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Abstract Although renewables in the resource-rich countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are inconsequential contributors to regional total primary energy supply, recent project developments and overt support from a range of influential regional actors suggest a general trend towards a more environmentally sustainable electricity supply. This trend is driven just as much by economics as other factors, as rapidly falling renewable energy capital costs are complementing favourable policy environments, technical suitability, and concerns around the impacts of anthropogenic climate change and local pollution. Finance is an especially important consideration in this transition, yet it receives insufficient coverage. This paper seeks to remedy this deficiency of academic inquiry by highlighting the case of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to draw out broader implications for the region. We outline the factors that affect the financeability of projects, review the latest developments in renewable energy finance in the region, and present policy recommendations going forward. Graphical abstract Image Highlights • Renewable energy finance plays a critical role in reducing GCC renewable energy costs. • An overview of critical drivers of renewable energy finance is presented. • Three case studies in the GCC are used to draw out implications for MENA as a whole. • We provide recommendations for encouraging regional renewables finance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article highlights a method for natural heating and cooling of systems in areas of moderate climate. Movement of air is generated in the system by an underground piping system. In this paper, we discuss a feasibility study in Algeria of air-conditioning using a ground source heat pump (GSHP) with vertical mounting, coupled with a solar collector. This study consists of modeling ground temperature at different depths, for a clay soil in the city of Tlemcen. Our model is developed from the non-stationary heat equation for a homogeneous medium and takes into consideration the soil thermal diffusivity. It uses the daily ambient temperature during a typical year for the locality of Tlemcen. The study shows the feasibility of using a heating/cooling GSHP in the town of Tlemcen for the particular soil type, and indicates that the duration of air flow in the borehole has a major influence on the outgoing temperature drilling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Several European initiatives consider the electrical integration of the Euro-Mediterranean region a key priority for meeting future European Union (EU) energy policy goals. Ambitious plans include the development of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) in the region as well as transmission interconnectors between the two shores of the Mediterranean Sea. The success of such initiatives, in addition to several techno-economic, political, environmental, regulatory and financial obstacles, depends on the ability of the European electricity network to suitably accommodate large electricity imports from North Africa. In order to address the issue, this paper, based on the combination of two methodologies, presents a first techno-economic analysis of the effects of electricity imports from North Africa on the European and the Italian power systems in 2030. Within a common framework, the adopted approach has proved its feasibility with coherent results showing a decrease in electricity prices in Europe. The European study shows how net electricity exchanges tend to follow the direction from South to North. The impact of North-African electricity on the Italian system is relevant. Also, Italy''s potential of becoming a Mediterranean electricity hub is emphasised. National internal grid congestion results to be a crucial issue for the Euro-Mediterranean electrical integration. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]