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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]

Abstract: This paper presents the progress of thermoelectric power generation systems and their potential to be incorporated in small to medium scale power generation systems with encouraging prospects of grid connection. To begin with this paper demonstrates the urgency and necessity of finding an alternative source of energy to replace the existing inclination of human race towards fossil fuels. Following this the potential of thermoelectric technology to be used with alternate energy sources is demonstrated. Development in the field of thermoelectric materials with high Seebeck coefficients, suitable for power generation modules is discussed in the literature review. New advanced materials and innovative techniques to utilise renewable energy for power generation using thermoelectric generators are described in the main body of this paper. Various active and passive cooling systems with thermoelectric power generation modules to enhance the performance of the system are illustrated in the paper. A brief literature survey is presented at the end about grid connection for thermoelectric generators .These advances in thermoelectric technology, places it in a comfortable position to become a major contributor to renewable and sustainable electricity production in the future, essentially replacing fossil fuels. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Distributed generation (DG) using renewable energy resources, is intended to reduce the impact of power generation from fossil fuels on climate change. Microgrids (MGs) represent a method of interconnecting several low voltage (LV) renewable energy sources and loads to the distribution system. Multi-microgrids (MMGs) integrate distributed generators (DGs) and MGs with medium voltage (MV) distribution systems. Protection system design for MGs pose significant challenges due to bi-directional flow from DGs as well as lower fault current levels due to the inverter connected DG sources in islanded MGs. This paper reviews the coordination strategies and protection schemes that have been proposed for MGs to address these challenges. The protection coordination strategies based on communication and time grading including their relative performance are described. The advantages and limitations of existing MG protection schemes are discussed. As most of these protection schemes apply to relatively small MGs, they may need to be extended for larger MG configurations in practical power systems. Some future directions for research in the protection system design for both MGs and MMGs are also outlined in this paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Nowadays renewable sources are being used as clean sources to generate electricity and to reduce the dependency on fossil fuels. The uses of renewable sources are being increased in electricity generation and contributed to reduce the greenhouse gas emission. The function of any electrical power system is to connect everyone sufficiently, clean electric power anywhere and anytime of the country. This can be achieved through a modern power system by integrating electrical energy from clean renewable sources into the nation''s electric grid to enhance reliability, efficiency and security of the power system. The paper on the status of review the driving force of the generation of renewable energy and proposing electrical energy generation from renewable sources to be ensured at least 20% of total energy of Australia. This paper has been studied the existing electricity generation capacity of Australia from renewable and non-renewable sources. Optimal electricity generation from renewable sources has been examined. The environmental impact of electricity generation from renewable sources has been considered. Under this paper the yearly average wind data of past 20 years and above for some meteorological stations of Australia have been used. The prospective electricity generation from wind turbines and solar photovoltaic panels has been proposed in the paper that will increase electrical energy of the power grid of Australia. It was estimated the capital cost of prospective electricity generation farms from wind and solar PV sources. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Brazilian Amazon Region is living with the consequences of governance based on predatory extraction of its natural resources, bringing little or no benefit to the local population. The region suffers from socioeconomic inequality and lack of basic infrastructure. The populations of the Amazon Region, if and when supplied with electricity at all, are provided with a low quality service based on energy generation from fossil fuels, subject to difficulties in terms of access and logistics, and negative environmental impacts. There have been programs aimed at the universalization of electricity services, such as the current Programa Luz para Todos (Light for All Program), but they have not succeeded in altering this scenario in the North region of the country. In this paper we present the result of these initiatives and an overview of the Isolated Systems in the Amazon Region. We propose in this paper that the provision of electric energy be effectively considered part of a plan for generating wealth and employment for the region''s inhabitants, whilst preserving the environment. The solutions offered to each community should take into account the need to manage renewable energy sources, should be developed together with local populations, and drawing on the lessons learned from other projects. The specific characteristics and needs of the communities should be taken into account and local people should be empowered as citizens by means of their involvement in the development possibilities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

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]

The high generation cost of renewable energy is one of the main barriers to their development and large-scale deployment. This is the case of Algeria, in which despite its significant renewable energy potential, more than 96% of electricity is generated with gas turbines to cover increasing national demand. This choice is also driven by the important natural gas reservoirs in Algeria in addition to the low cost of electricity that is generated by this fossil fuel. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the cost of electricity production from a renewable source, substituting conventional fossil fuel processes. An economic value can be captured through the trade of greenhouse gas emissions and the reallocation of fuel savings to export. This approach is particularly well supported considering the growing local demand for natural gas, threatening the country’s natural gas export capacity in which the economy of Algeria is tightly dependent. The conventional evaluation of the generation cost of electricity, using the Levelized Cost Of Electricity (LCOE) and the cost structure of electricity production is selected for comparing the cost of electricity generation from gas power and photovoltaic plants. The environmental benefits and their financial valuation mechanisms are discussed. To illustrate all these parameters, a case study of a photovoltaic plant with a capacity of one megawatt (1 MW) installed in Algeria is presented and the potential benefits in terms of fuel savings and CO 2 eq emission assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conventional ways for generating electricity around the world face two main problems, which are gradual increase in the earth׳s average surface temperature (global warming) and depleting fossil fuel reserves. So switching to renewable energy technologies is an urgent need. Concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies are one of renewable technologies that are able to solve the present and future electricity problems. In this paper the historical evolution for the cornerstone plants of CSP technologies to generate clean electricity was reviewed and the current projects worldwide of CSP technologies were presented to show that the CSP technologies are technically and commercially proven and have the possibility for hybridization with fossil fuel or integration with storage systems to sustain continuous operation similar to conventional plants. Among all solar thermal technologies parabolic trough is the most technically and commercially proven. It also has the possibility for hybridization since it is proven by operating in several commercial projects for more than 28 years. It has a high maturity level and able to provide the required operating heat energy either as a stand-alone or in hybrid systems at the lowest cost and lower economic risks. For this reason, this technology is dominant in the operational and under-construction projects. However, currently there is a trend toward employing the other CSP technologies in the future projects as a result of the improvement in their performance. The use of PTC technology in the operational CSP projects is 95.7% and has decreased to 73.4% for the under-construction projects. Meanwhile, the uses of Fresnel collector (LFC), Tower power (TSP) and Stirling dish (SDC) technologies in the operational projects are 2.07%, 2.24%, and 0% respectively and have increased to 5.74%, 20.82% and 0.052% respectively for the under-construction projects. For the development projects, the use of TSP technology has reached to 71.43%, compared to 28.57% for PTC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to investigate the level of awareness and prevailing attitudes of the Oman government’s electrical sectors towards renewable energy. The geographical landscape of the Sultanate of Oman lends itself to energy generation from solar radiation, yet no decisive steps have been taken to initiate relevant projects that will reduce the country’s reliance on oil and gas in electricity production. This study is motivated by the need to better understand the obstacles that impede the implementation of renewable energy projects in Oman and the factors that cause delays in project initiation. To this end, we developed a questionnaire with sections intended for three government sectors: research groups, electrical companies and ministries, and regulatory bodies. Results indicate that ministries and regulatory bodies primarily support the increased exploitation of fossil fuels—a core reason for the slow adoption of renewable energy sources. Moreover, 82% of the respondents place priority on natural gas for use in power plants and more than 19% encourage the implementation of energy efficiency standards. All respondents consider renewable energy a viable future energy option and generally agree that the government should promote renewable energy and support relevant pilot projects. This study highlights the importance of immediately shifting to renewable energy and encouraging its development; a move necessary to alleviate the environmental risk posed by the use of fossil fuel-based energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper presents a literature review addressing the public acceptance of renewable energy as a replacement for fossil fuels in electricity production. This review was motivated by the global tendency for a substitution of conventional fuels by renewable energy sources (RES) during the global financial crisis. It studies research on the preferences and attitudes of local communities towards investments in renewable energy projects and their perception of the use of new energy technologies in their daily lives, through various case studies worldwide. An effort is made to identify the parameters that influence consumers' energy behaviour, together with their interest, or lack thereof, in the environmental impact of using fossil fuels to produce energy and their willingness to reduce it. Applications of contingent valuation are examined, which are employed to analyse public attitudes towards the use of RES for electricity production. Willingness-to-pay is observed to be correlated to socioeconomic characteristics including education, interest in environmental issues and knowledge of RES. Finally, the profile of a typical green energy consumer and appropriate policy paths for the penetration of RES into the energy market are outlined. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Global exploitation of renewable energy technologies is increasing rapidly due to the concern in global warming and dwindling supplies of fossil fuels. Most of the countries in the world are blessed with two or more renewable energy sources (RES) and hence have formulated policies to boost the utilization of RES for their electricity production. An assessment of renewable electricity scenario is essential for research and development related works in the field of renewable energy technologies in order to further develop the renewable energy industry. Recent developments in installation capacities, costs and reductions in electricity costs of major RES based electricity generation methods are discussed in this paper. It also includes the past growth and future expectations of renewable electricity production. The analysis shows that if the current developments in renewable industry continue, then a major share of global electricity production in the future could be supplied by renewable energy technologies. The analysis further shows that a significant amount of fuel cost and pollutants emission can be reduced by the increased use of RES based electrical power production technologies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: As a consequence of rapidly increased CO2 emissions, humanity is facing global warming. Electricity generation accounts for almost half of the emission; besides, conventional electrical production based on fossil fuel is becoming more and more expensive. One approach to significantly slow down global warming is to drive our society away from the current fossil fuel fiesta and use only renewable power such as solar and wind energy. Another approach is to improve the management of energy production, transmission, and distribution. Part of the latter solution is on the supply side, where one possible solution is to develop continent-wide smart power grids and energy storage systems. However, an equally important part of the solution is on the demand side, where technologies and applications that can work with this type of unpredictable energy consumption are becoming necessary. The smart power grid with new sources of data, fast growth of information, and proactive management requires new strategy for business and operational management. In this paper we discuss how Cloud computing model can be used for developing Smart Grid solutions. The Cloud computing model is based on the delivery of computing as a service, whereby storage, software and information are provided to computers and other devices as a commodity over the Internet. The advantages of Cloud computing – reduced costs, increased storage, on-demand performance, and better flexibility – have motivated many companies in recent years to move their IT operations to the cloud; the same advantages can be used to achieve the most important future goals of a large-scale Smart Grid, such as energy savings, two-way communication, and demand resource management. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Wind energy is one of the fastest growing sources of power generation in the world. While general public and political support for wind energy is often high, siting wind farms frequently raises concerns in local communities, and individual projects often fail because of effective public opposition. This paper presents the results of a postal and online survey questionnaire that explores public perceptions of wind energy in two of the most important states for wind development, Texas and Iowa. The goal is a better understanding of public reactions to large-scale wind developments as a prerequisite of more widespread use of renewable energy resources. We found a high level of public support for wind energy, with more than two-thirds of respondents being in favor of building more wind farms either in their community or within the U.S. as a whole. Given that the majority of respondents had a very high level of concern for the general environment, we also found that almost two-thirds of respondents counter-intuitively indicated that producing electricity using fossil fuels is not detrimental to the environment, and that they had little concern for global climate change. Our results suggest that arguing for more renewable sources of energy based on reducing our carbon footprint is less persuasive in these communities than simply approaching it from the perspective of wind being a clean and safe source of energy. More than two-thirds of respondents felt their county had benefited economically from the wind farms and that they were a source of job creation in the county. Support for wind power in these communities is associated far more with socioeconomic factors than foundational aesthetic or moral values, with wind farms perceived as the vehicle that will reverse economic decline. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Republic of Macedonia, as a candidate country for EU membership since 2005 will have to fulfill the targets set in the Directive 2009/28/EC on the promotion of electricity from renewable energy sources in the internal electricity market, in order to become member of the EU. The Directive defines renewable energy sources as energy from renewable non-fossil sources, namely wind, solar, aerothermal, geothermal, hydrothermal and ocean energy, hydropower, biomass, landfill gas, sewage treatment plant gas and biogases. In this paper, the current position and perspectives for utilization of renewable energy sources (RES) in the Republic of Macedonia as well as main problems and tools for promoting their development and utilization will be presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Electricity generation in different countries is based on a variety of fuel mixes compromising solid fossil fuels, oil, natural gas, nuclear and renewable energy sources. While in the past, national energy agendas have directed the optimal utilisation of domestic resources as a means to achieve supply security, today''s environmental debates are influencing the electricity fuel mix in new directions. In this paper we examine the electricity sectors of Germany, Greece, Poland and the UK in an attempt to identify the policy and technology choices implemented in each country. The country selection is deliberately made to facilitate an extended overview of national agendas, varying domestic energy resources and industrialisation levels but still within the common EU framework. The focus is placed on policies related to two objectives, climate change mitigation and improving electricity supply security. The theoretical framework developed provides the possibility to assess the electricity sector independence at a national level using a multi-parametric analysis of the fuel mix data. Through a comparative assessment of the knowledge gained in different countries the authors provide insights and suggestions that allow for an improved understanding of the trade-offs and synergies that various policy options may introduce. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The energy consumed in Ireland is primarily achieved by the combustion of fossil fuels. Ireland''s only indigenous fossil fuel is peat; all other fossil fuels are imported. As fossil fuels continually become more expensive, their use as an energy source also has a negative impact on the environment. Ireland''s energy consumption can be separated into three divisions: transportation, electricity generation and heat energy. Ireland however has a vast range of high quality renewable energy resources. Ireland has set a target that 33% of its electricity will be generated from renewable sources by 2020 [I. Government. Delivering a Sustainable Energy Future for Ireland; 2007.]. The use of biomass, wind and ocean energy technologies is expected to play a major part in meeting this target. The use of renewable energy technologies will assist sustainable development as well as being a solution to several energy related environmental problems. This paper presents the current state of renewable energy technologies and potential resources available in Ireland. Considering Ireland''s present energy state, a future energy mix is proposed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]