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Around the world, the green economy is seen as a practical way to achieve sustainability. New research using data from the African nations' nexus of institutional quality and technological innovation on renewable energy. This research aims to shed light on how institutional quality spending promotes green technological innovation expansion and institutional quality in the African nations. Therefore, this study examined the effects of technological innovation, established value, renewable energy, vestige oil energy, and financial development on CO2 releases in 24 African nations between 2001 and 2019. A second-generation panel approach was utilized to examine the interdependencies between the variables across time. These methods accounted for heterogeneity and the possible of remaining cross-sectional dependence. Empirical data from the Commonly Correlated Effects Mean Group (CCEMG) estimate and the Augmented Mean Group (AMG) estimator suggests that using eco-friendly technical advancement and renewable energy sources significantly reduces carbon dioxide emissions. But there are several variables linked to rising CO2 emissions, such as improved institutional frameworks, thriving economies, and a preference for fossil fuels over renewable energy. Based on these findings, we concluded that for African countries to achieve their sustainable development objectives, they need to increase their investment in environmentally friendly technological advances and renewable energy sources. • Green economy key to sustainability worldwide. • Research examines African nations' innovation on renewable energy. • Eco-friendly tech and renewables reduce CO2 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper explored the effect of renewable energy, financial development, and technological innovation on the ecological footprint in Brazil using a yearly dataset stretching between 1990 and 2018. The research leverage dynamic autoregressive distributed lag, Bayern and Hank cointegration, and frequency domain causality to explore these interrelationships. The ARDL bounds test outcome confirms a long-run connection between ecological footprint and its drivers. Besides, we employed the Bayern and Hank cointegration, and the outcome resonated with the ARDL bounds test result. Moreover, the dynamic ARDL outcomes disclosed that economic progress worsens the ecosystem whilst renewable energy, trade globalization, and technological innovation lessen the ecological footprint. In addition, no significant interrelationship was found between financial development and ecological footprint. Moreover, with the exemption of financial development, all the exogenous variables can forecast the ecological footprint in Brazil. The study proposes that policymakers in Brazil should undertake investments in research and development in order to achieve technological innovation. Furthermore, since technological innovation has been shown to contribute significantly to lowering the ecological footprint, it is possible to assume that enhancing current technology is the ultimate remedy to Brazil's ecological problems. • Dynamic ARDL applied to Brazil's time series data. • Renewable energy and Technology innovation improve environmental quality. • Trade and globalization also reduce Ecological Footprints (EF). • Economic Growth contributes to higher EF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the penetration of renewable energy sources continues to increase, the stability of the grid is being challenged. Solutions are needed to curb fluctuations in renewable energy generation and ensure a stable electricity supply. As a clean and efficient secondary energy source, hydrogen energy plays an important role in the power system. However, the development of hydrogen energy storage systems is currently limited by technology and costs, making it difficult to scale up. How to invest to make hydrogen storage economical is worth studying. This paper constructs a regional microgrid system, considering the economics of investment by renewable energy generators (REGs) and integrated energy operators (IEOs), and the sensitivity of the payback period under conditions of market adjustment and technological progress. A combination of the Gurobi and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm is used to solve the investment optimization model, and Shapley is used to allocate multi-intelligence benefits. The results show that: (1) the investment returns and payback periods of REG are within a reasonable range; (2) IEO is hardly economical in the presence of market price changes and technological advances. On this basis, this paper constructs a win-win investment model for REG and IEO and explores the distribution of benefits under their cooperation model. The results show an increase in return on investment of 0.34% for REG and 1% for IEO following investments by REG in partnership with IEO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to measure the relationship between technological progress, renewable energy, and green economic growth (GEG). This study uses a data envelopment analysis (DEA) estimation method to evaluate the association between government expenditure on research and development (R&D), renewable energy deployment, and GEG in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) between 1990 and 2018. The estimates revealed an inconsistent GEG indicator in the analysis, suggesting the lesser impact disposition of public policy. In addition, the energy efficiency ratio of ECOWAS sub-region is under 0.50, implying energy poverty in the sub-region. Many people do not have sufficient energy to heat and cool their homes to enough temperature and meet their basic needs and energy security concerns. This research discovered that a percentage growth increase in renewable energy deployment results in a 3.2% increase in growth in sustainable performance. Alongside an essential effect of one percentage point growth in R&D expenditure boosts economic system sustainable performance to 4.4% combined with a supported effect of one percent. This research reveals that the ECOWAS government expenditure on human resources and R&D of sustainable energy resources would result in a low carbon growth via an advanced technological production process; nevertheless, the impacts are varied in the various countries in ECOWAS. • The study applies a longitudinal dataset of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). • The energy efficiency ratio of the ECOWAS sub-region is under 0.50, implying energy poverty. • Many people don't have access to sufficient and affordable modern energy. • A 1% increase in renewable energy deployment growth results in a 3.2% increase in growth of sustainable performance. • More investment in R&D of sustainable energy resources results in a low-carbon economic growth in ECOWAS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examining the dynamics of technological progress in determining energy intensity not only helps in assessing the relative strength of contributing factors, but also beneficial in designing effective energy policies. The effect of technology on energy intensity was widely discussed, as a whole, without narrowing down to the energy field and considering the technological absorption capacity as well as the heterogeneity. In view of the importance of sustainability in Guangdong province to the Greater Bay Area, this study focused on energy-specific technological progress and investigated the effect of energy-specific technology on energy intensity using a panel dataset covering cities in Guangdong Province for 2005–2017. The empirical evidence shows that energy-specific technology is beneficial in reducing the energy intensity. However, the energy intensity reduction effect is primarily from energy-saving technology rather than the alternative energy technology. From the sources of energy technology, enterprises, rather than from higher education institutions and independent research institutions, are more effective in cutting the energy intensity. In addition, utility-type energy-specific technology shows a stronger reduction effect on energy intensity compared to creation-type. Finally, the study concludes that technological absorption capacity is an important determinant for the effectiveness of energy-specific technology in reducing energy intensity. • Effect of energy-specific technology on energy intensity is investigated particularly. • The total energy-specific technology reduces energy intensity in Guangdong Province significantly. • Reduction effect mainly comes from energy-saving technology of enterprises. • Technological absorption capacity is important to energy intensity mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to estimate the short-term and long-term impacts of technological innovation, finance, and foreign direct investment on renewable energy, non-renewable energy, and CO 2 emissions in 69 countries of the "Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)" from 2000 to 2014. Using robust standard error regression and dynamic GMM estimators, the results showed that technological innovations, economic growth, and foreign direct investment (FDI) have a negative impact on renewable energy. In contrast, financial developments have shown to be a significant positive determinant of the study area's renewable energy sector. The impression of technological innovation, FDI, and economic growth is positive, contributing to energy use and CO 2 emissions in the BRI countries. The Granger non-causality test showed two-way causal links between renewable energy, technological innovation, finance, and FDI. The study's practical applications are unique and have policy implications; for example, financial markets in the BRI countries should be promoted because they are the main determinants of the renewable energy sector and economic growth, reducing CO 2 emissions. Furthermore, investment in the R&D of technological innovations is much needed in these countries. [Display omitted] • Technological innovations and renewable energy are empirically tested. • Crosectional dependence, homogeneity, and endogeneity is controlled. • Finance, and foreign direct investment are empirically tested with renewable, non-renewable, and environment. • Finance is significant determinant of renewable energy. • Innovations, foreign direct investment, and economic growth are contributing to environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable energy attracts attentions by removing the harmful effects of fossil fuels and protecting the environment. The focus of this study is to investigate GDP per capita, carbon dioxide emissions per capita, technological innovation and trade as the determinants of renewable energy production for the selected Latin American countries during the 1991–2014 period. Technological innovation factor is rarely investigated as one of the determinants of renewable energy. The country group includes Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Chile and Guatemala. Empirical results are obtained by applying panel estimation methods. Cointegration relationship among the analyzed variables is confirmed by Pedroni and Westerlund panel cointegration tests. According to the empirical analysis, GDP per capita, technological innovation and trade have positive and statistically significant impact on renewable energy production per capita. On the other hand, it is found that carbon dioxide emissions and renewable energy production are negatively associated. In addition, the elasticity estimates with respect to technological innovation and trade are found as close to each other. The policy implications of the empirical findings are argued as well. [Display omitted] • The drivers of renewable energy generation are analyzed by panel data techniques. • A 1% rise in output is found to increase renewable energy production by 0.26%. • The effects of technological innovation and trade are estimated as very close. • The elasticity estimate with respect to CO2 emission is found as −0.196. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes renewable energy efficiency in Latin American countries (LAC) and investigates the efficiency convergence. Based on the data of the period 2005–2014, Super-efficient Slack-Based Measure (S–U-SBM) model is applied to measure the total factor efficiency of renewable energy, and Malmquist-Luenberger productivity index (ML) is applied to detect the changing trend of efficiency. The S–U-SBM results show that the average value of the total factor efficiency of renewable energy in LAC is 0.808 and has an upward trend, and for individual country, the efficiency value ranges from 0.262 to 1.302 with an unbalanced development and utilization of renewable energy. The ML results show that the average of the total factor efficiency of renewable energy change index is 1.014, and the technical efficiency change is the main factor that drives the growth of the ML in LAC. For two sub-regions, South America, Central-North America and Caribbean, the main factor is technological progress change and technological efficiency change respectively. There are significant conditional convergences in the total factor efficiency growth of renewable energy in the whole Latin American region and the two sub-regions. Technological innovation is the key for Latin American countries to improve the total factor efficiency of renewable energy at this stage. • This article measures total factor efficiency of renewable energy using S–U-SBM model. • Technical efficiency generate more strong impacts on total factor efficiency. • Convergence test is carried out to explore the differential characteristics of ML growth. • There is significant conditional convergence in Latin American countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing research shows that the short-term impact of free trade on renewable energy development is clear, whereas the long-term influence of free trade on renewable energy development is an open question. To fill the research gap, this work investigates the effects of free trade on the renewable energy considering the effect of population, economy and technology in 186 countries from 1990 to 2015. Free trade is measured by two broad categories: trade volumes and trade taxes. The results show that the influences of free trade on renewable energy in different income levels are heterogeneous: for countries at high and upper-middle income countries, free trade has a positive effect on renewable energy development, but the effect is negative on countries at lower-middle-income countries. Additionally, population increase, economic development and technological progress can promote renewable energy development in 186 countries. • Study the impact of free trade on renewable energy development in 186 countries for 1990–2015. • Trade volume and trade tax are used to measure free trade. • The impact of free trade on renewable energy consumption in different income levels is unbalanced. • Economic growth and technological progress can promote the development of renewable energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A detailed understanding of the technological development pathways of energy technologies will reduce the risks of public energy policy and private investment actions. However, such assessments for emerging technologies, critical for achieving global decarbonization targets, face numerous shortcomings. These shortcomings include limited information at an early development stage, uncertainty in design convergence and performance improvements, and the application of aggregated methodologies in projecting their cost developments fails to explain underlying cost drivers and foresee potential radical changes. This study applies an improved methodology leveraging the merits of quantitative and qualitative methods and shows the technological progress expected for the tidal stream, wave technology, and biofuel production from seaweed in a detailed manner. Tidal stream LCOE declines from 264 €/MWh at 0.1 GW to 61 €/MWh at 50 GW cumulative capacity, with CAPEX, capacity factor, and OPEX contributing to 38 %, 33 %, and 16 % of LCOE reductions. Wave technology LCOE declines from 365 €/MWh at 0.1 GW to 54 €/MWh at 50 GW, with CAPEX, capacity factor, and OPEX contributing 28 %, 59 %, and 7 % of LCOE reductions. For grid connection costs, we assessed several integration choices for both technologies and concluded that sharing grid connection capacity among several installations would lower the transmission costs and serve as a policy incentive for the uptake of such emerging technologies. Further, the bioethanol production cost from seaweed declines from 17.1 € / l at 0.1-million l cumulative output to 4.5 € / l at 50 million l , a 73 % cost reduction in 9 doublings of cumulative output. Identifying fermenting organisms capable of converting the heterogenous monomeric sugars in seaweed is a major limiting factor, resulting in a wide variation in bioethanol yields. Lastly, we also summarized the uncertainties involved in the assessment, their causes, and their impacts on results to improve the understanding of potential development pathways of these technologies. • Tidal stream, wave and bioethanol from seaweed are emerging technologies, but shows significant development potential. • Capacity factor improvements contribute to wave technology LCOE reductions significantly. • Sharing grid infrastructure in early development stage will lower net costs for tidal stream and wave technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A detailed understanding of the technological development pathways of energy technologies will reduce the risks of public energy policy and private investment actions. However, such assessments for emerging technologies, critical for achieving global decarbonization targets, face numerous shortcomings. These shortcomings include limited information at an early development stage, uncertainty in design convergence and performance improvements, and the application of aggregated methodologies in projecting their cost developments fails to explain underlying cost drivers and foresee potential radical changes. This study applies an improved methodology leveraging the merits of quantitative and qualitative methods and shows the technological progress expected for the tidal stream, wave technology, and biofuel production from seaweed in a detailed manner. Tidal stream LCOE declines from 264 €/MWh at 0.1 GW to 61 €/MWh at 50 GW cumulative capacity, with CAPEX, capacity factor, and OPEX contributing to 38 %, 33 %, and 16 % of LCOE reductions. Wave technology LCOE declines from 365 €/MWh at 0.1 GW to 54 €/MWh at 50 GW, with CAPEX, capacity factor, and OPEX contributing 28 %, 59 %, and 7 % of LCOE reductions. For grid connection costs, we assessed several integration choices for both technologies and concluded that sharing grid connection capacity among several installations would lower the transmission costs and serve as a policy incentive for the uptake of such emerging technologies. Further, the bioethanol production cost from seaweed declines from 17.1 € / l at 0.1-million l cumulative output to 4.5 € / l at 50 million l , a 73 % cost reduction in 9 doublings of cumulative output. Identifying fermenting organisms capable of converting the heterogenous monomeric sugars in seaweed is a major limiting factor, resulting in a wide variation in bioethanol yields. Lastly, we also summarized the uncertainties involved in the assessment, their causes, and their impacts on results to improve the understanding of potential development pathways of these technologies. • Tidal stream, wave and bioethanol from seaweed are emerging technologies, but shows significant development potential. • Capacity factor improvements contribute to wave technology LCOE reductions significantly. • Sharing grid infrastructure in early development stage will lower net costs for tidal stream and wave technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The economics of wind and solar generation face two opposing drivers. Technological progress leads to lower costs and both wind and solar have shown dramatic price reductions in recent decades. At the same time, adding wind and solar lowers market electricity prices and thus revenue during periods when they produce energy. In this work, we analyze these two opposing effects of renewable integration: learning and diminishing marginal revenue, investigated using a model that assumes the status quo with regards to generation technology mix and demand. Our modeling results suggest that reduction in revenue from market forces may offset or even outpace technological progress. If deployed on current grids without changes to demand response, storage or other integrating technologies, the cost of mitigating CO 2 with wind will increase and will be no cheaper in the future than it is today for solar. This study highlights the need to deploy grid technologies such as storage and new transmission in order to integrate wind and solar in an economically sustainable manner. • Economics of wind and solar face two opposing drivers: learning and revenue decline. • Reduction in revenue from market forces may offset or even outpace learning. • Abatement cost may rise from $46 to $66 (solar) and -$7 to $53 (wind) per tonne of CO 2. • Subsidy requirement to ensure profitability could increase over time. • Integration of significant amount of wind or solar necessitates new grid technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the short-term and long-term impacts of economic growth, trade openness and technological progress on renewable energy use in Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. Based on a panel data set of 25 OECD countries for 43 years, we used the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) approach and the related intermediate estimators, including pooled mean group (PMG), mean group (MG) and dynamic fixed effect (DFE) to achieve the objective. The estimated ARDL model has also been checked for robustness using the two substitute single equation estimators, these being the dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) and fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS). Empirical results reveal that economic growth, trade openness and technological progress significantly influence renewable energy use over the long-term in OECD countries. While the long-term nature of dynamics of the variables is found to be similar across 25 OECD countries, their short-term dynamics are found to be mixed in nature. This is attributed to varying levels of trade openness and technological progress in OECD countries. Since this is a pioneer study that investigates the issue, the findings are completely new and they make a significant contribution to renewable energy literature as well as relevant policy development. • Economic growth, trade openness and technological growth drive renewable energy use. • Long-term dynamics of the variables are found homogenous across the OECD countries. • Short-term dynamics vary as to variation in technological growth and trade openness. • An understanding of variable dynamics is vital for increasing renewable energy use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different from the existing studies, this study find the two paths that green finance development (GFD) affects renewable energy development are the clean biased technical progress path and financial constraint path, and at its different stages, there are significant differences in driving effects of GFD and government policies. Through empirically analyzing impact of GFD on renewable energy development with mediation effect model and China's provincial panel data in 2007–2019, this study obtains following conclusions: On the one hand, GFD can promote energy technology innovation to bias to clean energy technology. On the other hand, it can ease the enterprises' finance constraint, thus promotes renewable energy development. In initial stage of renewable energy development, government's supporting policy is the key driving factor, and role of GFD is weak. In growth stage of renewable energy development (accounting for more than 20%), GFD significantly promotes renewable energy development, and driving role of government supporting policy has gradually weakened. In view of above results, the policy recommendations of this paper are, first, government departments and financial institutions should form joint force to promote the growth of green finance scale. Second, balance administrative means and market tools according to the regional renewable energy development stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In the current context of a decarbonizing electricity system, grid innovation is needed to deal with the main challenges of integrating distributed generation, demand and storage, and large-scale renewable energy sources. Grid companies however have disincentives to innovate under the conventional regulatory framework, and if they do innovate, they are confronted with grid users that have disincentives to participate in the innovation. This paper analyzes three empirical cases where state of the art regulatory frameworks have been successful at stimulating grid innovation. The main lesson learned from the cases is that there is experience with addressing the disincentive of grid companies to innovate, but the participation of grid users in the innovation is much more an open issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]