Development Of Renewable Energy Projects Research Articles

Methodology for the large-scale assessment of small hydroelectric potential: Application to the Province of New Brunswick (Canada)

The mapping of the small hydropower (SHP) resource over a given territory is indispensable to identify suitable sites for the development of SHP renewable energy projects. In this study, a straightforward method to map the SHP potential over a large territory is presented. The methodology uses a synthetic hydro network (SHN) created from digital elevation models (DEM) to ensure precise hydro head estimations. From the SHN, hydro heads are calculated by subtracting the minimum from the maximum elevation of synthetic stream segments. Subsequently, stream segments with low hydro heads over a specified maximum distance are removed. Finally, the method uses regional regression models to estimate the annual baseflow for all drainage areas in the study area. The technical SHP potential can then be estimated as a function of the hydro head and maximum penstock length. An application of the method is made to the province of New Brunswick, Canada, where SHP maps have been developed to promote the development of the SHP energy sector in the province. In terms of the SHP opportunity, it is shown that the province of New Brunswick (71,450 km 2) has a good SHP resource. Using a representative hydro head (10 m) and penstock length (3000 m) for the region, 696 potential sites have been identified over the territory. Results show that the technical SHP potential for New Brunswick is 368 MW for the conventional hydroelectric reservoir SHP configuration, while for the run-of-river SHP configuration, the technical SHP potential is 58 MW.

Status of the development of renewable energy projects in the Republic of Panama

The Republic of Panama plans to expand its power generation park by including renewable energy. Currently, more than half of the Panamanian power generation park is comprised of hydroelectric power and the rest is completed by thermoelectric plants, but other energy sources such as wind, solar, geothermal and peat are available. This paper reviews the current status of the Panamanian power generation park, recent renewable energy developments, the legal framework and incentives in place for these projects, and the renewable energy resources available in the country. Finally, some hypothetical renewable energy projects are evaluated, to initially assess their economic feasibility. It can be concluded from this paper that: 1) hydro power is the only renewable currently in the Panamanian power generation park and comprises most of the future projects, 2) wind power is the other renewable with most potential in Panama, with the second-largest number of projects, 3) solar, geothermal and peat resources are available in Panama but there are no current developments to include them as part of large-scale power generation, 4) initial evaluation of two hypothetical hydroelectric and wind projects shows economic feasibility under the given assumptions; however, the project feasibility is dependent on specific site conditions.

Elizabeth Lokey, Renewable Energy Project Development under the Clean Development Mechanism: A Guide for Latin America

Elizabeth Lokey, Renewable Energy Project Development under the Clean Development Mechanism: A Guide for Latin America

And then what happened? A retrospective appraisal of China’s Renewable Energy Development Project (REDP)

From 2002 to 2007, more than 400,000 photovoltaic (PV) solar home systems (SHS) were sold in northwestern China under the US$316 million World Bank/Global Environment Facility-supported Renewable Energy Development Project (REDP). REDP has been hailed as a best practice example in SHS deployment for its unprecedented scale and the combination of technology improvement and market development support components to strengthen the country’s renewable energy industry. While the World Bank has itself conducted post-project evaluations, our paper presents the first independent review with the intent of determining if anticipated project impacts have been sustained. We adopt a case study format supported by in-depth interviews with the project’s relevant stakeholder groups and find that solar home systems (SHS) provide monetary and non-monetary benefits to users and that their portability complements the lifestyle of the region’s nomadic herders. However, we also find that purchasing decisions are still based on price more than quality, after-sales service networks remain weak, and households in REDP’s coverage area are gradually gaining access to hydropower-based grid electricity.

Technical appraisal of solar home systems in Bangladesh: A field investigation

Solar Home System (SHS) based rural electrification has experienced a considerable growth in Bangladesh since the start of the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Development Project (REREDP) in 2003. The initial target of 50,000 SHS installations in off-grid areas was achieved within 2.5 years, 3 years ahead of schedule. After achieving a revised target of 200,000 SHSs, ahead of schedule in early 2009, a new target of 1 million SHS installations by 2012 was set. The installation of about 0.5 million systems by March 2010 indicates that the current target may well be achieved before the deadline. The size of the SHS market and its impact on the regeneration of the rural economy make it necessary to investigate the quality and reliability of the installed SHSs, if the continued success of the initiative is to be maintained. This paper reports on the findings from a field-based technical appraisal of SHS installations in Bangladesh. Sixty geographically dispersed installation sites were visited. Physical characteristics of the SHSs and their system components were tested to ascertain compliance with and deviations from the approved specifications. Despite the overwhelming success of the REREDP project, the study revealed various shortcomings. Notable among these are: incompatible and sub-optimal component configurations, faulty installations and a lack of effective quality assurance mechanism. The findings are contextualized and the ways to address the identified shortcomings are discussed.

Wind power and community benefits: Challenges and opportunities

A challenge relating to the development of renewable energy in the UK concerns how large companies can foster positive relationships with local communities. The concepts of ‘trust’ and ‘fairness’ are central to debates around proposed renewable energy developments, however, these concepts are complex, ambiguous and interrelated. In the UK the provision of community benefits stemming from the development of renewable energy projects remains a voluntary activity. This paper presents the findings of a case study of one wind power development and how community benefits associated with this were perceived by the local community throughout various stages of the case study (notably during planning, construction and operation). The case study highlights the challenging nature of community benefits from wind power developments. Important decisions regarding who the relevant local community is or what form community benefits should take present opportunities for disagreement between conflicting interests. It is argued that institutionalised guidance would serve a number of worthwhile purposes. Firstly, they would provide greater clarity. Secondly, they would give developers greater confidence to discuss the community benefits package in the early planning stages, and thirdly, they would reduce the likelihood of community benefits being perceived as bribes.

Renewable Energy and Sociotechnical Change: Imagined Subjectivities of ‘the Public’ and Their Implications

‘The public’ are potentially implicated in processes of sociotechnical change as political actors who welcome or resist technology development in general, or in particular places and settings. We argue in this paper that the potential influence of public subjectivities on sociotechnical change is realised not only through moments of active participation and protest, but also through ‘the public’ being imagined, given agency, and invoked for various purposes by actors in technical–industrial and policy networks. As a case study we explore the significance of an imagined and anticipated public subjectivity for the development of renewable energy technologies in the UK. We use interviews with a diversity of industry and policy actors to explore how imaginaries of the public are constructed from first-hand and mediated experience and knowledge, and the influence these imagined public subjectivities may have on development trajectories and on actor strategies and activities. We show how the shared expectation of an ever present latent but conditional public hostility to renewable energy project development is seen as shaping the material forms of the technologies, their evolving spatiality, and practices of public engagement involved in obtaining project consent. Implications for the actors we are interested in and for broader questions of democratic practice are considered.

Green Recovery: How Are Environmental Stocks Doing?

With a focus on 310 “green” companies, in the industries of biomass, biofuels, clean tech indexes, efficiency, energy storage, fuel cells, geothermal, recycling, green chemicals, environmental building, renewable energy project developers, solar energy, environmentally conscious transportation, and water and wind energy, this article tests the hypothesis that green companies’ financial performance follows that of traditional companies. It also examines how different countries excel at developing environmental solutions in different areas and illuminates the reasons for their successes. Such reasons might include government investment or tax incentives. Finally, this article analyzes how different industries have been performing over time. Key variables investigated include differences in capital expenditures, such as research and development and the sources of firms’ financing. Findings suggest that Nasdaq firms outperform the green firms, although certain green industries dominate the Nasdaq. Other significant results relate to larger equity shares held by insiders in environmental firms. Finally, green firms have larger R&amp;D and capital expenditures compared and better corporate governance than Nasdaq firms. <b>TOPICS:</b>ESG investing, performance measurement

06/00235 Development of new geneation cooperatives inagriculture for renewable energy research, development, and demonstration projects: Downing, M. et al. Biomass and Bioenergy, 2005, 28, (5), 425–434

06/00235 Development of new geneation cooperatives inagriculture for renewable energy research, development, and demonstration projects: Downing, M. et al. Biomass and Bioenergy, 2005, 28, (5), 425–434

Development of new generation cooperatives in agriculture for renewable energy research, development, and demonstration projects

Any of several business structures may be used to operate a farm enterprise. Models have been developed showing advantages and disadvantages of sole proprietorships, partnerships, and corporations when applied as farm enterprises. In recent years, the farm cooperative business structure has taken on a different complexion, especially when faced with new crops and uses, mixed, multiple, and international markets, and cross-cutting market sectors. These new generation cooperatives have played a particularly strong role in developing renewable energy and agricultural enterprises, especially in the face of proposed new crop rotations, inclusion of perennial crops in these rotations, and different management scenarios based on agro-forestry principles. In this paper, we define conditions under which the farm cooperative is an appropriate business enterprise structure, and review and update the status of four of these new generation cooperative business structures in Minnesota, New York, and Iowa. We assess the status of development of these cooperatives and the market conditions needed for the agriculture, energy, and environmental sectors that comprise these cooperatives.

Restructuring the Electricity Industry in Western Australia: What's in it for the Environment?

In Western Australia electricity industry restructuring has proceeded at a slow pace since the mid-1990s and development of renewable energy projects has been limited. However in August 2001 the State Government established the Electricity Reform Task Force (ERTF) to investigate and make recommendations on further electricity reforms to be undertaken in Western Australia. The Terms of Reference developed by the Government gave the ERTF a number of conflicting objectives. The main objective was to achieve “sustainable lower electricity prices” for all customers while maintaining the uniform tariff for residential and small business customers. A secondary objective was to give due consideration to the role that sustainable and renewable energy may have in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This article examines these conflicting objectives of the ERTF and the likely opportunities for renewable energy and end-use energy efficiency as the State Government moves to implement the recommendations.

Policy instruments fostering wind energy projects—a multi-perspective evaluation approach

During the last decade, a large number of policy instruments have been developed and implemented all over Europe aiming at supporting renewable energy project development. However, the success of the different policy approaches varies significantly. Given the very different mechanisms of the diverse instruments, the design or the selection of appropriate instruments may cause methodological difficulties. In order to support instrument selection, economists have developed several evaluation criteria. However, this paper states that most of the typically proposed and applied criteria catalogues still neglect the interests and requirements of important stakeholder groups. This paper, therefore, proposes a more integrated evaluation approach taking into account the different interests of all relevant stakeholder groups in the three fields: renewable energy business (especially wind industry), policy making and conventional power business.

Implementation of village electrification projects in developing countries: The role of case

The International Centre for Application of Solar Energy (CASE) is the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation's (UNIDO) agency for the promotion of renewable energy technology in developing countries. This paper presents the role of CASE and methodology that CASE is adopting for the sustainable development of renewable energy projects for the benefit of rural communities. In addition it outlined various renewable energy options and a village electrification project model.

CSW system renewable energy development project

Considerable advances in renewable energy technologies (particularly solar and wind) have been made in the last decade. The Central and South West (CSW) System, which comprises Central Power and Light, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, Southwestern Electric Power, and West Texas Utilities, expects several of them to be cost-competitive to traditional forms of generation within the next 20 years. This article reports on a 5-year, $17.3 million ($10 million is internally funded) effort to install and operate the most viable designs for the CSW System Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana service area.