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The development of renewable energy, which is an important way to solve the environmental protection, has now become a research focus around the world. As a developing country with rapid growth, China gains the rapid development of economy, but the environmental pollution is becoming increasingly serious in recent years. Electricity industry plays an important role for energy-saving and emission-reduction in China, in order to reduce the environment pollution, it needs to consider how the electricity consumption affects the carbon emissions. In this paper, a stochastic impacts by regression on population, affluence, and technology (STRIPAT) model was built, which estimates the relationship between the carbon emissions, population, GDP per capita, electricity consumption and energy consumption. It found that population, GDP per capita and the ratio of electricity consumption in energy consumption are change 1%, the carbon emissions will change 1.207%, 0.901% and −1.188% respectively. Based on the relationship, there electricity energy development scenarios were assumed and analyzed, and it found that the way to reduce carbon emissions should consider improving technical ability, which should accounting for improving the ratio of electricity power ratio in the energy consumption, improving the efficiency of using fossil energy and the development of renewable energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The finiteness of fossil fuels implies that future electric power systems may predominantly source energy from fuel-free renewable resources like wind and solar. Evidently, these power systems without fuel will be environmentally benign, sustainable, and subject to milder failure scenarios. Many of these advantages were projected decades ago with the definition of the soft energy path , which describes a future where all energy is provided by numerous small, simple, and diverse renewable sources. Here we provide a thorough investigation of power systems without any fuel-based generation from technical and economic standpoints. The paper is organized by timescale and covers issues like the irrelevance of unit commitment in networks without large, fuel-based generators, the dubiousness of nodal pricing without fuel costs, and the need for new system-level models and control methods for semiconductor-based energy-conversion interfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the innovative methods for decentralized low-scale purification of water is the humidification dehumidification (HDH) desalination technology. Many research activities have been carried out recently with the aim of improving this technology. The economic and environmental benefits of the HDH technology are enormous including feasibility of being powered by sustainable energy sources such as solar and geothermal, ability to operate at low temperature, low maintenance requirements, and simple construction needs. The principal HDH components, latest research on HDH systems driven by renewable energy, and recent innovations on HDH design for sustainable water production are discussed in this paper. It is worth noting that the development of the key features and sustainability aspects of HDH desalination technology are still under research and more improvements are needed to optimize process performance parameters in terms of quantity of water produced, specific renewable energy required, and specific cost of water produced. However, HDH technology has been proven to be an inexpensive and reliable desalination system in terms of environmental friendliness for small scale applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth of Decentralized Energy Systems (DES) signals a new frontier in urban energy planning and design of local energy systems. As affordability of renewable energy technologies (RET) increases, cities and urban regions become the venues, not only for energy consumption but also for generation and distribution, which calls for systemic and paradigmatic change in local energy infrastructure. The decentralizing transitions of urban energy systems, particularly solar photovoltaic and thermal technologies, require a comprehensive assessment of their sociotechnical co-evolution – how technologies and social responses evolve together and how their co-evolution affects urban planning and energy policies. So far, urban planning literature has mainly focused on the impact of physical urban forms on efficiency of energy consumption, overlooking how the dynamics of new energy technologies and associated social responses affect local systems of energy infrastructure, the built environments and their residents. This paper provides an interdisciplinary review on the co-evolving technical and social dynamics of DES focusing on Distributed Generation (DG), MicroGrids (MG), and Smart MicroGrids (SMG), in order to draw insights for their integration in urban planning and policy, in particular reference to climate change mitigation and adaptation planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sichuan Province is one of the most important economic inland areas and is characterized by an abundance of renewable energy resources in the form of solar, wind, biomass, and, in particular, hydropower. After the rapid growth of installed hydropower capacity during the past decade, the non-hydro renewable energy resource development is booming in Sichuan Province. This development is bringing about a series of problems as well. In this paper, we give an overview of Sichuan׳s renewable energy development in the past five years, analyze the existing problems, and examine the underlying causes in terms of environment, market, technology, and policy. On that basis, we propose a method for future renewable energy development in Sichuan and suggest that Sichuan׳s government should improve the pricing mechanism and the mandatory share policy for non-hydro renewable energy. Additionally, R&D on the plateau type of wind turbines and the smart micro-grid should be strengthened. Finally, given the mature hydropower industry in Sichuan, the combined operation of wind–hydro and solar–hydro plants is recommended to improve the stability of renewable electricity generation output. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the simultaneous scheduling of electrical vehicles and responsive loads to reduce operation cost and emission in presence of wind and PV powers in microgrid. In the proposed method, the electrical vehicles are used for peak shaving and load curve modification while the responsive loads are employed to supply the reserves needed to compensate the intrinsic uncertainties of wind and PV powers. Furthermore, a developed two-stage model is proposed to determine the expected operation cost of microgrid (energy and reserve). In the first stage, the generation and reserve power costs are minimized while in the second stage, the costs associated with unit scheduling changes resulting from wind and PV power variations are minimized. The proposed model is implemented in a microgrid with various distributed generations. The simulation results have shown that the incorporation of electrical vehicles and responsive loads leads to decrease the system operation costs and emissions while the uncertainties related to wind and PV are compensated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iran is rich in energy resources and oil has dominated the politico-socio-economic life of this country, but nevertheless Iran has no documented policy and vision for its massive resources. This poses a major challenge to policy makers and the society. It is necessary to have a clear picture of Iran׳s energy status in recent years showing the flow of energy supply, demand, consumption, import and export to know how the energy situation in Iran is and identify its weaknesses and strengths. This paper is the first step in that direction and presents an overview of Iran energy situation and the potential and current state of renewable energy application. The status of energy in Iran is compared to world’s energy status via five key factors, and finally this comparison shows hints for designing roadmap of energy for Iran to attain sustainable and secure energy in long term. The novel contribution of this work is the STEEP analysis of Iran energy situation for designing the long-term supporting mechanisms for sustainable and secure energy for Iran based on Social (S), Technological (T), Economical (E), Environmental (E) and Political (P) criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy production in a safe and hazard free manner is one of the world׳s greatest concern. Since the inception of Kyoto Protocol, which was adopted in 1997 and entered into force in February 2005, countries have started to adopt different measures for emission reduction such as electricity generation from renewable energy sources; as the source is free from green house gas (GHG) or CO 2 emission. Legislations and financial incentives have been provided by some governments for encouragement and ensuring good returns to the investors in renewable energy sector. This paper analyzes how a 500 kWp solar photovoltaic (PV) system for electricity generation contributes significantly in the GHG emission reduction and also the potential impact of introducing CO 2 emission reduction cost in the solar PV electricity generation. The result shows that the emission reduction is of the order of hundreds of tons of CO 2 and CO 2 emission reduction cost has a positive impact on the cumulative cash flow of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reports the state-of-the-day for non-renewable and renewable energy in Ukraine and state policy of its development in the long-term perspective. Despite total dependence on imported energy resources and complex natural conditions to develop new own deposits of fossil fuels; the state does not pay enough attention to RE development. The article investigates the advantages and usefulness of the development of renewable energy sources, which are considered along with analysis of the most economically profitable directions of their use. The key obstacles, which reduce the effectiveness of RE deployment and barriers to the realization of RE projects by investors are analyzed. Considering Russia׳s military intervention, we paid attention to the peculiarities of the functioning of green power plants in the occupied Crimea and the loss of Ukrainian renewable energy sector from the annexation of the peninsula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Africa is blessed with abundant energy sources that can promote economic growth and provide sufficient capacity to meet up with the future electricity demand. This paper evaluates the progress made in renewable energy (RE) development in Nigeria and Cameroon together with the roadmaps for future implementation. Since the early 2000, Nigeria has identified RE as an additional source to improve electrical power generation, while Cameroon is yet to have a defined policy for RE development. Presently, in both countries, RE is being developed for empowering the local economies, but the RE incorporation to the national grid is yet to be implemented at a greater scale. Since Nigeria and Cameroon have similar climatic conditions, they can benefit from each other through greater cooperation in the RE sector. For the two countries, there is high solar irradiation and excellent wind speed that can be effectively utilized for electricity generation. For all these to benefit both nations, there is a greater need for good leadership and good governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrating variable and non-dispatchable renewable power generation into existing power systems will have consequences for their operation and future expansion. These impacts will depend on two factors: (1) the variability of the total renewable power generation on different time scales and (2) the possibilities of accurately forecasting these fluctuations. In this paper, previous research on variability assessment and forecasting of solar, wind, wave and tidal energy resources is reviewed. The aim is to summarize the state of knowledge in each area and to compare the approaches used for the respective resources. For temporal variability, methods and models used for assessing the variability are surveyed, as well as what is known about the variability at individual sites and for larger aggregates of sites. For forecasting, an overview of forecasting methods for the different resources is made, and selected forecasting methods are compared over different time horizons. An important finding is that it is hard to draw strong conclusions from the existing studies due to differences in approaches and presentation of results. There is a need for further, more coherent studies that analyze the variability for the different resources in comparable ways, using data with the same resolution, and for studies that evaluate the smoothing effect and complementarity of combinations of several renewable energy resources. For forecasting, future research should suggest ways to evaluate forecasts from different renewable energy sources in easily comparable ways, using data from the same locations or regions, with the same temporal and spatial resolution, and with comparable metrics for the forecasting errors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent time, the concern for grid integration of wind power has been a subject of discussion in the academic community. At present, the penetration level is still moderate for most grids to accommodate. As the penetration level increases, wind power may cause additional problems to the grid due to its intermittent nature. One of the intending solutions to this problem is the adoption of energy storage. This paper examines the state of the art energy storage technology options that are capable of mitigating wind power intermittency on the grid and their challenges. It also highlighted the existing policies that aided the development of wind power and discusses the limitations of its integration into the grid. It was found that, the ability of storage technology to be effectively utilised in mitigating the wind power intermittency depends on the ramp rate of the technology, response delay time, duration of storage, maturity of technology, installation cost, efficiency of the technology, its environmental impact and the suitability of the site topology. Therefore, no single storage technology is capable of providing total solution at mitigating the effect of wind power intermittency on the grid. The effectiveness of the storage technology lies in the hybridization of the storage technologies depending on the level of cost and technical requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper provides a comprehensive empirical assessment of American stimulus policies aimed at renewable energy (RE) technologies. We use an indicator-based methodology to assess progress with respect to energy, environmental and socio-economic issues resulting from RE stimulus programs linked to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and review and analyze the emerging but scattered literature. Overall, our results indicate that stimulus programs have had a positive effect on the RE sector. This is despite the fact that they were originally planned to work in combination with a greenhouse gas ‘cap-and-trade’ system, which has not been implemented. From the methodological perspective, our approach is resource-intensive and our analysis highlights numerous challenges, notably related to causality and additionality. Despite these limitations, this research improves our understanding of the broad effects and impacts of RE stimulus programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents preliminary research on ocean renewable energy (ORE) in Southeast Asia (SEA). It gives an overview of the ORE status of the region in terms of its potential and existing policies that support the utilization of ORE as an alternative source of energy. The study argues that there is potential to harness ORE in this region; however, there are a number of challenges to fully utilize this potential. This work presents (1) collated ORE resource information, (2) collated policies relevant to increase uptake in the region, and (3) an ORE development matrix which is important for analyzing the gaps in utilizing ORE in SEA. A review discussion on the unique conditions of SEA in terms of resource and ORE-relevant policies are tackled. Special attention is given to existing policy frameworks and regional non-economic barriers to see how these could impact the development of ORE in SEA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable energy development is a major response to address the issues of climate change and energy security. The utilization of renewable resources, however, highly depends on the climate conditions, which may be impacted in the future due to global climate change. Based on literature analysis, this paper presents a general framework for renewable energy vulnerability assessment and applies grey cluster analysis method to demonstrate the features of vulnerability, and then employs the Simple Additive Weighting Approach to address the multiple-attribute decision problems of vulnerability assessment in China. The categorized results imply that the proposed index system is suitable for decision-making analysis and comparative analysis of renewable energy vulnerability to climate change in China. In terms of exposure part, the cluster results are complex and varied due to the unique combination of natural factors, social factors and the energy structure. In the sensitivity section, the results are presented on the distribution of areas rich in hydropower, wind power and solar energy potential. Moreover, the main results of this study are the higher renewable energy vulnerability of the poorer regions of China to climate change and the relative higher importance of adaptive capacity building in vulnerability management. Finally, policy recommendations on regional renewable energy vulnerability management are also made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing utilization of renewable energy sources (RES) is a major energy policy strategy in many countries worldwide. Germany is a forerunner in the deployment of RES and has ambitious goals for the future. The support and use of renewables affects the economy: It creates business opportunities in sectors producing renewable energy facilities, but comes with costs related to supporting its deployment. This paper analyses and quantifies the net balance of economic effects associated with renewable energy deployment in Germany until 2030. To this end, we use a novel model, the ‘Sectoral Energy-Economic Econometric Model’. This is an econometric multi-country model which, for Germany, contains a detailed representation of industries, including 14 renewable energy technology sectors. Our results show that renewable energy expansion can be achieved without compromising growth or employment. The analysis reveals a positive net effect on economic growth in Germany. Net employment effects are small, but also positive. Their size depends strongly on labour market conditions and policies. Results at the industry level indicate the size and direction of the need for restructuring across the sectors of the Germany economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Initiatives as the Covenant of Mayors and the European Union (EU) binding targets of 20-20-20 are bringing Regional Planning of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) at the center of attention nowadays. This situation creates the need for simplified and straight forward decision support systems for local governance officers. This paper presents the design and implementation of a fuzzy cognitive maps (FCM) decision support toolkit (DST) for local RES planning. DST provides the decision maker with an overall qualitative evaluation of the examined investment promptly with minimum effort. All the related parameters (legal/regulative/administrative, financial, technical, social and environmental) that affect the evaluation of RES investment in a local community are investigated. A tool based on fuzzy cognitive maps is designed and implemented on a web platform. The DST has been tested and validated successfully through application in real investments οn Crete Island and comparison to the evaluation results reached by a panel of experts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy storage systems (ESS) have the potential to make a significant contribution to planning and operation practises in power systems. While ESS can be used to provide multiple benefits in the power sector, widespread use has been restricted by high technology costs, lack of deployment experience, and the barriers and uncertainties caused by the present electricity market and regulatory structures that were designed for conventional electricity systems. This paper reviews countries with high renewable targets and with significant current or planned ESS deployments to ascertain the common problems affecting the use of ESS on the grid, and to establish where changes have been made or proposed to the electricity market and regulatory frameworks. Three major problems were identified as the undetermined asset class for ESS and unbundled electricity system limiting stakeholders from determining and realising multiple ESS benefits; low electricity market liquidity and changing market conditions; and a lack of common standards and procedures for evaluating, connecting, operating and maintaining ESS. Based on the established barriers, recommendations to update or create policies, regulation and market arrangements to increase the viability and wider use of grid level ESS are discussed. The three key regulatory and policy recommendations were identified as an alignment of renewable policies to that of ESS; creating a separate asset class for ESS and associated rules for regulated and competitive operations; and standardising assessment frameworks, connection and operational procedures for the use of ESS. Finally, three main electricity market recommendations include updating rules to support simultaneous ESS operation across wholesale, ancillary services and capacity markets; updating market rules to allow compensation for flexible and highly accurate responsive demand and generation technologies, such as ESS; and updating market ancillary services energy requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Wind power is one of the world׳s major renewable energy sources, and its utilization provides an important contribution in helping solve the energy problems of many countries. After nearly 40 years of development, China׳s wind power industry now not only manufactures its own massive six MW turbines but also has the largest capacity in the world with a national output of 50millionMWh in 2010 and set to rise by eight times of that amount by 2020. This paper investigates this development route by analyzing relevant academic literature, statistics, laws and regulations, policies and research and industry reports. The main drivers of the development in the industry are identified as technologies, turbines, wind farm construction, pricing mechanism and government support systems, each of which is also divided into different stages with distinctive features. A systematic review of these aspects provides academics and practitioners with a better understanding of the history of the wind power industry in China and reasons for its rapid development with a view to enhancing progress in wind power development both in China and the world generally. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: At present, countries around the world set off a round of upsurge of exploitation and utilization of geothermal energy. As one of renewable energy resources, geothermal energy has the advantages of great resource potential, low carbon emissions, widespread distribution, easy development and so on. China׳s geothermal resources are enormous and have huge potential for exploitation. However, due to the lack of reasonable industry planning and policies support, and lag of technologies, the industrial development speed and scale are far behind the wind, solar and biomass energy. The 12th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development of the People׳s Republic of China explicitly issues that in future China will vigorously develop the geothermal energy and provide more policy support for geothermal industry development from medium to longer term. This paper describes China׳s geothermal resource potential and status quo of geothermal industry, and analyzes the obstacles of the industry development. Then, it accordingly puts forward the development pattern of China׳s geothermal industry and gives out related countermeasures. At last, it outlines the prospects in this field. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Energy is essential for our preservation and the improvement of our life-style. Today all major production of energy is generated from fossil fuels, which are non-renewable and significantly pollute the environment. Access to clean and reliable energy is crucial for assuring the development of countries such as Mexico. Mexico's economy is based on producing energy from fossil fuels 1 [1] 91% of Mexico's energy is produced from non-renewable energy sources. Moreover, 36% of primarily renewable energy corresponds to the use of firewood for cooking used in a non-healthy and non-sustainable way [42]. GTZ is the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH (German Technical Cooperation, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development). and the change to sustainable ways of life is still uncertain. It becomes essential to look at developed countries where the transition to sustainability has been rapidly increasing. This paper gives an overview of energy policies and the potential of solar photovoltaic energy in two countries: Germany, a world leader in the generation and development of photovoltaic technology; and Mexico, a country with great solar photovoltaic potential. It also describes the characteristics, advantages and disadvantages of photovoltaic technology, including BIPV systems. [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: Energy poverty is widespread in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) of the Pacific. It is estimated that 70 percent of Pacific Islander households do not have access to electricity, which is equivalent to access rates in sub-Saharan Africa and slightly below the average for low income countries. Pacific SIDS face unique challenges in expanding access to electricity, given that their populations are spread across tens of thousands of islands. Governments and development partners in Pacific SIDS continue to prioritise development of electricity grids, as is evident in ongoing subsidisation of grid-based power consumption and the establishment of ambitious (grid-based) renewable energy targets. This paper argues that traditional approaches to rural electrification which prioritise grid extension are not suited to the Pacific islands region. Increased funding should be directed by both governments and development partners towards rural electrification, especially in off-grid areas where isolated systems are more appropriate. Institutional reform is also important. Regulatory reform is needed for power utilities to extend electricity grids into rural areas. Institutional arrangements that facilitate the sustainable operation and maintenance of off-grid systems also need to be established. Past donor and government-funded off-grid rural electrification projects have rarely been sustainable. Alternative approaches involving payment of output-based subsidies to energy service companies are worth exploring, although will only succeed where sound regulatory arrangements are in place. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The paper reports main problems of stimulating development of renewable energy in Ukraine. The authors consider presented state mechanisms for maintenance of the green energy where the most effective tariff is the feed-in tariff (functions in Ukraine from 2009). The changes in the active laws and the results of effect of the regulation policy on the development of renewable energy are described. The principal challenges of the law regulation relative to the renewable energy projects as well as proposals for improving the present policy are also discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Nigeria is endowed with abundant energy resources, both conventional and renewable, which can potentially provide the country with a sufficient capacity to meet the ambitions of both urban and rural Nigerians of a full, nationwide electrification level. Yet, Nigeria has one of the lowest consumption rates of electricity per capita in Africa. With the demand superseding the generation, there is inequitable access of rural communities to the electricity service in the country. There are inherent obstacles militating against the effective implementation of an orderly energy policy in Nigeria. The inefficiencies overshadowing the allocation of energy resources coupled with the near depletion of fossil fuels, make it imperative for the country to exploit its huge natural renewable resources to avoid a worsening energy supply scenario and provide feasible electricity to rural dwellers. This paper presents a review of renewable energy potentials in Nigeria to be tapped for useful and uninterrupted electric energy supply. The extent of renewable energy resources is described and existing government policies are articulated. Various polices, that could possibly incentivize the realization of wider renewable energy applications in rural Nigeria, are proposed. The challenges and future prospects of renewable energy are also discussed. Dissemination of decentralized renewable energy resources will not only improve the wellbeing of rural Nigerian communities, but also enhance Nigeria's energy and economic prospects for potential global investment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The past 20 years have brought significant changes in the evolution of the energy sector in Romania. Even if it is considered a country with high potential for renewable energies, these are not fully exploited. European Union accession has determined significant changes in energy policy, energy legislation alignment and promotion of renewable energy. In this context, the paper aims to offer a comprehensive overview of the renewable energy sector in Romania. Based on an extensive research of Romanian energy policy and legislation, the article presents the Romanian energy sector and the current status of the main renewable energy sources. The information was gathered from the available data in statistical reports, energy and environment strategies, energy companies' reports, NGO studies and research articles. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Solar photovoltaic (PV) power is a new and green energy source. China has significant opportunities for solar energy utilization with its huge solar resource. The solar PV power in China has developed for 50 years, and experienced a rapid progress in the last 10 years. To address the needs of the fast growth of the PV power industry in China, it is critical to identify, analyze and understand the growth path and the characteristics of the industry. This paper summarizes the status of the solar energy resources and the development of the solar PV power industry in China, and puts forward the main factors that impacted the development of the industry. A study refers to the selected five main factors the factors are: technology research and development, industrial plans, laws and regulations, electricity price policies, and projects incentive policies. A multifaceted approach including literature survey, statistical data investigation, law review, and regulation and policy study are adopted to investigate these factors. Analysis of the typical events, the growth process and the characteristics of the five factors, allows the establishment of growth route models. The results can be a useful reference for the development of solar PV power industry in China and other countries. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Renewable Energy Law has been formulated by China government in 2005. During the next few years, there has been dramatic progress in China''s renewable energy industries, along with the formation of the policy system of renewable energy in China. It is widely recognized that a reasonable and effective policy system can lay the solid foundation for the development of renewable energy. Regarding the rapid growth of renewable energy with a host of relevant policies issued in China, there is an urgent need to study the policy system of renewable energy in view of the latest situations to further promote the development of renewable energy. This paper is a systematical review about the promotion of China''s policy system of renewable energy since Renewable Energy Law issued. Achievements on the policy system of renewable energy in 2011 as of 2005 are discussed. Experiences from recent periods are drawn and factors limiting the policy system of renewable energy are also addressed in details to probe the policy predicament and solutions. The development tendency of renewable energy is presented and the framework is drafted to set the framing constraints for China''s policy system of renewable energy. Finally, policy suggestions are proposed for the successful implementation of renewable energy policies within the framing constraints of the policy system and the long-term healthy development of renewable energy in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Gansu province is relatively less developed in economy, whereas abundant in Renewable Energy Sources (RES). It has been counting on heavy industry for a long time and highly dependent on fossil fuels, causing serious pollutions. Meanwhile, its own power demand is insufficient, thus its RES-generated electricity must be out-delivered. After the Renewable Energy Law (REL) took effect in 2006, RES development is booming in this area, bringing about a series of problems as well. This paper aims to present the current status, future potentials and challenges in Gansu by carrying out a detailed review of relevant studies, along with surveys on the wind and solar developers. Particularly, Gansu is a typical province in terms of RES development in Northwest China. It can be concluded that the RES development in this district is policy-driven to avoid risks in technology cost efficiency, grid co-development and so on. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In order to realize the sustainable development of country and society, many countries have established their renewable energy law and development strategy no matter developed countries or developing countries. It is well known that China is the largest developing country in the world, and the per capita GDP ranks more than 100, however, the total GDP ranks the second due to the huge population amount, and just behind USA. Certainly, the total energy consumption amount is huge, and the big energy demand has brought a serious of environmental problems such as acid rain, water and soil pollution, and resource exhaustion, etc. Fortunately, China central government has regarded the serious question to realize the sustainable development in future. The renewable energy law has been established in 2005. Firstly, China''s energy situation and existing environmental questions in past years is introduced in this paper. Secondly, the distribution and the application practice of different renewable energy were introduced. Then, China''s renewable energy policy is detailed introduced in the following section. The next section discusses the existing questions. Based on these discussions, the development barriers and recommendations are introduced, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Although solar costs have been dropping in recent years, solar power is still more expensive than conventional and other renewable energy options, and in most applications solar power still needs continuing government policy support. However, the need to achieve multiple objectives and ensure sufficient political support for solar power makes it difficult for policy makers to design an optimal solar power policy. The dynamic and uncertain nature of the solar industry, combined with the constraints imposed by broader economic, political and social conditions further complicates the task of policy making. In this paper, we present a framework to critically analyze the objectives behind different country policies, how factors such as macro-economic conditions and development paradigms affect the policy outcomes and finally, how these outcomes affect the overall cost reduction of solar energy. We find that while the extent of cost reduction through creation of large demand remains to be seen, it is essential for governments to provide adequate support for leapfrog RD&D, and exploit real comparative advantages across countries for effective solar cost reduction. Policy makers need to optimally design their policies by balancing national objectives and paying capacity with the global objective of solar power cost reduction in order to realize its full potential. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: As the electricity demand is affected by population growth, Malaysia towards an industrialized nation is considering the options for future energy sources for its power generation. Besides the conventional four-fuel mix, the five-fuel mix strategy under several national policies are introduced to diversify and expanding the resources to incorporate renewable energy and nuclear. In view of Malaysia will become a net energy importer by 2020, the increase in alternative energy shares at least will provide stable energy security, more economical and greener environment. In this paper, present and future energy sources are discussed to emphasis on the constraints and barriers facing Malaysia towards energy security and sustainability. Several preferences on future energy sources are under serious consideration where renewable energy (RE) is becoming one of the popular choices as Malaysia recognizes the potential of RE as sustainable and greener option. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Nowadays, China is faced with many issues, such as increasing farmers’ income, protecting environment and adjusting energy structure, which may be solved by developing the biomass power generation industry. However, the lack of technical capability, inadequate raw materials and challenges for grid feed-in are all obstacles that prevent large-scale production and industrialization in the biomass power generation industry. Therefore, government should provide necessary policies to support and advance the biomass power generation industry. This paper systematically analyzes the current laws, regulations and policies implemented recently in China and provides a comprehensive review of the fiscal subsidies, reduction and exemption of taxes, tariff concessions, the policies of investment and financing and the support of R&D. Suggestions for relevant policies are proposed to address the existing problems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Palestinian Territories relies on Israel for 100% of its fossil fuel imports and for 87% of its electricity imports. Total energy consumption in the Palestinian Territories is the lowest in the region and costs more than anywhere else in the Middle East. The purpose of this paper is to present the current energy situation in the Palestinian Territories, evaluate the potential of renewable energies in meeting part of the energy demand and discuss the challenges and benefits of using these types of energies. It is shown that the main renewable energy sources in the Palestinian Territories are solar, wind and biomass. Using the available renewable energy sources in the Palestinian Territories may significantly decrease the energy reliance on neighboring countries and improve the Palestinian population''s access to energy. It is estimated that solar sources have the potential to account for 13% of electricity demand and wind energy for 6.6%. The conversion of animal waste into biogas has the potential to meet the needs of 20% of the rural population. The conversion of unused agricultural residue into biodiesel could replace 5% of the imported diesel. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Predicted to be the clean energy of tomorrow, solar energy has been in the forefront of energy development in many developed countries and a potential source of energy to developing countries like Malaysia. This paper presents Malaysia''s solar energy or solar photovoltaic developmental outlook. The study is done by first looking into the country''s energy policies related to solar energy. Key players in the solar energy development such as government institutions are introduced. Early solar energy programmes and a key project called Malaysia Building Integrated Photovoltaic (MBIPV) as well as its successful initiatives will be presented. Measures which have taken by the government of Malaysia including attractive incentives to encourage solar photovoltaic development, the country''s potential in solar energy, foreign investments and future directions as well a feed-in tariff scheme will be presented in length to provide a broad spectrum of solar energy development in Malaysia. The outlook has been positive and the country is active in promoting solar as an alternative energy and is aware of benefits it will bring toward its economic development in the future. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: With the rapid development of the society, energy demand is becoming more urgent. So it is necessary to exploit the renewable energy because of the limited conventional energy. This paper introduced the current development situation of the renewable energy, analyzed the subsidy policy and discussed the problems of the electricity price mechanisms and policies in China. Finally we got the conclusion that government should formulate more policies to encourage private and foreign enterprises to invest renewable energy industries as well as to apply the CDM mechanism. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Many years before greenhouse gas emission reduction became a major driver for renewable energy development, New Zealand was an early adopter of several alternative energy technologies, particularly hydroelectricity and geothermal energy. It has achieved a level of 60% of total electricity generation from such sources, and is now pursuing a target of 95% of electricity generation from renewable energy, to be achieved in fifteen years. In recent years, however, the development of renewables has lagged that of other countries, particularly in fields such as wind power. The paper reviews the history, current status and potential of the major renewable energy technologies in New Zealand, and suggests what may be current barriers to development. It is seen that the likely major contributors to replacing fossil fuel based energy are likely to be wind power and expanded geothermal energy use, with biomass, marine and solar energy sources likely to play a lesser role. The barriers to development include environmental issues, the opportunity cost of biomass feedstocks, and a policy environment offering less incentive to RE development than is the case in many other countries. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper evaluates small hydropower (SHP) development and examines the current situation in Nigeria with respect to the established policies and Energy Power Sector Reform (EPSR) Act 2005. Hydropower sector witnessed about 360% growth between 1971 and 2005 and yet only about 5% of the vast small hydropower (SHP) potential is tapped by the few plants built between 1923 and 1964. Operating and maintenance costs are in favor of SHP development in the country, being the lowest when compared with the situation in European countries. The Nigerian Government has taken steps to diversify energy sources in order to promote renewable energy development by encouraging private investments in the energy sector through reforms, but this may not be adequate as there remain barriers against SHP development in the country. It is concluded that government must incorporate subsidies, feed-in-tariffs, and framework for Price Purchase Agreements (PPA) into the policies in order to further promote renewable energy and attract both indigenous and foreign investments for quick adoption and rapid expansion of SHP technologies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In 2008, Taiwan government passed a set of rules designed to achieve a sizable reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, namely, “Frameworks of Sustainable Energy Policy”. The target of the policy is to keep CO2 emissions during the 2016–2020 periods at the 2008 level, to reduce them to the 2000 level in 2025, and to cut that level in half by 2050. Currently, the acts of “Statute for Renewable Energy Development” and “Energy Management Act (amendment)” is being implemented while those of “Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reduction Act (draft)” and “Regulation for Energy Tax (draft)” is being scheduled for legislative reviewing. These acts deal with GHG emission reduction via various policy instruments such as cap and trade, subsidies, and taxes. The present paper presents a detailed review of the policy progress of GHG emission reduction in Taiwan in addition to the assessment of the outcome of GHG emission reduction in the past decade. It also proposed the priority of policy implementation of GHG emission reduction in the country in the post-Kyoto era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to give insight into the goals, instruments and planned measures of the Serbian Government in the field of renewable energy sources (RES). The method is based on an overview and analysis of adopted laws and regulations and other official documents. The results have revealed that progress has been made in this field in recent years. Midterm targets for the proportion of energy from RES in overall energy consumption have been defined; feed-in-tariffs have been adopted; legislative and socio-economic barriers of increased exploitation of RES have been analyzed and measures and activities were suggested for their resolution. The existing RES-related legislation, however, is imprecise and incomplete. Numerous bylaws, technical standards and guidelines are still outstanding. The key RES-related documents are inconsistent, lack clarity and are insufficiently decisive when implementing specific measures of incentives for production of RES-based energy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper aims to present the feed-in tariff (FiT) outlook in Malaysia, which is in the process of being enacted through a Renewable Energy (RE) Policy by the Government of Malaysia (GoM). A brief in policies leading towards the RE policy and the potential of each RE sources under FiT mechanism have been discussed. The successful utilisation of RE source in electricity generation and the FiT implementation globally are positive indicators to implement FiT in Malaysia. Potentials of FiT on biomass, biogas and solid waste energy are currently very promising in Malaysia, but it is solar energy which is predicted to be the main RE of the future, surpassing all other REs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper aims to present a review on Malaysia''s national energy developments by looking at various angles in terms of renewable energy and energy efficiency. Energy demand and consumption by sectors are presented as well as the fuel mix in electricity generation. Key energy policies implemented from the incorporation of Malaysia''s national oil company, Petronas in 1974 until the National Green Technology Policy 2009 and a future policy will be addressed. The roles of key players as well as important agencies in energy development are briefly presented. Key programmes in energy development such as Malaysian Industrial Energy Efficiency Improvement Project, Small Renewable Energy Power Programme and Building Energy Efficiency Programme are discussed as well as successful initiatives from the programmes. Malaysia''s international involvements towards reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and carbon emissions especially Montreal Protocol and Kyoto Protocol are highlighted. As a conclusion, Malaysia is aware of its role in formulating its national energy development policies, sensitive towards the country''s development towards the environment and utilization of energy resources as well as conscientious and responsive towards the call for sustainable development in promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A widely accepted premise regarding wind power development policy is that implementation of economic policy instruments, which are designed to close the cost gap between wind power and entrenched fossil fuel power generation technologies, will significantly catalyze enhanced levels of wind power development activity. This paper contests this premise by arguing that non-economic barriers to wind power development have the capacity to significantly inhibit wind power development in industrialized nations despite the implementation of economic policy instruments. Forces which deter wind power development in four economically advanced economies that exhibit phlegmatic progress in wind power development – Australia, Canada, Japan and Taiwan – are identified and amalgamated into a STEP framework describing social, technical, economic and political forces that inhibit wind power development. The conclusions of this analysis are twofold. First, failure to mitigate these STEP forces may undermine the efficacy of any given economic policy instrument that aims to close the cost gap between wind power and entrenched generation technologies. Second, attempts to mitigate these impediments might represent a way to achieve better policy results with less government financial commitment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: As Taiwan has a dense population and only limited natural resources, the government began actively establishing a Taiwan''s sustainable development indicators (TSDI) system in 2003, which was developed with reference to the Pressure–State Response (PSR) framework to evaluate the progress towards sustainability. Energy is a very important factor in leading to sustainable development at the national level. However, there are only two indicators concerning the energy sustainability in the TSDI system. This paper summarizes the current status of energy supply, energy consumption, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and renewable energy production since the year 2000. The updated information on the TSDI was also addressed and analyzed to imply the progress towards energy sustainability during 2000–2008. Finally, the weighted-sum method was proposed to make an analysis of energy sustainability from Taiwan''s renewable energy production, showing that this country has experienced a significant progress toward energy sustainability in recent years. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Energy is essential to the way we live. Whether it is in the form of oil, gasoline or electricity, a country''s prosperity and welfare depends on having access to reliable and secure supplies of energy at affordable prices. However, it is also one of the benefits taken for granted by many people, knowing little about the impact of electricity on their lives. Having dependent mainly on oil and gas for half a century, Malaysia has started to realize the importance to adopt renewable energy in the energy mix and continuously reviewed its energy policy to ensure sustainable energy supply and security. This paper examines and discusses the intricacy of the existing and new energy policies, issues and challenges in Malaysia. The overall approach in addressing the energy issues and challenges will continue to focus on adequacy, quality, security and sustainability of both non-renewable and renewable energy supply in the country''s development and the promotion and implementation of its energy efficiency programs. The recently launched National Green Technology Policy is also discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Diffusion of renewable energy technologies (RETs) are driven by policies and incentives due to their inherent characteristics such as high upfront costs, lack of level playing field but distinct advantages from energy security, environmental and social considerations. Even after three decades of their promotion, only 20–25% of their potential has been realized. The theory of diffusion modeling allows analysis of diffusion processes and study of growth rates of different technologies and underlying diffusion factors. Their applications have focused on commercial and consumer products such as television, automobiles and IT products and their applications to RETs have been limited. Diffusion analysis of RETs have been based on barriers’ to RET adoption and techno–economic, learning and experience curve approaches. It is observed that these diffusion models when applied to commercial products do not deal with the issues of policy influences which are critical to RET diffusion. Since policies drive RET diffusion, the models for analyzing RET diffusion should allow establishing explicit relationships between the diffusion parameters and policies and their impact on diffusion rates. Given the potential of renewable energy technologies for sustainable development, the aim of this paper is to review different diffusion theory based models and their applicability to RET diffusion analysis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: During the last two decades, Rwanda has experienced an energy crisis mostly due to lack of investment in the energy sector. With the growing of the population and increasing industrialization in urban areas, energy provided by existing hydro and thermal power plants has been increasingly scarce with high energy costs, and energy instability. Furthermore, as wood fuel is the most important source of energy in Rwanda, the enduring dependence on it and fossil fuel consumption as well, will continue to impact on the process of environmental degradation. Rwanda is rich with abundant renewable energy resources such as methane gas in Lake Kivu, solar, biomass, geothermal; and wind energy resource is currently being explored. Recently, the Government has given priority to the extension of its national electrical grid through development of hydro power generation projects, and to rural energy through development of alternative energy projects for rural areas where access to national grid is still difficult. This paper presents a review of existing energy resources and energy applications in Rwanda. Recent developments on renewable energy are also presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Oman relies on gas and oil resources fuels for almost all of its energy needs. Almost 99% of its power generation is based on natural gas. However, the country''s natural gas supplies are currently largely committed, and it may become a net importer soon. Therefore, there is a need to look for alternative energy resources. This paper presents a review of the assessed potential of renewable resources and practical limitations to their considerable use in the perspective of present scenarios and future projections of the national energy for Oman. Solar and wind are likely to play an important role in the future energy in Oman provided that clear policies are established by the higher authority for using renewable energy resources. Rural Areas Electric Company has initiated solar and wind pilot projects in its concession area to confirm the performance and efficiency of renewable technologies in local conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The decentralized power is characterised by generation of power nearer to the demand centers, focusing mainly on meeting local energy needs. A decentralized power system can function either in the presence of grid, where it can feed the surplus power generated to the grid, or as an independent/stand-alone isolated system exclusively meeting the local demands of remote locations. Further, decentralized power is also classified on the basis of type of energy resources used—non-renewable and renewable. These classifications along with a plethora of technological alternatives have made the whole prioritization process of decentralized power quite complicated for decision making. There is abundant literature, which has discussed various approaches that have been used to support decision making under such complex situations. We envisage that summarizing such literature and coming out with a review paper would greatly help the policy/decision makers and researchers in arriving at effective solutions. With such a felt need 102 articles were reviewed and features of several technological alternatives available for decentralized power, the studies on modeling and analysis of economic, environmental and technological feasibilities of both grid-connected (GC) and stand-alone (SA) systems as decentralized power options are presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper analyzes the success of wind energy in Spain from 1986 to 2007. Certain special characteristics have emerged in Spain that provide credibility to the feed-in tariff (FIT) device to promote this energy source. To explain this success, the analysis will focus on the intrinsic characteristics of FIT using the concepts of the transaction cost theory (TCE). Nevertheless, in this framework, special attention is placed on the role that specific political and institutional factors have played in providing stability to this instrument. Thanks to an early start and an on-going and generous FIT device, wind energy promotion for electricity has become a political success story in Spain. The main implication of this analysis is that this success is mainly due to the trade-off between stability and flexibility in the use of Spanish FIT. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]