. However, there is no evidence that more stringent targets lead to higher investment. These findings point to the most pressing issues with regard to corporate mitigation target-setting that policymakers and corporate management should address. [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]

This paper aims to identify institutional improvement measures to promote environmentally sustainable ocean renewable energy development by analyzing how the environmental assessment systems in South Korea are integrated into this development. The measures identified in the paper include (1) consideration of subjecting ocean renewable energy development to strategic environment assessment in order to assess the adequacy of relevant project plans and the validity of site selection at early stages, (2) new standards, such as the area of occupancy, integrated within the environmental impact assessment at the project implementation stage, (3) integration of the environmental impact assessment with the procedures for Consultation on Utilization of Sea Areas to reduce development cost and delays and (4) reinforcement of post-development environmental monitoring processes to eliminate uncertainty or lack of knowledge about potential impacts on marine environment and habitat caused by development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological compensation could coordinate the development of energy, the economy, and the environment by internalizing environmental externalities and adjusting for the relationships with stakeholders׳ benefits. Thus, because hydropower is a clean and renewable form of energy, it is urgent that an ecological compensation mechanism be established for hydropower to promote its sustainable development. In this context, this paper has reviewed previous compensation research to explore the particular role that ecological compensation has had in the sustainable development of hydropower. The paper discusses and perfects the ecological compensation mechanism establishment in hydropower development, discussing its connotation, stakeholders, modes, and development of standards. We found that the current ecological compensation mechanism in hydropower development was not complete; the accuracy, applicability and reasonability of each mode of ecological compensation in hydropower development required additional study. Based on these findings, in this review paper, a complete ecological compensation mechanism framework was constructed to avoid the partial compensation on large hydropower projects. With this new compensation mechanism framework, the displaced people, inundated habitats, and regulated rivers were identified as the recipients, whereas the beneficiaries from the hydropower development were identified as the payers. The findings also indicated that the market-led and government-led compensation should be integrated when designing natural habitat restoration, resettlement compensation, and payment for ecosystem services (PES) in hydropower development. Additionally, a cascade ecological compensation development mode was proposed for hydropower development according to the practical situation in China to illustrate the gradual perfection of the ecological compensation mechanism establishment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Harvesting energy from the wind as an alternative to fossil fuels has many advantages in terms of protecting the environment and promoting sustainability. However, the increasing penetration of wind power in electrical networks presents many challenges such as the intermittency of wind power, its relative high cost as compared to conventional sources, and technical impacts on the distribution systems. Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) are fast becoming integral components of the 21st century electrical grid at all levels including the generation, transmission, distribution and even at the consumer level. The use of ICT in the modern wind power plants has also become the norm and offers numerous benefits in addressing the challenges of wind power integration. ICT can support the efficient scheduling of wind power generation and energy dispatch, and can be used in automation, protection, and even in reactive power control applications. The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) has been playing a key role in the transition to a modernized ICT-based electrical grid by developing many communication standards. These standards have opened the path to a unified and interoperable communication platform in different aspects of the power system network. This paper provides an in depth overview of the relevant wind power communication standards and presents a review on their worldwide applications. The key focus is on the application of the two most relevant IEC standards, the IEC 61850 and IEC 61400-25, in wind power systems, the current status of the literature and ongoing research projects. The paper also identifies potential research directions for future development in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sustainable energy system can be treated as a development of the distributed generation concept. It meets energy demands locally from renewable energy or/and high-efficiency polygeneration production technologies, and is characterized by energy and cost efficiency, reliability, and environmental-friendliness. Distributed energy systems typically use renewable energy resources to supply all energy demands, such as heat, cooling, and electric power in an integrated way. However, it seems that too much emphasis is placed on power and associated renewable energy-based power technologies for dealing with sustainability issues in public discussion and the research community. Often, equally important thermal energy (heat and cooling) and polygeneration are ignored. Polygeneration is an energy-efficient technology for generating simultaneously heat and power as well as other energy products in a single integrated process. Energy efficiency contributes significantly to CO 2 emission reduction. This paper discusses the role of polygeneration in a distributed energy system and the contributions of polygeneration to the development of sustainable energy systems. The paper also stresses that efficient decision support tools for sustainable polygeneration systems are important to achieve sustainability. First, the joint characteristic of a polygeneration plant that defines the dependency between different energy products is reviewed. Then, typical methods for dealing with polygeneration systems are reviewed. The review attempts to highlight the complexity of polygeneration systems and potential of polygeneration systems to adjust output of different energy products. Next, the challenges of sustainable polygeneration energy systems are discussed. Then some practices for operating polygeneration plants are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of alternative energy sources has become a necessity as fossil energy resources are declining. At the same time, energy demand is rapidly increasing, putting the world on the verge of a global energy crisis. Moreover, the extensive use of conventional energy sources is polluting the environment and causing global warming. On the other hand, wind and other renewable energy sources are viable and clean alternatives to fossil fuels. Low operating cost and extensive availability make wind one of the most advantageous and effective renewable energy sources. This paper provides an exposure to the necessity for deployment of renewable energy sources and the worldwide installed capacity of wind power as well as a review of various wind technologies in conjunction with their applications and devices of operation. Furthermore, this paper discusses the cost of electric generation in wind power plants as well as the economic and environmental policies that advocate the installation of wind energy systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

In previous years, much research has been carried out to specify eco-innovations determinants. In most studies, eco-innovation was analyzed at a general level. From the perspective of climate change and the aim of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and the European Green Deal objectives, the issue of innovations that replace the share of fossil fuel energy with renewable energy sources in the European Union appears to be particularly important. Therefore, this paper has two purposes. First, using a systematic literature review, it examines the key factors driving decisions taken by European Union enterprises to create innovations with environmental benefits. Second, it estimates the impact of these factors on introducing innovations that replace the share of fossil fuel energy with renewable energy sources. Specifically, using the logistic regression model, it analyses microdata from thirteen European Union Member States collected during the 2014 Community Innovation Survey. The effects show that six out of seven drivers under assessment positively affect the introduction of innovations that replace fossil fuel energy with renewable energy sources. These are (1) the high cost of energy, water, or materials, (2) environmental regulations or taxes expected in the future, (3) existing environmental taxes, charges, or fees, (4) government grants, subsidies, or other financial incentives for environmental innovations, (5) current or expected market demand for environmental innovations, and (6) voluntary actions or initiatives for good environmental practice within a sector. • Innovations that replace fossil fuel energy depend on a few drivers. • The most important is the high cost of energy, water, or materials. • Existing environmental regulations have no effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Before the COVID pandemic, oil and gas companies invested only a small fraction of their capital on sustainable energy technologies. With the substantial improvement in the performance of batteries and their rapid cost reduction, the oil and gas industry could potentially lose a large share of their market in the transport sector. A similar shift in energy sources is happening with the surge in renewable energy sources to supply electricity, heating and cooling. In an ever more sustainable future, the need for an oil and gas industry could reduce significantly. This paper reviews the possible paths that an oil and gas company could follow to become a sustainable development corporation and continue to be relevant in the future. This paper aims to describe alternative sustainable pathways such as the extraction of natural hydrogen, a hydrogen economy, offshore wind power, deep sea mining, biorefineries, seawater air-conditioning, geothermal and geoengineering. This paper also proposes the use of electrolysis ships for the flexible production of green hydrogen and showed that its investment cost can be three times smaller than in fixed electrolysis plants. The oil and gas industry has substantial intellectual, financial capital and geopolitical influence that would not be lost during a shift to a more sustainable world. Indeed, these assets should be used to facilitate the transition to a more sustainable future. • Hydrogen is a good alternative for sustainable development in O&G companies. • Natural hydrogen is a good alternative to the upstream O&G companies. • Benefits of electrolysis ships to produce green hydrogen. • Case study to produce green hydrogen in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a comprehensive review of the current state of the art of the economics and socio-economics of ocean renewable energy (ORE); the many ways in which the viability and impacts of an ORE project are assessed, and an analysis of the current weaknesses, issues or inappropriateness of the metrics and methodologies used in their definition and presentation. The outcomes of this paper are anticipated to benefit the ORE and wider renewable sector as a whole. The review revealed that, for the most part, the current study of economics and socio-economics of ORE remain separate and discrete areas of research. The economic methods utilised appear to be comprehensive but are limited to project (or private investor) level. The methods identified for socioeconomic assessment fall between traditional, and now routine, environmental assessment approaches and more novel holistic approaches such as ecosystem services and life cycle assessment. The novel section of the paper explored the connectivity between the economics and socio-economics of ORE in relation to project developments and policy/planning. A visualisation method was created of concentric rings intersected by related axis of economic, socio-economic and environment, and enabled the examination of the benefits arising from the connectivity between the two spheres. The concept of sustainable development process and the integration of environmental assessment for ORE was also explored and how it responds to differing stakeholder aspirations and interpretations. The analysis revealed that there was a divergence between public and private economic and socioeconomic assessments for ORE: environmental assessment is primarily a public responsibility but with significant inputs from the private developer involved while economic assessments are conducted primarily by the developer and/or investor at their own behest. However, the two spheres of economic and socio-economic for ORE are highly connected and synergistic and must be examined in a holistic manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a review of a standalone and grid-connected hybrid renewable energy system (HRES) to supply AC loads. The configuration of the HRESs and interfacing power converters for connecting the energy sources to the AC bus is extensively discussed. An overview of the control concepts in an HRES and the application of the appropriate control schemes for system stabilization, effective injection of high quality power and proper load sharing are discussed. The different approaches for HRES design and control strategies for power converters in the recently published literature are also briefly addressed. Finally, this paper highlights the future developments in HRESs to increase the utilization of power generated from renewable energy sources (RESs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to promote the growth of renewable energy sector in Malaysia, feed-in tariff (FiT) mechanism has been introduced by Malaysian government in 2011, in accordance with Renewable Energy Act 2011 and Sustainable Energy Development Authority Act 2011. The tariff was enacted to overcome the shortcomings identified in the small renewable energy power (SREP) Program from 2001 to 2010. This paper highlighted some measures adopted to rectify the shortcomings identified during SREP, and the role of Sustainable Energy Development Authority (SEDA) in achieving the above mentioned task. The paper also includes the latest progress on renewable energy projects, especially those related to solar photovoltaic system. It is predicted that solar energy will become the main source of renewable energy in Malaysia by the year 2050. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is vast, abundant and particularly plentiful in energy sources, due to which it has obtained remarkable achievements on economy. However, its energy structure is too simple to support the sustainable development of economy as coal still contributes to the majority of energy consumption in China. As a consequence, Renewable Energy Law was enacted in 2005, and Chinese government announced a series of policies to boom renewable energy industry. Subsidy policy is one of the major forms of these policies. This paper aims to present these subsidy policies and to analyze their effects according to relative data in energy industry 2005–2013, to find out the deficiencies and enlighten possible policy improvements. The original intentions and abstracts of 5 different levels of subsidy related policies are summarized, and the effects in reality are attentively analyzed. It can be concluded that subsidy policies have different short-term effect on different renewable energies, and they all show some negative effect to a certain extent. 6 core problems are summarized in this paper, and remedy strategies are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taiwan, located in a subtropical area, is a high energy-importing nation with approximately 98% of our energy supplied by imported fuels since 2000. In this regard, renewable electricity systems from its richness of solar radiation and strong monsoon are thus becoming attractive due to the energy, economic, and environmental policies for pursuing clean electricity supply, sustainable development and greenhouse gases emission mitigation in Taiwan. The objective of this paper was to present an analysis of profitable promotion and innovative measures for renewable electricity in Taiwan because the photovoltaic (PV) power and wind power systems have rapidly increased the total installed capacity from 2.7 MW in 2000 to 1006.2 MW in 2013. The description in the paper was thus summarized on an analysis of renewable electricity supply since 2000 and its future goals up to 2030, and then centered on the new promotion legislation (i.e., Renewable Energy Development Act) in the measures of feed-in tariff (FIT) and tax/subsidy incentives. Current subsidiary and innovative programs to promote the development of renewable electricity technologies, including roof-type PV power, off-shore wind power and biogas-to-power, were also described. Due to its innovation promotion for renewable energy exploitation in recent years, Pingtung County, located in the southernmost of Taiwan, was introduced as a case study. Finally, some recommendations for promote renewable electricity development were addressed in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluating the environmental sustainability performance of a nation is complex. This paper considers the merits of environmental indices, and how effective they are when assessing the environmental sustainability of any nation. The simplicity and generic qualities of environmental indices currently necessitates a much broader analysis in order to evaluate any nation׳s genuine environmental sustainability credentials – ultimately the development of a synthetic Environmental Sustainability Index is required to fulfil this task. Using Iceland as a case study, this paper reviews the usefulness of four selected environmental indices (Environmental Vulnerability Index, Environmental Performance Index, Ecological Footprint and Happy Planet Index) for governance institutions when formulating reasoned responses to challenges. By adopting a holistic methodology, Iceland׳s environmental sustainability credentials are critically examined in this paper, with particular focus given to the impacts deriving from expanded renewable energy utilisation in recent years. Abundant geothermal and hydropower energy resources have been increasingly used to power heavy industry, particularly aluminium production. The wider health implications and long-term environmental sustainability consequences of renewable energy utilisation have not been analysed in depth within any of the indices. Socio-economic progress in Iceland has also been attained alongside the imposition of the highest ecological footprint of any nation in the world. As such, economic activities in Iceland have not occurred in accordance with commonly accepted notions of sustainable development, which is focused upon the reconciliation of economic, environmental and social objectives, together with recognition of current and future need across these domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an overview of the Malawi energy situation and the potential of renewable energy resources including solar, wind, biomass, hydro and geothermal. Despite a range of efforts by local and international stakeholders to increase access to modern energy sources in the country, 89 per cent of Malawi׳s energy is still sourced from traditional biomass mainly fuel wood. Only 8 per cent of the population in Malawi have access to electricity but installed capacity of electricity generation is lower than demand. This leads to load shedding by the electricity supplier; consequently electricity supply in Malawi is unreliable and micro and macroeconomic activities are significantly affected. Solar, non-traditional biomass (crop residues and forest residues not burnt on three stone fireplaces, and biogas), hydro, wind and geothermal are potential energy resources that could enhance Malawi׳s energy security. However, unreliable financing mechanisms for large scale energy projects; shortage of trained human resource; lack of coordination among local institutions; unclear regulation enforcement; and sometimes political governance impede sustainable delivery of energy projects. The Malawi energy policy targets and drivers are also discussed in the paper. Based on the prevailing energy situation, a PESTLE analysis is provided in this paper outlining a novel thinking for addressing the political (P), economic (E), social (S), technological (T), legal (L), and environmental (E) challenges that constrain the development of renewable energy technologies in Malawi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable urban development, especially in disadvantaged regions, has increasingly gained a major strategic priority. New settlements and urban regeneration programs have to achieve an improvement of social life quality, promote economic growth and increase environmental protection practices and proper use of local resources. In this framework, building environment development must exploit natural resources with responsible approach by using local materials and traditional techniques. In this end, indoor comfort and energy consumption have to match the territories needs. Low energy and passive heating/cooling techniques should be considered as a valid option in many building projects. The paper reviews some models evaluating thermohygrometric comfort in natural ventilated buildings, based on adaptive approaches. A focus is given on Mozambican building traditions, and, finally it proposes a case study where, by the recovery of Mozambican old traditions, a new healthcare facility is designed to be energy autonomous also including large use of natural ventilation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Passive design strategies are important for achieving building sustainability given their proved influences over the building performance in both energy and indoor environmental aspects. The building layout, envelope thermophysics, building geometry and infiltration & air-tightness are major passive architectural parameters to improve the building energy efficiency. In this paper, a comprehensive literature review on simulation-based approaches to optimize passively designed buildings is conducted and corresponding research gaps are identified. Based on existing research methods, modelling experiments on a generic building are conducted to integrate robust variance-based sensitivity analyses with an early-stage design optimization process. Proposed mixed-mode ventilation and lighting dimming control algorithms are applied to the EnergyPlus model to simulate the total lighting and cooling energy demands by incorporating the related design criteria in a local green building assessment scheme. The non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) is then coupled with the modelling experiment to obtain the Pareto frontier as well as the final optimum solution. Different settings of NSGA-II are also investigated to improve the computational efficiency without jeopardizing the optimization productivity. Furthermore, the sensitivity of optimum design solutions to external environmental parameters in hot and humid areas are explored. Findings from this study will guide decision-makers through a holistic optimization process to fulfill energy-saving targets in a passively designed green building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decade the demand of power in India has increased manifold, therefore Government has announced the National Solar Mission of generating 100 GW of solar power up to 2022. Around 60% of the total National Solar Mission target is allotted to the national/international large-scale solar power developers/investors. Hence, it becomes important to know the ground reality of large-scale solar PV developers/investors. This paper deeply analyzes the key barriers and bottlenecks faced by solar power developers in achieving the target and their growth. This article also suggests some motivational factors of solar energy which play an important role in attracting large solar players around the world to invest in Indian subcontinent. It concludes by highlighting some key policies of the Government that can help in addressing some identified barriers in order to ensure a secured sustainable energy future of India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyzing of the effects and the determinants of the energy paradigm changes on influencing the economic growth in European Union starts from the assumption that the economy is highly dependent of energy consumption in achieving of the economic growth and welfare for population. Consequently, the changes in the energy paradigm imply significant transformations in the production structures and their evolution. The aim of the paper is to present and evaluate the effects and determinants of the energy paradigm changes on assuring economic growth in European Union, by using the panel data approach and its subsequent techniques. In this respect, there was considered the evolution of nine economic variables across 30 countries, representing the EU member States during the examined period, plus Iceland and Norway, in order to revile direct and irrefutable connections among these variables in shaping the new energetic paradigm in European space. The results obtained during the research confirm that all nine variables are determinant and significant elements in shaping a new and proactive energy policy and it undoubtedly contribute in achieving of the sustainable economic development [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are abundant renewable energy sources in Iran such as wind, solar, geothermal, biomass. However, Iran is fully dependent on fossil fuels for industrial, residential and transportation sectors. It results in the country to be in top 10 producers of greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere. GHGs can be controlled by incorporating renewable sources to produce energy. Therefore, renewable energy resources are becoming more attractive to develop sustainable energy development in Iran. However, the transformation from traditional fossil fuel infrastructures to advanced renewable technologies needs many considerations, such as strategic and core planning. In this regard, this paper covers the current state of Iran's energy market focusing on both fossil fuels and renewable energy resources. A general review is offered over the renewable energy production status in Iran and the production potentials. Finally, in conclusion, a comparisons are made over the current state, plans and also potential opportunities of Iran over each sort of energy production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a review of the classifications of power system oscillation modes, as well as power system stabilizer (PSS) design structures, is proposed. Four major oscillation modes and their effects on power system stability have been investigated and analyzed, and the critical elements affecting each mode, frequency range, and PSS application have been summarized using important published work. Next, the PSS's structure has been classified according to the number of inputs and compensation filters, and a combination of the PSS with the intelligent systems, optimal evolutionary-based, and non-intelligent adaptive-based PSS has been highlighted. The effect of the oscillation modes in Great Britain's (GB) power system has been identified, as well as the possible solutions to damp this oscillation. It was found that the inter-area and the local machine modes have a greater impact on wide area power system stability and sustainability. Integrating new Renewable Energy Resources (RESs) can lead to more transient and dynamic instability. Therefore, more research is required to design solutions to tackle this grave problem. Four PSSs presented in the literature have been applied and tested in two different multi-machine Benchmark systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy is important for sustainable development, yet multidimensional challenges exist for policy makers in transformations to sustainable energy systems. Sustainable development is generally recognised as having a three-lens approach: development must balance impacts in the economic, environmental and cultural dimensions. While cultural themes such as governance, motivation, and social values are widely acknowledged in the literature as critical for transformations to sustainability, however, research on these themes has been scant. Culture influences many aspects of society; hence it is important to consider culture when developing policies for sustainable development. Understanding national cultures can lead to greater understanding of what shapes national policy and strategies for transformations to sustainable energy systems. Understanding cultural influences on policy can help other countries to overcome similar challenges in policy making, planning or local resource management. Comparisons between countries serve to further advance the understanding of approaches to such challenges. This paper examines transformations towards sustainable energy through the lens of culture, through a case study of geothermal development in Iceland and Japan. Using Hoftsede's cultural theory framework, we highlight cultural variables relevant to sustainability transformations, with particular emphasis on the challenges of the management of geothermal energy resources, and the management of related conflicts and public participation. We present our findings garnered from interviews with key players in the energy industry in both countries reinforced by an extensive literature review. We find that culture clearly influences the approach to geothermal energy development in both countries and we identify benefits and disadvantages to approaches on overlapping issues and challenges in both countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Central Africa possesses important renewable energy potential that continues to suffer from poor development. The primary cause of the poor use of renewable energy is the poor commitment and dedication among the region's governments who have not taken the necessary measures to support the sector. The primary purpose of this paper is to emphasize the renewable energy resources of Central Africa that they may be used optimally. The report also describes the availability of renewable energy resources and suggests actions to promote and sustain their development by improving access to sustainable, environmentally friendly, and affordable energy services, making significant improvements to energy infrastructure in Central Africa, and promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency. The work presents the potential for solar, biomass and hydropower, indicating where development is available. Next, the identified obstacles of clean energy promotion are targeted. Finally, suggestions are offered to help countries develop a vision aimed at developing good clean energy policy that increases the status of environmentally friendly energy. A Cameroon case study is examined as an illustration. Several documents are cited from institutions in the region and abroad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an assessment of alternative, long-term energy supply strategies for the Ethiopian power sector, during 2015–2045, using the MARKAL energy system model. This study also identifies alternative, sustainable energy supply options to meet Ethiopia's rising demand for energy, while also achieving the policy goals of universal electrification, zero greenhouse gas emissions, increased electricity exports, and improved energy security. In all scenarios, the results show a large potential for renewable energy technologies, such as hydropower, solar PV and wind. These technologies have implications for neighboring countries in the region and will also affect the agriculture sector in Ethiopia. Hydropower, for example, is a renewable energy source that can contribute to rural electrification, while also providing water to support irrigation expansion. An alternative policy scenario prioritizing renewable energy technologies reduces dependence on fossil fuel completely at minimal cost, while providing long-term environmental benefits. Expansion of electricity access to the entire population entails large investments in power generation capacity as well as substantial increases in the total system cost of energy production. Such a scenario would also increase the country's reliance on fossil fuels and geothermal energy sources. Most alternative policy options show higher investment costs will be required to achieve policy goals in the near term (with the exception of the export scenario). However, the analysis shows long-term benefits from investing in energy supply including sustainable energy system development, expansion of access to modern sources of energy, and the development of a low carbon society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, there is no specific legal basis for the development and utilisation of marine renewable energy, nor legal protection for the developers in China. The consequence is that the Chinese Government is unable to provide institutional support for the substantive development of marine renewable energy, resulting in slow development of China's marine energy industry. This paper provides an institutional framework for the establishment of relevant laws in China and legislative proposals in legal perspective, for the better development of marine renewable energy. The Chinese Government should optimise the administrative management system, strengthen financial regulation such as tax and emphasise sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deployments of renewable energy technologies in the current century represent a critical approach to sustainable development. Renewable energy can be generated from sources with the backdrop to restock themselves based on timescale. The most important sources of renewable energy include solar photovoltaic conversion technologies, biomass and biofuel energy systems, wind energy turbines, geothermal energy technologies and hydroelectric power systems. Considerable investment in renewable energy in a country can lower the nation's dependency on imported fuels and purchase of energy from foreign market. It also drives technological innovation and generate employment scheme while enhancing clean development mechanism. Consequently, this paper presents the existing renewable energy technologies in the Nigeria and as well makes some critical recommendations to further induce development of renewable and sustainable energy systems based on autonomous energy systems and microgrid (µgrid) technologies. The recommendations are made based on varieties of energy technologies for solar power generation, biomass and bioenergy, wind energy, hydropower generation and the combined generation systems using hybrid energy mechanism. The structure of the study is concluded based on suggestions on how to pursue some impending socio-political, technological, investment policy and legislative issues for effective renewable energy development in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic and environmental developments in the last decades call for the displacement of fossil fuels to alternative energy sources. Biofuels are considered as a part of the solution for this challenge. Sustainable raw materials for the production of transportation biofuels such as biodiesel, biobutanol and bioethanol, can be obtained from algal biomass. In particular, marine macroalgal biomass is a promising feedstock for transportation biofuels because of (the) its fast growth and its potential cultivation on seawater, avoiding competition of resources with conventional agriculture of terrestrial plants used for food. In addition, dissolved inorganic nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorous and carbon are taken up by macroalgae, helping to alleviate eutrophication in seas and oceans. Using biological, chemical and engineering advances in the last decades, technologies to provide cost efficient cultivation, harvesting, extraction and processing of sustainable biofuels have to be elaborated. This paper provides a review of macroalgae based biorefineries with offshore cultivation and consequent biomass conversion into transportation liquid biofuels. We discuss the methods for offshore cultivation, harvesting, and conversion of macroalgae biomass into liquid transportation biofuels. Based on the current information and global experience, we present local perspectives specific for France, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands and Israel on the potential use of Exclusive Economic Zone for transportation biofuels production. Marketable suggestions for future research need to include all stakeholders of a given site for offshore biorefinery development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]