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The current challenges of climate change and the fluctuating oil prices on the world market make it imperative to consider cheaper and alternative sources of energy for agricultural and rural development in Ghana. Solar energy is an environmentally friendly source of energy as compared to other conventional forms of energy and it is capable of providing all the energy needs of the world. This article seeks to draw the attention of government, NGOs, policy makers, stakeholders and the general public about the enormous energy from the sun and the need to tap such energy for agricultural and rural development. The research was carried out through field visitations and extensive review of important literature on renewable energy. The paper outlines the various uses of solar energy in agriculture such as crop drying and processing, pumping of water for irrigation, power supply, water heating and many more. It reviews solar energy use in Ghana and highlights the principles of solar energy. The paper also outlines the benefits and concludes with suggested recommendations which can help accelerate agricultural and rural development through solar energy application in Ghana.

On a global level, “the tailpipe” accounts for 25% of CO2 emissions and it is well documented that small island states bear the brunt of climate change, especially rising sea level threats, increased storm activity and beach and land erosion. This paper considers the perception and cost benefits of electric vehicles on the road - can electric vehicles boost a heavily reliant tourist economy and assist in reducing Barbados' foreign exchange burden? The paper also explores the utility perspective - and asks an important question, can electric vehicles and solar energy contribute to supporting the grid in small island states? As the utility on the island seeks to reduce its dependence on imported oil by increasing the penetration of renewable energy Barbados is now presented with the opportunity to carry out a holistic view of its energy landscape and shape opportunities to integrate both centralised and distributed clean power generation alongside consumer demand-side drivers.

Climate change mitigation is one of the most critical challenges of this century. The unprecedented global effects of climate change are wide-ranging, including changing weather patterns that threaten food production, increased risk of catastrophic floods, and rising sea levels. Adapting to these impacts will be more difficult and costly in the future if radical changes are not made now. This review paper evaluates the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries’ potential for solar and wind energy resources to meet climate change mitigation requirements and assesses the ability of the GCC region to shift towards low-carbon technologies. The review demonstrates that the GCC region is characterized by abundant solar energy resources. The northwestern, southeastern, and western mountains of the region are highlighted as locations for solar energy application. Oman displays the highest onshore wind speed range, 3–6.3 m s⁻1, and has the highest annual solar radiation of up to 2500 kWh/m2. Kuwait has the second highest onshore wind speed range, 4.5–5.5 m s⁻1, particularly in the western mountains, while northwestern Saudi Arabia has a range of 3–6 m s⁻1. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has the second highest annual solar radiation, 2285 kWh/m2, while Saudi Arabia and the state of Kuwait have equal annual solar radiation at 2200 kWh/m2. This review demonstrates that abundant offshore wind energy resources were observed along the coastal areas of the Arabian Gulf, as well as a potential opportunity for wind energy resource development in the Red Sea, which was characterized by high performance. In addition, the GCC countries will not be able to control and address the interrelated issues of climate change in the future if they do not eliminate fossil fuel consumption, adhere to the Paris Agreement, and implement plans to utilize their natural resources to meet these challenges.

The paper deals with climate change and global warning and concentrates on the various forms of renewable energy, mainly Photovoltaics, Solar Thermal, Biomass, Geothermal, Wave, Hydro and Wind Energy. Specific examples will be placed on Photovoltaic applications and the future prospects of this discipline to meet 20% of the electricity generated on a global scale by the year 2020. The paper discusses the various fundings and programs available around the world in renewable energy and concludes that renewable energy is the best energy strategy for any country.

India has tremendous potential for generating clean electricity through Renewable Energy Sources (RES) namely Hydro, Wind and Solar. This potential has been duly recognized and shows India׳s consciousness for reducing carbon footprint as a developing nation. Government of India with an aim to promote clean energy launched Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) on 11th January 2010, which is one of the eight missions under National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC–2008). This mission visions to install 22,000 MW through grid connected and off grid power plants. Achieving an installed capacity of this quantum is a task full of challenges. To list the possible challenges and suggest a way forward, there is a need to study solar energy sector in India in the past, which has motivated the authors to discuss the evolution of solar energy in India since independence. Through this paper authors have tried to outline the journey of solar energy in India since 1950 till date and highlight the potential issues as barriers and challenges which could impact the ambitious mission taken up by Government of India. This study will help decision makers and various stakeholders to understand the current status, barriers and challenges for better planning and management in the field of solar energy.

Renewable energy can play an important role in India’s climate change mitigation, as India has great potential for renewables, especially solar and wind. This paper analyses the role of renewables to meet India’s possible 2050 climate change mitigation targets using a multi-region global energy system model called TIAM-UCL, where India is explicitly represented as a separate region. TIAM-UCL is a cost optimisation model. The climate policy is applied to all regions in the model based on equal per capita emissions of 1.3 tCO 2 by 2050. Analysis shows that renewable energy can play an important role to decarbonise the economy, especially the power sector. Two low-carbon scenarios are explored, the first allowing for carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology deployment and the second excluding this technology. In the first low-carbon scenario (LC1), the most critical renewable energy technologies in the power sector are biomass with CCS, solar and wind. In the second low-carbon scenario (LC2), without CCS, there is an even greater role for solar and wind. Over the whole Indian economy, by 2050 renewables contribute 57% of the total CO 2 reductions in LC1 (relative to a reference scenario with no CO 2 target) and 63% of the CO 2 reductions in LC2.

The Republic of Azerbaijan, as the largest nation state in the South Caucasus Region, has the potential for developing and using renewable sources of energy in order to support the environmental challenge resolution associated with climate change, improving the environmental situation in the country. Solar photovoltaic (PV) comprises one of the direct usages of solar energy. In this paper, a sustainable PV usage scenario in residential houses was introduced to reduce negative environmental effects in land use, water consumption, air pollution, etc. It was recommended by the author that PV systems can be part of function and design of residential building components, such as roofs, walls and windows. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.erem.71.4.12070

Mexico ranks 9th in the world in crude oil reserves, 4th in natural gas reserves in America and it is also highly rich in renewable sources (solar, wind, biomasss, hydropower and geothermal), however its potential has not been fully exploited. Hydropower is the renewable energy source with the highest installed capacity within the country (11,603 MW), while geothermal power capacity (958 MW) makes Mexico to be ranked 4th in the use of this energy worldwide. Wind energy potential is concentrated in five different zones, mainly in the state of Oaxaca, and solar energy has a high potential due to Mexico’s ideal location in the so called Solar Belt. Biomass energy has the highest potential (2,635 to 3,771 PJ/year) and also the highest research publications in the country during the last 30 years (1982-2012). Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico has led research publications in hydropower, wind, solar and biomass energy and Instituto de Investigaciones Electricas in geothermal energy during this period. According to General Law for Climate Change the country has set the goal of 35% of energy generated should come from renewable sources by 2024.This paper presents an overview of the renewable energy options available in Mexico, current status, main positive results to date and future potential. It also analyses barriers hindering improvements and proposes pertinent solutions., JRC.F.7-Renewables and Energy Efficiency

Renewable energy sources and technologies have the potential to provide solutions to the long-standing energy problems being faced by the developing countries like Pakistan. Pakistan is endowed with various renewable energy resources such as solar, hydal, wind, biofuel and geothermal. It can earn dividends if these resources are explored, exploited and developed. Pakistan lies in an area of one of the highest solar insulation in the world. The aim of this paper was to identify the areas receiving maximum solar radiation in Pakistan by studying the cloud cover on Pakistan in June, July and August (Monsoon period having maximum clouds) in 2005-2009 and highlighting the use of Remote Sensing in Harnessing the renewable energy resources. The results indicated that Multan and Dera Gazi Khan had the minimum cloud cover on both seasonal and yearly basis. Many locations in Baluchistan, Punjab and Sindh province (Costal Area) also have a great potential for solar energy. This vast potential can be exploited to overcome the energy shortage as the promotion, management and deployment of indigenous energy resources is an obligatory requirement to address the climate change, energy security and sustainable development issues.