Access To Sustainable Energy Research Articles

Geo-Enabled Sustainable Municipal Energy Planning for Comprehensive Accessibility: A Case in the New Federal Context of Nepal

Energy is a fundamental need of modern society and a basis for economic and social development, and one of the major Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), particularly SDG7. However, the UN’s SDG Report 2021 betrays millions of people living without electricity and one-third of the world’s population deprived of using modern energy cooking services (MECS) through access to electricity. Achieving the SDG7 requires standard approaches and tools that effectively address the geographical, infrastructural, and socioeconomic characteristics of a (rural) municipality of Nepal. Furthermore, Nepal’s Constitution 2015 incorporated a federal system under the purview of a municipality as the local government that has been given the mandate to ensure electricity access and clean energy. To address this, a methodology is developed for local government planning in Nepal in order to identify the optimal mix of electrification options by conducting a detailed geospatial analysis of renewable energy (RE) technologies by exploring accessibility and availability ranging from grid extensions to mini-grid and off-grid solutions, based on (a) life cycle cost and (b) levelized cost of energy. During energy assessment, geospatial and socio-economic data are coupled with household and community level data collected from a mobile survey app, and are exploited to garner energy status-quo and enable local governments to assess the existing situation of energy access/availability and planning. In summary, this paper presents a geo-enabled municipal energy planning method and a comprehensive toolkit to facilitate sustainable energy access to local people.

Leaving no aspect of sustainability behind: A framework for designing sustainable energy interventions applied to refugee camps

The issues of forced displacement and energy for sustainable development are convergent: an estimated 90% of displaced people globally have no access to electricity, while 85% of refugees are hosted in developing countries. However, few tools to plan and design sustainable energy access interventions have been transposed to displacement settings. This paper presents a novel framework for the holistic planning of energy projects which considers both sustainability aspects and the specificities of displacement settings. The framework is the result of a review of literature which aimed to define a “sustainable energy intervention” in displacement contexts and an assessment of relevant planning tools against this definition. The framework includes the use of an energy delivery model toolkit, an inclusive design approach, an assessment of the desired impacts, energy system modelling, business model design, and an assessment of economic viability. We apply the framework in the design of a solar mini grid of Holl Holl refugee camp in Djibouti, in which a sustainable intervention and business model are proposed that could be compatible with the local conditions. We highlight issues that arise from the humanitarian sector status quo and propose that this framework could help to enhance sustainable energy practices in the humanitarian and development sectors.

Has the sustainable energy transition in China's resource-based cities promoted green technology innovation in firms?

Sustainable energy access for all cities is a major concern. Using a sample of listed companies between 2007 and 2018 in China's heavy pollution industries, this paper considers the Plan for the Sustainable Development of Resource-based Cities in China (2013–2020) (hereafter referred to as “SE policy”) as a quasi-natural experiment to evaluate the impact of a sustainable energy policy for resource-based cities (RBCs) on firm-level green behavior based on difference-in-differences (DID) model and further tests the heterogeneity of impact. The main findings are presented as follows:(1) The implementation of SE policy promotes heavily polluting firms' green technology innovation. After several robustness tests, the result is still valid. (2) There is a greater impact of SE policy on firms' green technology innovation among state-owned enterprises (SOEs) when compared with non-SOEs. (3) The impact of SE policy on firms' green technology innovation is greater among firms with a high degree of slack resources. In a nutshell, enacting a sustainable energy policy for RBCs is successful in encouraging green behavior among firms in RBCs.

Governing the scalar politics of solar energy: Global production and national regulation in Kenyan and Indian off-grid solar markets

Global production is largely considered a ‘silver bullet’ that can achieve sustainable energy access for all by 2030. Off-grid solar (OGS) power generation systems are a widely studied case for accelerating energy transitions for the global poor. While OGS is often analyzed at national or subnational levels, little is known about the role of global production networks (GPNs) in scaling energy access in the Global South. The present study addresses this research gap by applying a neoGramscian approach to examine interactions between GPNs and national regulatory frameworks by considering cases in the Indian and Kenyan OGS sector. Employing a comparative research design, 39 qualitative expert interviews were conducted in Hong Kong, New Delhi, and Nairobi. The study identifies two different avenues taken by coalitions of public and private stakeholders to embed GPNs in the Indian and Kenyan OGS markets. In India, a competitive approach was found to governing GPNs, whereas a distribution of labor was predominant in Kenya. Future research should further investigate how and why GPNs become part of energy transitions in the Global South to stabilize assumptions regarding the future of energy systems.

ENERGY POVERTY AND GENDER NEXUS

An estimated 1.3 billion people across the world have no access to electricity. Out of them, 70 per cent are women. This paper wanted to do a brief discussion upon energy poverty and gender nexus where the impacts of energy poverty upon rural women are discussed. As women are primarily responsible for securing food and energy for their families, they are the ones who are worst affected by the lack of access to clean and modern energy. It does not only create a number of health issues for them but also creates a time burden for them which combated them for income generation. Involving women in the supply of clean energy by generating green jobs, is a direct pathway that not only ensures sustainable energy access but also empowers women, improves their health, and improves their capacity for climate adaptation and mitigation.

Revisiting the Indus Basin Model for an Energy Sustainable Pakistan

Water is vital and an essential entity directly and indirectly for all living creatures from their birth, whereas electrical energy has a dominant role in the growth of society in general and for human beings in particular. Optimal use of water and production of electrical energy at minimum cost are potential research challenges. Hydraulic energy is one of the cheapest and the most exploited renewable energy resource for power generation worldwide, and is in line with the seventh United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 7). The Indus basin is a trans-boundary basin, and its modeling has been a source of interest for scientists and policymakers. Indus Basin Model Revised (IBMR) has many variants, all focusing on optimal use of water for irrigation purposes. In this paper, the modified IBMR model is proposed addressing both agriculture and power generation aspects simultaneously. This model optimizes the Consumer Producer Surplus (CPS) by considering different water inflow probabilities. A parameter has been introduced in the modified objective function to manipulate the supply of water to agriculture and hydropower generation. The proposed model has been implemented in Generic Algebraic Modeling System (GAMS) and case studies have been investigated in presence and absence of power generation. The results obtained show that, with incorporation of hydropower, basin wide income is increased up to 11.83% using 50% exceedance probability, and results are in agreement with reference power generation estimated by National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC). The SDG 7 targets ensure the reasonable, dependable, sustainable and contemporary energy access to all. The current research is focusing on how Pakistan would achieve the SDG 7 targets. By 2040, it is anticipated that Pakistan’s energy mix will have around 40% of hydropower and 16% of renewable energy.

The future of residue-based bioenergy for industrial use in Sub-Saharan Africa

Energy outlooks for Africa feature increased use of fossil fuels. However, they widely ignore that a transition from traditional to modern bioenergy can support the increasing commercial energy demand and offer a high level of flexibility and dispatchability. We use energy statistics, resource assessments and demand analysis to show how switching traditional biomass use to more sustainable technologies could practically eliminate unsustainable fuelwood use. Furthermore, mobilising agricultural and forestry residue for commercial use could grow a sustainable biomass industry and offset Africa's projected expansion of fossil fuels. The assessment focuses on feedstocks and potential energy conversion options for selected and most promising bioenergy pathways in Sub-Saharan Africa's growing and economically relevant industries: cement, agricultural processing, livestock, and horticulture. Examples of specific applications are given to support the high-level resource assessment and demand balances in these sectors. Our results indicate that 3317 PJ bioenergy could be utilised in Sub-Saharan Africa. Even with the calculated gap between biomass availability and biomass demand of 5559 PJ in future energy scenarios, bioenergy can contribute to sustainable energy supply and access in SSA. The sustainability mapping highlighted that bioenergy could deliver integral social and economic impacts because of the close integration with agriculture as the main livelihood supporting sector in SSA. Sustainability frameworks and governance structures must consider bioenergy beyond its cost and clean energy potential to maximise positive trade-offs.

A Technoeconomic Feasibility Analysis for Affordable Energy System in the East African Community Countries

Access to energy is among the key pillars to socioeconomic and improved life style. The East African Community (EAC) countries, also members of sub-Saharan Africa, are among countries with enough energy resources but still struggling with low electricity access, and the lower proportion of citizens with electricity access challenges such as expensive tariff, frequent blackouts, and unreliable service still persists. Diesel technology is among the easy and fast installation technologies for a location with an urgent need of electricity while solar is a clean technology with free fuel. Considering the diversity of electricity tariffs, cost of diesel fuel, and suitability to solar energy exploitation in EAC, this paper intends to provide a technoeconomic analysis for reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy system in the region. A daily load of 94.44 kWh recorded from averaging electricity bills of a luxury house in Kigali, Rwanda, is used as research object, and HOMER simulations are carried on considering the level of such daily load being supplied by either (a) diesel generator, (b) solar + diesel technology, (c) PV + battery storage, or (d) PV + battery storage + grid system in each member country of the EAC. The results show that (a) solar energy is a feasible and applicable technology for energy generation for the whole six EAC countries; (b) for South Sudan, if it is a standalone system, the diesel technology is less costly than solar technology; however, solar energy can still be recommended to be adopted as it has no gas emissions; (c) except South Sudan, PV + battery storage technology is found to be more affordable and cleaner than any technology including diesel; and (d) the option of connecting PV + battery storage to the grid is found more economical for locations where grid interaction is possible because their levelized electricity costs (LCOE) are lower than the real electricity tariffs currently in use within each of the six EAC countries. The solar energy system with battery storage (both off-grid and grid connected) proposed in this research can lead to an efficient increase of national energy resource exploitation in the EAC countries, resulting in reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy access to all the citizenry of the EAC.

Optimal design and energy management of an isolated fully renewable energy system integrating batteries and supercapacitors

The continuous rise of global electricity demand and significant dependency on fossil fuel-based centralised power plants are the main indicators of increasing greenhouse gas emissions, thus negatively affecting climate change and human health and increasing the earth temperatures. This alarming situation has demanded the transition to 100 % renewable energy to decarbonise energy use. However, the fluctuating weather resources, and high investment cost are the major challenges with renewable energy implementation. In this context, the combined integration of multiple sources with energy storage in a so-called hybrid renewable energy system was developed as a durable remedy for the previous issues. This paper proposes a joint and conceptual approach for techno-economic design and dynamic rule-based power control of an off-grid solar/wind hybrid renewable energy system integrated with a hybrid energy storage system that comprises a lithium-ion battery, lead-acid battery, and a supercapacitor. Such concurrent integration of 100 % renewable energy systems and hybrid energy storage systems is lacking in the existing literature. First, with the aid of HOMER software, the feasibility and optimisation analysis of nine different configurations was performed in 1 min resolution to find the optimal component sizes. Second, MATLAB/Simulink models were assembled for the winning design based on a dynamic rule-based strategy to investigate and analyse the system’s dynamic response, power equilibrium, DC-bus voltage supervision and load voltage/frequency control against instantaneous and dynamic changes in the load or renewable energy resources. The proposed approach was promoted and validated on an actual case study for isolated residential community electrification in Saudi Arabia, in which a multi-tier framework was adopted to accurately simulate the stochastic energy consumption of the community’s households. From the design results, the hybrid renewable energy system, which integrates solar, wind, lead-acid batteries, and converter with optimal capacities of 55 kW, 18 kW, 325 kWh and 42 kW converter, respectively, is the most cost-effective alternative with the minimum net present and energy costs of $232,423.3 and $0.3458/kWh, respectively. The system has the least unmet load with 13.5 kWh/years (0.02 %), thus ensuring maximum reliability and customer satisfaction. Meanwhile, the developed control strategy efficiently improved the dynamic response, the DC-bus voltage stability, and the load voltage/frequency during different climatological and load interruptions. Further, the use of lead-acid batteries and supercapacitors has effectively diminished the maximum overshoot of the DC-bus and load voltages by 50 % during all disturbances. In addition, the integration of supercapacitors proficiently saved 2.3–6 kW during wind speed change and 2–9 kW during simultaneous changes in the radiation and load. Overall, the presented method, together with the reported results, provides an improved understanding and highlights the extent to which the successful integration of hybrid renewable energy system and hybrid energy storage system can be used to develop reliable and sustainable energy access for off-grid areas.

Mobilizing heterogeneity: understanding the dynamic qualities and diversity of energy access in Maputo

ABSTRACT Significant steps have been made to expand grid-level electricity access in Maputo, Mozambique. Simultaneously, research highlights the emergence of alternative socio-technical infrastructures that often run parallel or complementary to centralized electricity networks. Approaching energy access across such technologies and practices is crucial to understand the challenge of energy access even in cities where grid connectivity is high. Recently, the concept of heterogeneity has emerged to describe such diverse infrastructural realities. Through 62 household interviews, this article examines the heterogeneity of energy access in Maputo. It contends that heterogeneity is a dynamic landscape of practices and strategies that interface with contested political ideals. By approaching heterogeneity as a cross-cutting dynamic, qualities of sustainable energy access such as increased security, autonomy, and the preservation of valued livelihoods become apparent. It is contended that such qualities offer reference points to better evaluate the sustainability of heterogeneous energy access and guide more coordinated energy governance.

Enhancement of sustainable energy and its sustainable development impacts: An analytical perspective

Access to modern energy features prominently in current development agendas that particularly pertain to underdeveloped communities, and in scientific work. Specifically, this relates to sustainable development (SD) concerns, where holistic attention is sought for economic growth, environmental soundness and social progress. There is, however, much more emphasis on energy access than in SD impacts that the energy is designed to achieve. As a result, much is done to make the energy available, but there is little manifestation of resultant SD impacts. In this article, it is therefore argued that a rethinking of modern or sustainable energy access is needed, especially in a community-based development sense. Consequently, in the research work an analytical framework is constructed to guide a new vision and strategies for SD-focused modern energy.

Computational analysis of high-lift-generating airfoils for diffuser-augmented wind turbines

Abstract. The impetus towards sustainable energy production and energy access has led to considerable research and development on decentralized generators, in particular diffuser-augmented wind turbines. This paper aims to characterize the performance of diffuser-augmented wind turbines (DAWTs) using high-lift airfoils employing a three-step computational analysis. The study is based on computational fluid dynamics, and the analysis is carried out by solving the unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS) equations in two dimensions. The rotor blades are modeled as an actuator disk, across which a pressure drop is imposed analogous to a three-dimensional rotor. We study the change in performance of the enclosed turbine with varying diffuser cross-sectional geometry. In particular, this paper characterizes the effect of a flange on the flow augmentation provided by the diffuser. We conclude that at the end of the three-step analysis, Eppler 423 showed the maximum velocity augmentation.

Strategic planning of coal assets for electricity production: a case of Botswana

Ensuring affordable and sustainable energy access is core to Botswana's adapted Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 7). Presently, the country has deficient electricity supply whose local demand is expected to increase through to 2030. However, proven domestic coal resources would provide a cheap alternative source to enhance the electricity supply capacity. This study evaluates a potential coal mine, Sese mine, whose objective is to alleviate supply. It is valued using Real Options to determine its underlying project value. The investment model is leveraged from coal to electricity production by comparison of a prospective power plant location to minimise costs from producer to consumer. Scenario cost analysis of transportation systems is achieved to provide value to potential synergy for strategic planning. The findings show that the conveyor system has competitive cost advantage. Our study recognises the need for developing countries to utilise domestic resources to improve energy infrastructure to progress their economies.

Strategic planning of coal assets for electricity production: a case of Botswana

Ensuring affordable and sustainable energy access is core to Botswana's adapted Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 7). Presently, the country has deficient electricity supply whose local demand is ...

Rwanda’s Off-Grid Solar Performance Targets

The United Nations Statistical Commission’s Inter-Agency and Expert Group on Sustainable Development Goals (IAEG-SDG) settled on 230 guidelines to assess the 17 SDGs and 169 Targets. The clause of “Leave No One Behind” and scarcity of data in most deserving countries made the UN 2030 Agenda agree on 169 Targets. Recently in Energy Policy, Bisaga et al. used synergies and trade-offs of SDG7 to assess Rwanda’s off-grid solar energy sector performance against the 169 Targets of the UN 2030 Agenda.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN OIC COUNTRIES: SDG 7 OUTPUT

Over the past few decades, countries in the Association of Islamic Cooperation Organizations (OIC) have reached various levels of economic development. At present, increasing energy access is one of the goals to be achieved by ensuring affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy access. This study aims to measure the effectiveness of energy access based on the indicators of the seventh sustainable developmet goals (SDGs) in 50 countries that are members of the OIC during the period 2010-2017. Efficiency measurements are carried out using the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method. The productivity measurement is done by using the Malmquist Productivity Index (MPI). The results showed that Yemen was the country that had the highest rate of increase with a TFP value of 1.194. While the State of Egypt was the country that experienced the largest decline with a TFP value of 0.821. On the other hand, there are differences in the level of efficiency regionally, where Muslim countries in the European continent are then followed by the countries of the West Asian region in the second position and the third position is the central African region which is superior to the region Other Africa. Keywords: Sustainable Developmet Goals, Data Envelopment Analysis, Efficiency, Energy Access, Islamic Cooperation Organizations JEL Classifications: O1, 05, Q4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.32479/ijeep.10499

Off-grid and decentralized hybrid renewable electricity systems data analysis platform (OSDAP): A building block of a comprehensive techno-economic approach based on contrastive case studies in Sub-Saharan Africa and Canada

Off-grid and decentralized Hybrid Renewable Electricity Systems (OHRES) play a promising role in providing sustainable energy access to 860 million people around the globe with no access to electricity. However, the diversity of global geographies, lack of performance analysis standardization, and modeling limitations hinder the scalability of OHRES. This study outlines the creation of a data analysis platform (OSDAP) and irradiance forecasting models for OHRES that can be used to support the provision of global energy access. The paper presents the technical layout of OHRES in two case studies in Canada and Uganda and outlines an assessment and modeling platform that can be used to assess OHRES performance across widely varying geographic locations. Two irradiance forecasting models are developed using artificial neural networks, which can be used to increase solar energy utilization in OHRES.

Energy access for marginalized communities: Evidence from rural North India, 2015–2018

Rural energy access in India has improved steadily over the last decade. This progress is attributed to national energy reforms that aim to not only expand access to grid electricity and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) but also to improve quality of access. Considering the historical caste-based energy access disparities unique to the Indian context, how equitable have recent improvements been? Using panel data representative of rural areas in six of India’s poorest states, we apply a linear regression model with caste and year interactions to quantify changes in energy access for historically marginalized Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) households relative to the all others between 2015–2018. We find that overall, inequities in an SC/ST household’s likelihood to obtain an LPG connection reduced (by 4.6%-points [95% CI: 0.7 to 7.7]). In contrast, overall inequities in grid connection likelihoods remained consistent. Looking beyond binary connection rates, we find that an SC/ST household’s supply improved less in terms of daily supply hours (by 1.42 h [CI: 1 to 1.83]) and monthly outage days (by 1 day [CI: 0.7 to 1.3]). Disaggregate analyses indicate that these broader trends are composed of distinct state-level trends modified by differences in baselines, marginalised population distributions, institutional capacity and accountability. Energy policy reform in India must consider caste-based inequities and take advantage of multi-dimensional supply measurement to encourage equitable and just progress towards sustainable energy access for all sections of the population.

DECOVIDIZATION THROUGH RURBANIZATION: THE RE-DEVELOPMENT OPTION FOR SUSTAINABLE ENERGY ACCESS

As the energy infrastructure is re-orienting to cater to de-covidization, this paper posits the rurbanization option. De-covidization is defined as actionable options to migrate from the corona virus pandemic, seen through the lens of sustainable energy access. De-covidating would imply ‘build and retrofit-back better' with respect to energy access. De-covidization has implications on scale, locale, alignment for energy access in the rurbanized format. The locale and reach of rurbanized energy access need to blend with living habitat. This paper is on the construct of de-covidization through grass-roots up energy access options through an innovation, rurbanization. Rurbanization refers to rural-urban aligned resource corridors that offer potential for sustainable energy access. Rurban interface is a metric that assesses the possibility of redesigning and rescaling carbon proof energy access options. There is sparse literature on the concept of rurbanization that hybridizes benefit incidence and network views on urban-rural interfaces. The focus is sustainable energy access. The paper conceptualizes rurbanization to bridge the gap in the research that emanates from the propensity of urban megapolises to create clutter, which results in degraded ecology, air pollution, health hazards, lower quality of life, gender inequity, and vulnerability to natural disasters. This has exacerbated during the current global pandemic. As de-covidating initiatives are unleashed, the energy access would need appropriate and manageable scale. Urbanization cannot be sustained without a robust rural interface.Keywords: Rurbanization, De-covidization, Energy Access, Ecology-driven Shared Value Creation, Water-waste-energy MetricsJEL Classifications: Q01, O35, R580DOI: https://doi.org/10.32479/ijeep.10239

Mobilising private climate finance for sustainable energy access and climate change mitigation in Sub-Saharan Africa

ABSTRACT Ensuring access to sustainable energy is equally relevant for both sustainable development and climate change mitigation. Mobilising private finance in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries will, in turn, be of crucial importance for achieving both Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 – which calls for universal energy access – and climate change mitigation goals defined under the Paris Agreement. In this paper, we assess how UNFCCC-backed climate finance instruments have engaged private investment for energy-focused climate mitigation in SSA. Based on this assessment, we develop recommendations for public climate finance institutions. Our work builds on documentary and database analysis and interviews, as well as participatory methodologies applied at a stakeholder workshop conducted in Kampala, Uganda, in 2018. Three case studies from Ethiopia, Madagascar and South Africa illustrate how climate finance interacts with domestic policy instruments, including in relation to the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism, South Africa’s domestic renewable energy auctions, and the Green Climate Fund. The paper finds that there is no ‘catch all’ success model and approaches need to be tailored to local circumstances. Key policy insights International market mechanisms and climate finance can be key catalysts for private multibillion-dollar investment in energy access and climate mitigation, even under the challenging conditions facing many SSA nations. Market mechanisms need to be managed well to provide the private sector with the certainty needed to commit to fresh investments. A programmatic approach with standardised baseline and monitoring methodologies should be anchored in the next generation of project-based market mechanisms under Paris Agreement Article 6. Linking international and regional development programmes with the international carbon market might be an option for closing financing gaps, while at the same time increasing synergies between climate goals and SDGs.