Investment In Renewable Energy Research Articles

Impact of carbon allowance allocation mechanism and power dispatch on renewable energy investment

Impact of carbon allowance allocation mechanism and power dispatch on renewable energy investment

Are West Africa's policy, planning, and regulatory frameworks missing the harmonization piece of the power pooling-renewable energy puzzle?

Sound policy, planning and quality regulation are cornerstones to co-creating national markets conducive to the implementation of an efficient regional electricity market. This study examines the policy, planning and regulatory substance and processes in the West African Power Pool, focusing on four countries, namely Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Mali. Through its specialized institutions, the region seeks to leverage shared resources and complementarities to scale up sustainable electricity generation and enhance cross-border electricity trade. The study, however, reveals half-hearted renewable energy (RE) policies, weak RE investment planning and inconsistent regulation on the one hand, and on the other hand, a lack of harmonization of regulatory frameworks which are often misaligned with the regional vision. This translates into missed opportunities to attract the necessary investments in sustainable power infrastructure, particularly from the private sector, and to mutually develop a regional market capable of tackling the long-standing challenge of access to reliable and affordable electricity amid the climate crisis. This can be reversed if countries are fully committed and duly equipped to improve their policies and planning processes, and adjust and harmonize their regulatory frameworks under the guidance, support, and leadership of the regional entities.

Understanding how climate preferences, environmental policy stringency, and energy policy uncertainty shape renewable energy investments in Germany

Understanding how climate preferences, environmental policy stringency, and energy policy uncertainty shape renewable energy investments in Germany

Renewable Energy Investments in Poland: Goals, Socio-Economic Benefits, and Development Directions

Renewable energy sources (RES) will play a key role in the transition to clean energy. Financial and socio-economic benefits determine the investment management in these energy sources. This article aims to indicate current energy policy goals, present socio-economic benefits resulting from renewable energy investments, and review further development directions in Poland. The research was carried out using desk research, case studies, and literature review methods to provide a broader economic context for RES investments. The scope of the research included both the Polish and the European Union contexts. The authors examined the Polish objectives of investment in renewable energy contained in strategic, planning, and other legal documents compared to EU targets, reviewed possible investments in renewable energy, and indicated wind farms and photovoltaic investments as the most effective ones from the point of view of further development which aims to meet the EU’s goals by 2030. The authors also demonstrated a wide range of socio-economic benefits based on literature reviews, analysis of policy documents, and regulations regarding the energy sector, and examined a specific example of investment implementation and identified the ecosystem of beneficiaries and their benefits.

The role of renewable energy and foreign direct investment toward environmental degradation convergence to achieve sustainability: evidence from ASEAN countries

The role of renewable energy and foreign direct investment toward environmental degradation convergence to achieve sustainability: evidence from ASEAN countries

Mind the Gap: Conflicts in the Implementation of Kenya’s Lake Turkana Wind Power Project

Renewable energy projects are increasingly being implemented at scale to meet global climate goals, often targeting lands on the margins of the state and affecting the livelihoods of Indigenous or marginalized populations. This article argues a need for project-developers, investors and rights advocates to consider the potentially significant ‘gap’ between their expectations that the rights of local populations will be settled at the start of a particular investment and the conflicts over rights, recognition and benefits that emerge during implementation that risk derailing investments. This is particularly relevant for renewable investments, as their claims to global and national benefits divert attention from their local impacts. Empirically, this is explored through the case of the Lake Turkana Wind Power project in Kenya. Based on interviews and literature review, the article examines the relations between the key stakeholders in this project by acknowledging their various ‘ways of seeing’ rights. Ruling elites often see rights as settled once they have been written into law and investors assume that rights have been dealt with at the project’s start, but local populations typically begin exploring their rights following project-induced changes. The interaction of stakeholders with such diverse views has important implications for the practice of human rights in the context of renewable energy investments.

Assessing the tradeoffs in emissions, air quality and health benefits from excess power generation due to climate-related policies for the transportation sector

As the transportation sector continues to decarbonize through electrification, there is growing interest in quantifying potential tradeoffs in air pollution and health impacts due to potential excess emissions from the power sector. This study investigates air pollution and health impacts of policy-driven changes in the transportation sector and the associated power generation demand in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic United States. Five illustrative scenarios were designed to capture the effects of different policies under the first mandatory market-based program to reduce greenhouse gases in the US power sector (Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative—RGGI) and the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI). Considering future power generation with new renewable energy investments to meet demands from decarbonized transportation, the scenarios were framed using: 1. 2030 reference cases for both sectors and a hybrid TCI portfolio, 2. Departure from the reference cases defined by Pennsylvania included or not in RGGI, and 3. Power grid emissions estimated under clean energy standard (CES) policy and hybrid TCI portfolio. While the cross-sectoral policy effect on domain-wide concentrations is modest (max ΔPM2.5 ∼ 0.06 μg m3, ΔNO2 ∼ 0.3 ppbv, ΔO3 ∼ 0.15 ppbv), substantial increases in Ohio and West Virginia were attributed to Pennsylvania joining RGGI. With CES enacted and Pennsylvania in RGGI, significant reductions are seen in average concentrations (max ΔPM2.5 ∼ 1.2 μg m3, ΔNO2 ∼ 1.1 ppbv, ΔO3 ∼ 1.7 ppbv) except for Louisiana and Mississippi with corresponding disbenefits. When focusing exclusively on emissions reductions from transportation, the hybrid TCI portfolio had health benefits of 530 avoided adult deaths, and 46 000 avoided asthma exacerbations. With a ‘business as usual’ power grid, these benefits remain comparable and are mainly driven by NO2, followed by PM2.5 and O3. However, if Pennsylvania joins RGGI, total health benefits and spatial distribution change substantially, with a large portion of adverse health impacts moving from TCI states to Ohio and West Virginia. The overall monetized impact of a CES scenario can substantially exceed the estimated average range of 66–69 Billion US$, depending on the interaction with transportation decarbonization strategies and other drivers of exposure.

The impact of interest rate uncertainty on renewable energy investments: Compared with conventional energy investments

The impact of interest rate uncertainty on renewable energy investments: Compared with conventional energy investments

Strategic Analysis of International Oil and Gas Companies’ Response to Global Carbon Emission Reduction Initiatives

This study investigates the role of oil and gas companies, particularly INDOPERTA, in mitigating global carbon emissions among rising energy demands and a shift toward coal and oil. This study highlights the urgency for strategic energy realignment and cleaner, sustainable sources, drawing from International Energy Agency (IEA) reports and various studies. The objective is to understand how companies such as INDOPERTA can integrate operations with effective carbon emission reduction strategies. A mixed-methods approach is employed, combining qualitative analysis of stakeholder perspectives with the AHP to prioritize initiatives based on identified criteria. Findings reveal compliance and regulation and leadership as critical areas needing focused resource allocation. The AHP analysis underscores the strategic importance of renewable energy investment and the pivotal role of leadership and innovation. It suggests a multifaceted approach involving regulatory adherence, international cooperation, and leadership development for effective carbon reduction. The study concludes that international oil and gas companies are at a crucial juncture. They must align their operations with global environmental goals and innovate to remain relevant in the climate agenda. It provides a roadmap for strategy realignment toward sustainability. However, this study has limitations, including its geographical focus, the dynamic nature of the industry, subjectivity in qualitative research and AHP, and reliance on secondary data. These findings highlight the need for ongoing research that adapts to industry changes and global carbon reduction efforts, ensuring that strategies remain relevant and effective.

Do renewable energy investment and financial development mitigate climate change?

This research explores how renewable energy investment and financial development affect climate change using panel data of 26 OECD countries and 18 non-OECD countries from 1996 to 2019. Several conclusions are drawn from empirical analysis. First, there exist cointegration relationships among renewable energy investment, financial development, and climate change. Second, the effects of renewable energy investment and financial development on climate change exhibit heterogeneity. In the full sample and for OECD countries, renewable energy investment and financial development have a negative impact on climate change, while for non-OECD countries, renewable energy investment has a positive impact on climate change.

Achieving environmental sustainability goals through capitalizing on renewable energy channels: Role of green finance, resources productivity and geopolitical situation in the MENA region

Environmental sustainability is essential to the country's financial position and economic growth. Geopolitical situations and green activities significantly contribute to enhancing sustainable development goals. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of green finance, investment in renewable energy sources and geopolitical risk on the environmental sustainability of the Middle East and North America (MENA) region over the period 2000–2021. When using a cross‐sectional dependence autoregressive distributed lag model (CS‐ARDL), it is discovered that a rise in geopolitical risk will decrease environmental performance in the form of carbon dioxide emission. At the same time, the other factors (green finance and investment in renewable energy) have a positive relationship with sustainability. This observation can be ascribed to the association between increased geopolitical risk and the inclination of crude oil consumers, who are most affected by such risk, to contemplate renewable energy as an alternative to conventional energy sources. This finding could also be attributed to the fact that clean energy is becoming more affordable. In addition, the augmented mean group model findings provide more evidence that a negative linkage is found between geopolitical risk and environmental sustainability. The findings have repercussions for regulators as well as investors who are active in the renewable energy markets.

Optimization method for renewable energy investment planning in the electricity carbon coupling market environment considering economy

China is developing rapidly in renewable energy development, electricity market reform, and carbon market construction, using market mechanisms for efficient planning and investment. The electricity and carbon markets are interrelated for market entities. This context has led to a dual-level optimization model for renewable energy investment planning, considering cost recovery and new power system goals. The model includes deriving electricity carbon coupling quotations for conventional units based on dynamic carbon emission characteristics and proposing an electricity spot market mechanism influenced by carbon quota trading. The model’s upper level maximizes renewable energy investment capacity, determining its size and location, while the lower level simulates electricity spot and voluntary emission reduction market trading to guide investment decisions. The model transformed into a mixed integer linear programming problem for optimal solutions was validated numerically, examining various factors affecting optimal renewable energy investment capacity.

The impact of green innovation and renewable energy on CO2 emissions in G7 nations

This study aims to explore the effect of eco-innovation and renewable energy on carbon dioxide emissions (CDE) for G7 countries. Using regression models, the results reveal that eco-innovation and renewable energy lead to reducing CDE in the presence of governance variables. Additional analysis is conducted to examine whether Hofstede national culture dimensions moderate the nexus of "eco-innovation- carbon emission" and "renewable energy-carbon emission". The results show that individualism, long-term orientation, and indulgence dimensions moderate positively the eco-innovation-carbon emission relationship. Moreover, power distance and uncertainty avoidance dimensions moderate the relationship between renewable energy and CDE and help reduce carbon emissions. The outcomes of this study provide new insights and directives for policymakers and regulators. In fact, increased investment in eco-innovation and renewable energy will support the environmental agenda of G7 countries. National cultural dimensions should be taken into consideration to improve awareness of environmental quality. Moreover, the combination of governance indicators plays a key role in environmental sustainability.

Sizing and energy management of grid-connected hybrid renewable energy systems based on techno-economic predictive technique

This study intends to construct and optimally run a grid-connected hybrid renewable energy system (HRES) powering a residential building. A special techno-economic multi-objective optimization technique is used for sizing the HRES. In addition, an energy management strategy (EMS) is established as a distinct multi-objective optimization problem to minimize degradation and operating costs while improving system performance. A Bi-level mixed integer non-linear programming (BMINLP) is the framework used to formulate the two-optimization problems. Sizing problem is characterized by the higher level, on contrast; the nested EMS problem within the constraints of the size problem is presented on the lower level. For this investigation, the problem is executed via the MATLAB program. The global optimization toolbox is applied via the Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithm (MOGA) to solve the sizing optimization. While the EMS is executed using the "Intlinprg" mixed integer linear programming (MILP) solver. The technical and economic performance parameters such as degradation, renewable energy fraction (REF), operating, maintenance, and investment costs are evaluated in this study. The primary results reveal that the summer week encounters the lowest total cost and the highest REF, at roughly 99484 $ and 60%, respectively. Furthermore, the investigation shows that the lowest degradation value attained in the same week with approximately 50.

The health benefits of solar power generation: Evidence from Chile

Renewable energy can yield social benefits through local air quality improvements and their subsequent effects on human health. We estimate some of these benefits using data gathered during the rapid adoption of large-scale solar power generation in Chile over the last decade. Relying on exogenous variation from incremental solar generation capacity over time, we find that solar energy displaces coal generation and curtails hospital admissions due to respiratory diseases. These effects are largely manifested in cities downwind of and near coal plants that are displaced by the introduction of new solar. The reduction in exposure to air pollution from these displaced coal plants seems to be driving this relationship. Our results help quantify the health benefits that can be achieved through greater renewable energy investments.

Where the wind blows for strong renewable energy investment

Where the wind blows for strong renewable energy investment

Catalyzing climate change mitigation: investigating the influence of renewable energy investments across BRICS

Catalyzing climate change mitigation: investigating the influence of renewable energy investments across BRICS

The Danger of the Interpretation of Facts: Legal Uncertainty in the Spanish Saga Cases

Enhancing legal certainty is one of the main values that are sought in the investor–state dispute settlement system. The importance of legal certainty is strengthened in the case of renewable energy investments, which are in the global public interest, long-term and capital-intensive up-front. The first part of the paper presents the importance of legal certainty in investment arbitration in general, its limits and its importance in the context of the green energy transition. In addition, it addresses the special features of renewable energy investments. The second part of the paper analyses from the perspective of legal certainty the Spanish renewable energy cases initiated under the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT), which deal with similar factual and legal issues. In this respect, the paper presents the varying weight tribunals gave to the important facts that led them further to conclude whether Spain breached the fair and equitable treatment standard, and if so, whether the investor was entitled to full compensation or a reasonable rate of return. In addition, it presents different approaches to perceiving the stability provision of Article 10 (1) of the ECT. The paper concludes that it remains uncertain to what extent RE investors will be protected under the ECT’s stability condition in the case of fundamental or small-scale changes. Although one group of arbitrators may argue that the fundamental change triggers per se a breach of a stability condition, others may argue that for the breach to be established, the host state’s measures must be arbitrary, unreasonable or discriminatory. Moreover, the threat to legal certainty might not only be the vague provisions of the ECT but also the significant discretion tribunals have towards the interpretation of facts, leading to different outcomes. Indeed, it is at the discretion of arbitrators to consider whether the timing of investment, presence of evidence indicating possible regulatory changes, and the reasonable rate of return prescribed in Spain’s domestic law will be relevant or irrelevant.

Global chessboard: Analyzing how geopolitical risk shapes renewable energy technology investments.

The allocation of budgets for renewable energy (RE) technology is significantly influenced by geopolitical risks (GPRs), reflecting the intricate interplay among global political dynamics, social media narratives, and the strategic investment decisions essential for advancing sustainable energy solutions. Against the backdrop of increasing worldwide initiatives to transition to RE sources, it is crucial to understand how GPR affects funding allocations, informing policy decisions, and fostering international collaboration to pursue sustainable energy solutions. Existing work probes the nonlinear effect of GPR on RE technology budgets (RTB) within the top 10 economies characterized by substantial research and development investments in RE (China, USA, Germany, Japan, France, South Korea, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Italy). Past research largely focused on panel data techniques to delve the interconnection between GPR and RE technology, overlooking the distinctive characteristics of individual economies. Contrarily, existing investigation implements the "Quantile-on-Quantile" tool to explore this association on an economy-particular basis, enhancing the precision of our analysis and offering both a comprehensive global perspective and nuanced perceptions for entire countries. The findings manifest a significant reduction in funding for RE technology associated with GPR across various quantile levels in the chosen economies. The disparities in results spotlight the necessity for policymakers to perform thorough assessments and carry out competent strategies to address the variations in GPR and RTB.

Challenges and Recent Progress on Solid-State Batteries and Electrolytes, using Qualitative Systematic Analysis. A Short Review.

The rise in the energy demand, the need to decrease the use of fossil fuels, expanding investments in renewable energy and boosting the electric vehicle market, opens the door to new technologies in clean energy accumulators. Lithium-ion batteries are the most advanced technology in the market but have safety concerns due to the flammability of the electrolyte, which opens the door to innovations. One of these innovations is the solid-state batteries (SSB), which, by using solid electrolytes, do not have the flammable risk, bringing safety to users while reaching similar energy and power densities. This work presents a review about SSB, based on qualitative and exploratory research, using the Web of Science (WoS) platform. Keywords used to gather information from the database were "solid state batteries" and "electrolytes". Only publications from 2018 to 2023 were selected. The main research focus is to solve the challenges posed by the different physical-chemical phenomena of the SSB. This work focuses on the general comprehension of the SSB batteries, what are the factors that can affect it and the main solutions presented in the literature the last five years.