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The study aims to conduct a comparative analysis of policies governing the expansion of renewable energy in Mongolia and selected countries. Against the backdrop of global energy transitions and Mongolia's recent energy challenges, this research aims to identify and evaluate policy frameworks that facilitate the sustainable growth of renewable energy sources. The study delves into the unique socio-economic and geopolitical context of Mongolia, emphasizing the nation's energy dependence on Russia. The findings of this comparative analysis provide valuable insights for Mongolian policymakers, offering recommendations for enhancing domestic policies that encourage the diversification of energy sources and attract foreign investment. By drawing on successful practices from some countries, this paper aims to contribute to the formulation of effective and context-specific strategies for Mongolia to achieve a more sustainable and resilient energy landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China leads in deploying large-scale alkaline (ALK) and proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysers for renewable hydrogen production. However, they are often overbuilt to handle intermittent renewable electricity (RE), leading to frequent system shutdowns, wasted capacity, or extensive investment. In this work, we propose a co-optimization solution in which ALK and PEM are collocated alongside hybrid RE supply from solar and wind energies. Implementing such a strategy could achieve the lowest hydrogen costs at producer's terminal gate, with production levelized costs of hydrogen (PLCOHs) down to 5.05, 4.13, 3.89, and 5.97 USD per kg respectively in south, north, west, and east regions of China. The co-optimization strategy, harnessing the combined strengths of ALK and PEM systems, efficiently minimizes hydrogen production costs while also presenting opportunities for the integration of advanced technologies into existing facilities. • Alkaline water electrolysis (ALK) for renewable hydrogen production incurs higher storage costs. • Pairing proton exchange membrane (PEM) with abundant renewables enhances cost efficiencies. • Co-installing ALK and PEM maintains high utilization of supplied electricity and electrolysers installed. • Customizing technology mix reduces hydrogen costs for diverse renewable energy profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Like batteries, fuel cells provide an inherently clean source of energy with no adverse environmental impact during operation. The utilization of methanol as a fuel is advantageous: it has an energy density of about 6 kWh/kg, which is, much higher than that of other commercialized batteries. This review is focused on the core of a DMFC, i.e., the symmetric membrane, in particular on the block copolymers used for its preparation as an alternative to well-known Nafion. The synthesis of block copolymer ionomers based on different building block types, with special emphasis on the critical issue of methanol permeability and proton/methanol selectivity, as well as the effect of block length and crosslinking are described and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reduce the financial burden brought by the feed-in tariff (FIT) policy, China is shifting its renewable energy support policy to the renewable portfolio standard with tradable green certificates (RPS/TGC). Moreover, the two policies are being implemented in parallel in the transitional period. In this context, this study investigates the game between renewable energy power plants (REPPs) regarding electricity outputs and tradable green certificate (TGC) prices under different renewable energy support policies practiced in China. We focus on analyzing the impact of policy changes on the competing REPPs' decisions and the renewable electricity market with TGCs. The results show that implementing the RPS/TGC policy inhibits the development of renewable electricity unless the subscription of TGCs is promoted. Government subsidy arrears significantly affect electricity outputs and TGC subscriptions. The low subscription rate of TGCs is caused not by the subsidy-based TGC pricing mechanism but by government subsidies. This suggests that the government should implement the RPS/TGC policy, and demand-side power consumption responsibility weights should also be strengthened to promote TGC subscriptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manufacturers and electricity companies can play a vital role in sustainable development through eco-innovation implementation and renewable electricity generation. Investigating electricity suppliers' and product manufacturers' decisions is essential to illustrate the evolution of their behavior. This paper establishes a two-population evolutionary game, focusing on the strategies of electricity suppliers and manufacturers. We consider two strategies for the electricity suppliers: (1) renewable electricity generation along with non-renewable electricity and (2) non-renewable electricity generation, and two strategies for manufacturers: (1) eco-innovation implementation and (2) Non-eco-innovation implementation. Also, pricing decisions for products and renewable electricity and determining the level of eco-innovation are investigated in this research. The results demonstrate that suppliers' evolutionary behavior leads to renewable electricity generation, and manufacturers' behavior drives eco-innovation implementation under the government's support. Also, the results indicate that the entire population of electricity suppliers shift toward their sustainable strategy, i.e., renewable electricity generation, in a shorter time than manufacturers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expansion of renewable electricity storage technologies, including green hydrogen storage, is spurred by the need to address the high costs associated with hydrogen storage and the imperative to increase storage capacity. The initial section of the paper examines the intricacies of storing electricity generated from renewable sources, particularly during peak periods, through green hydrogen. Two primary challenges arise: firstly, the complexity inherent in the storage technology and its adaptation for electricity reproduction; and secondly, the cost implications throughout the technological chain, resulting in a significant increase in the price of the reproduced energy. Electric energy storage emerges as a pivotal solution to accommodate the growing proportion of renewable energy within contemporary energy systems, which were previously characterized by high stability. During the transition to renewable-based energy systems, optimizing energy storage technology to manage power fluctuations is crucial, considering both initial capital investment and ongoing operational expenses. The economic analysis primarily focuses on scenarios where electricity generated from renewable sources is integrated into existing power grids. The subsequent part of this paper explores the possibility of localizing excess electricity storage within a specific system, illustrated by domestic hot water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous empirical studies have typically employed carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and ecological footprint (EF) as indices of environmental quality; however, these measures ignore supply-side environmental concerns. To overcome this issue, this study uncovers the effect of economic complexity, foreign direct investment, and renewable electricity on the load capacity factor (LCF). The panel nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) method is used to analyze BRICS-T countries for the period 1990–2018. The outcomes reveal that a positive shock in economic complexity has a long-run positive impact on the LCF, but is insignificant in the short-run. Similarly, a negative shock in economic complexity has only a short-run environmental-promoting effect. A negative shock in foreign direct investment improves the LCF in both the short-run and long-run, but a positive shock in foreign direct investment promotes environmental quality only in the long-run. Similarly, renewable electricity improves environmental quality in the both short-run and long-run. Both control variables (i.e., economic growth and fossil fuel consumption) have a negative impact on the LCF in the both short-run and long-run. Also, the findings are robust to advanced econometric methodologies. Based on empirical findings, relevant policy points for improving environmental quality and achieving sustainable development goals are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main barriers to the adoption of fuel cell vehicles (FCEVs) is the limited availability of hydrogen refuelling stations (HRSs). The presence of these stations is crucial in facilitating the provision of fuel for FCEVs, which rely on hydrogen as a source of power generation. Renewable energy sources offer significant advantages for hydrogen production at these stations, as they are environmentally friendly and can reduce costs. In this study, it is provided a techno-economic analysis of an on-site hydrogen refuelling station powered by a hybrid renewable energy generation system using HOMER software in Niğde, Türkiye, and Zaragoza, Spain. Three different power system scenarios were evaluated to refuel 24 vehicles per day for each region throughout the year. The results of the analysis showed that the most optimal system architecture for Niğde was with a solar panel power generation system, with a levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) of 6.15 $/kg and the net present cost (NPC) of $6,832,393. The most optimal system architecture for Zaragoza was a wind turbine-photovoltaic panel power generation system, with an LCOH of 5.83 $/kg and NPC of $6,499,723. The annual amount of CO 2 emissions avoided by using renewable resources in hydrogen production was calculated as 2,673,453 kg for Niğde and 2,366,573 kg for Zaragoza. The study also found that the cost of hydrogen production increases with decreasing the HRS production capacity. The use of renewable energy generation systems for hydrogen production will enable countries to achieve net-zero emission targets and reduce the need to import fossil fuels to meet energy demands in the transportation sector. The present study makes several contributions towards the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (3, 7, 11, and 13) and has the potential to facilitate the rapid adoption of FCEVs. • An on-site production hydrogen station is proposed for fuel cell vehicles. • Hydrogen production cost is chosen as the optimization objective. • Levelized Cost of Hydrogen is estimated from 5.84 to 10.87 $/kg. • The factors affecting HRS costs are investigated using sensitivity analysis. • Hydrogen production on-site integrated with renewable power systems is economically viable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal and natural gas have dominated ASEAN’s power sector in the past and contributed to 77% of power generation in 2019. To achieve net-zero by 2050, ASEAN countries need to decarbonize their power sector in the next three decades. This paper performs a technology screening exercise for ten decarbonization technologies for the power sector based on a holistic approach of sustainability, security, affordability, reliability, technology readiness and technology impact. This exercise has resulted in country-specific ranking of technologies which can inform policymakers of ASEAN countries. Overall speaking, simultaneous utilization of both fossil and non-fossil technologies is needed rather than waiting for certain technologies to mature. On the fossil side, switching from coal to gas for power generation and implementing carbon capture and storage (CCS) in coal- and gas-fired power plants have the highest decarbonization potential. Therefore, eleven first-mover CCS projects are proposed with the potential to mitigate up to 22% of energy-related CO2 emission in ASEAN in 2019. On the renewable side, hydropower has the highest potential but sustainability issues due to overdamming of the Mekong River needs to be addressed. Further addition of capacity will likely come from run-of-the-river hydropower plants. Within ASEAN, there is medium to high potential for further usage of agricultural resides as biomass for power generation, especially in Indonesia,​ Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines. Solar photovoltaic (PV) has medium potential in ASEAN countries with high land mass but more research and development (R&D) is needed in grid improvement and energy storage technologies. Within ASEAN, wind energy suffers from a low average wind speed but there are exceptions. More R&D is needed in the deign of low wind speed wind turbines. Geothermal resources are found only in Indonesia and the Philippines and are under-utilized. Further implementation will require favorable government polices to incentivize private investment and streamlining permitting, among others. Energy policies that promote rapid decarbonization of ASEAN’s power sector based on our findings are also discussed.

Reliable heat and power supply are among the basic household needs nowadays. It is especially topical in rural or distant locations that may be cut off from the energy grid due to extreme weather or other events. Nonetheless, the sustainability of our power production systems has to be considered to sustain our planet's long-term abilities to provide energy resources and a viable environment. Renewable energy resources must be prioritized in rural and remote areas, simultaneously strengthening distributed production ability and self-sufficiency. In this context, the use of the Stirling engine for heat to power generation in households, on the scale of small communities, and by using only renewable resources is becoming increasingly topical. Therefore, this research aims to identify the current state-of-the-art for Stirling engine applications using biomass as a renewable energy source, in the context of sustainability and energy security. The paper summarizes the current research tendencies at the household level in the use of biomass-based Stirling engines for renewable heat and power generation in decentralized energy systems. The methodology applied is a structured literature review and content analysis. The research results corroborate the progress towards the use of renewable resources and towards increased energy efficiency because the keyword and overlay analysis showed more frequent publishing in these areas. The content analysis on two more specific sub-directions of interest, i.e., biomass-fuelled Stirling engine use in households and Stirling engine implications on energy security, showed that though research activity in these directions has increased lately, more profound research is needed, especially on aspects of energy security and independence. The content analysis revealed a lack of in-depth analysis on the effects of Stirling engine use on energy security or energy independence, which is suggested as a topical subject for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid fall in the cost of solar photovoltaics and wind energy offers a pathway to the deep decarbonization of energy at an affordable price. Off-river pumped hydro energy storage and batteries provide mature and large-scale storage to balance variable generation and demand while minimizing environmental and social impacts. High-voltage inter-regional interconnection and dispatchable capacity (existing hydro and geothermal) can help balance supply and demand. This work investigates an Indonesian energy decarbonization pathway using mostly solar photovoltaics. An hourly energy balance analysis using ten years of meteorological data was performed for a hypothetical solar-dominated Indonesian electricity system for the consumption of 3, 6 and 10 megawatt-hours (MWh) per capita per year (compared with current consumption of 1 MWh per capita per year). Pumped hydro provides overnight and longer storage. Strong interconnection between islands was found to be unnecessary for Indonesia, contrary to findings from similar modelling in countries at higher latitudes. Storage requirements for power and energy were found to be smaller than three kilowatts and 30–45 kilowatt-hours per person, respectively. Introducing gas turbines (burning hydrogen or synthetic methane) contributing around 1% of annual generation reduced the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) by 14% and halved the storage requirements by allowing the system to ride through prolonged cloudy periods at lower cost. This work showed that Indonesia's vast solar potential combined with its vast capacity for off-river pumped hydro energy storage could readily achieve 100% renewable electricity at low cost. The LCOE for a balanced solar-dominated system in Indonesia was found to be in the range of 77–102 USD/megawatt-hour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sector coupling emerges as a potentially efficient strategy for emission reduction, particularly when the power sector is sufficiently decarbonized. This study aims to explore the effects of sector coupling on the decarbonization of the manufacturing sector. This study also develops the hybrid energy system model by integrating bottom-up energy system models for the power and manufacturing sectors with the computable general equilibrium model. The hybrid model helps to explain the integration of the power, hydrogen, and manufacturing sectors. The manufacturing sector is electrified and integrated with other sectors based on its use of decarbonized electricity and electrolysis hydrogen. With a carbon tax rate of 200,000 Korean won (161 U S. dollars) per ton of carbon dioxide equivalent, the percentage of electricity in the manufacturing sector's energy mix is expected to increase from 30 % to 46 % by 2050 if electrolysis hydrogen is considered. Moreover, emission reduction from sector coupling accounts for more than 50 % of the total emission reduction in the manufacturing sector. If policymakers consider the overall benefit of decarbonizing the power sector and aid the development of power-to-X technologies, sector coupling can contribute the decarbonization of the manufacturing sector significantly.

This study highlights the important role of strategic policy interventions in promoting sustainable economic prosperity and social equity in OECD economies. It specifically focuses on the positive effects of technological development, energy efficiency, renewable electricity, and human capital on inclusive growth across 35 OECD economies from 1990 to 2019. We employed cross-sectional augmented distributed lag, fully modified ordinary least squares, and dynamic ordinary least squares to analyze the data. The long-run and short-run estimates show that technological development, energy efficiency, renewable electricity, human capital, and renewable energy consumption have positive effects on inclusive growth. Based on these findings, we propose that the government should provide funds for innovation and technological development, and it improves access to information and services, it increases productivity and efficiency, creates new job opportunities, and promotes inclusive growth. Moreover, the government should promote energy efficiency, which will help in cost savings, job creation, improved access to energy, inclusive growth, and environmental benefits.

Like batteries, fuel cells provide an inherently clean source of energy with no adverse environmental impact during operation. The utilization of methanol as a fuel is advantageous: it has an energy density of about 6 kWh/kg, which is, much higher than that of other commercialized batteries. This review is focused on the core of a DMFC, i.e., the symmetric membrane, in particular on the block copolymers used for its preparation as an alternative to well-known Nafion. The synthesis of block copolymer ionomers based on different building block types, with special emphasis on the critical issue of methanol permeability and proton/methanol selectivity, as well as the effect of block length and crosslinking are described and discussed.

The aim of this study was to improve the residential photovoltaic systems (RPVS) sector, using surveys as the research method. The research was carried out in four selected districts in Jordan, taking into account the largest population. The prepared sets of questionnaires covered a wide range of topics, divided into three parts and seven sections. The results showed that the highest use of solar energy for heating was in the Amman district, while in the Irbid and Zarqa districts photovoltaic (PV) system installations can potentially be more prospective because of high electricity and thermal energy usage. This study found the willingness of people to have a combined on-grid/off-grid PV systems, made by European and American manufacturers. However, those respondents were afraid of the high maintenance cost, the unclear lifespan of the system, doubtful reliability, and unclear warrantee of the PV systems.

This study examines the validity of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis and the role of environmental regulation, renewable electricity, industrialization, economic complexity, and technological innovation in sustainable environment for the G-10 economies, namely, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the USA, from 1994 to 2020. We employed CS-ARDL (cross-sectional augmented distributed lag (CS-ARDL), FMOLS (fully modified ordinary least squares), and DOLS (dynamic ordinary least squares) for the analysis of the data. The estimates confirm the N-shaped EKC hypothesis between the GDP and CO2 emission. Moreover, the long-run estimates exhibit that environmental tax, renewable electricity, economic complexity, and technological innovation have negative effect on CO2 emission, while GDP, industrialization and arable land have positive effect on CO2 emission. Based on these findings, we propose that governments must implement large-scale government plans and initiatives to encourage the development of environmentally friendly technologies and ideas based on renewable energy. Moreover, further growing renewable energy, environmental policies like a carbon tax, investments in green technologies, subsidies, and rewards for renewable energy infrastructure investment should be taken into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The EU power sector is under increasing pressure due to rising electricity demand and the need to meet decarbonisation targets. Member states have been active in investing in renewables and building capacity to increase their share of renewables in electricity generation. However, it is important to examine what progress each member state has made in the deployment of renewable energy for electricity generation and what factors influence gross electricity generation from renewable energy. In this study, logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI) analysis was used to examine the changes in EU-27 countries' gross electricity generation from renewable energy sources (RES), wind, and solar PV from 2012 to 2021. The results show that the RES deployment per capita effect and the RES share effect were the main positive factors for the total gross electricity generation from RES in the EU. In contrast, the RES capacity productivity effect and the energy intensity effect had negative contributions. Population growth had a positive influence but was less significant than the other factors. The deployment of RES per capita effect was the main factor in the overall growth of gross electricity generation from RES in Northern Europe, Central Western Europe, and Central Eastern Europe, according to comparisons between the regional groups. RES share effect was the main driver in Southern Europe. The decrease in RES capacity productivity was the second most important factor influencing the variation in the amount of energy generated by RES in Northern Europe and Central Western Europe. The results could be used to develop more effective and tailored renewable energy policies that take into account the existing main drivers of RES, wind, and solar energy in each of the EU-27 member states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We formulate and compare optimization models of investment in renewable generation using a suite of social planning models that compute optimal generation capacity investments for a hydro-dominated electricity system where inflow uncertainty results in a risk of energy shortage. The models optimize the expected cost of capacity expansion and operation allowing for investments in hydro, geothermal, solar, wind, and thermal plant, as well as battery storage for smoothing load profiles. A novel feature is the integration of uncertain seasonal hydroelectric energy supply and short-term variability in renewable supply in a two-stage stochastic programming framework. The models are applied to data from the New Zealand electricity system and used to estimate the costs of moving to a 100% renewable electricity system by 2035. We also explore the outcomes obtained when applying different forms of CO2 constraint that limit respectively non-renewable capacity, non-renewable generation, and CO2 emissions on average, almost surely, or in a chance-constrained setting, and show how our models can be used to investigate the merits of a proposed pumped-hydro scheme in New Zealand's South Island. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigates the asymmetric impact of renewable electricity energy usage and industrialization on the environmental sustainability of South Africa. The load capacity factor (LF) is a more extensive measure of environmental deterioration when compared to carbon emissions and the ecological footprint, which cover a range of both the demand on and supply of nature. The series dataset used for the empirical analysis spans between 1990 and 2019. The study also investigates the effect of human capital, industrialization, and economic growth on load capacity factor. The result of the NARDL estimator reveals that the increase in renewable electricity energy usage increases LF in the long and short term. However, the decline in renewable electricity energy usage has a neutral impact on LF. Furthermore, the results indicate that industrialization and economic growth impact LF negatively. Lastly, human capital improves environmental quality due to the increasing effect on LF. The spectral Granger causality approach outcomes show that all the parameters can forecast load capacity factors in the long term. Some policy implications, restrictions, and potential future study pathways have been explored in light of this paper's results. • The nonlinear autoregressive distributive lag is employed. • Asymmetric impact of renewable electricity consumption on environmental sustainability. • A broad environmental indicator is used, load capacity factor. • The positive change in renewable electricity consumption promotes environmental sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the last three decades, the natural resources and energy sector has been regarded as a substantial determinant of economic growth and prosperity. However, the literature is still contradictory and scant for BRICS economies and needs more empirical evidence for appropriate policies. This study aims to analyze the influence of natural resources and cleaner energy on economic performance in the presence of consumption expenditure. Using second-generation diagnostic, unit root, and cointegration tests, the results verify the long-run equilibrium association between the variables during 1990-2021. Due to non-linear data dispersion, the study uses the method of moment quantile regression. It concludes that both natural resources and cleaner energy have an asymmetric influence on the economic growth of these nations. The region's significant factors of economic growth are electricity production from renewable sources and oil rents. Renewable electricity output and mineral rents adversely affect economic growth and performance. Besides, consumption expenditure is also negatively and significantly affecting economic growth. Based on the empirical outcomes, this study also suggested policies that could benefit the BRICS economic growth and performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global economy is facing a severe threat of global warming and climate change, where the primary cause of these issues is regarded as the carbon dioxide emissions. To eradicate such issues, this study tends to explore the global energy use, economic growth, renewable electricity and carbon emission throughout 1990–2020. Using various time-series econometric specifications, this study validates the stationarity of all these variables for the long-run estimations. Besides, this study detects the issue of data non-normality, due to which this study opted the novel and efficient quantile-on-quantile regression. The estimated outcomes asserted that energy use and economic growth significantly and severely enhance global carbon emissions at higher quantiles, whereas the magnitude of the influence is found weaker in the lower and lower-middle quantiles, thus validating energy use and economic growth as the factors of increased environmental degradation. On the contrary, renewable electricity significantly reduces the carbon emissions level only in the lower as and middle quantile, while the influence non-negative at the higher quantiles. This study recommends the use of renewable energy, increase renewable's investment, research and development, adoption energy efficient approaches to reduce fossil energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Strategy & Development Review is the property of Strategy & Development Review and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Using a novel dataset of foreign direct investment (FDI) corporations in the renewable electricity industry (REI), coupled with a large range of employed variables, this paper empirically examines FDI determinants in the REI in Africa between 2003 and 2019. The electricity insecurity issues worsen daily, aggravating all facets of African life. A range of promising and informative results were found using the FDI panel gravity fixed effects Poisson pseudo-maximum likelihood model. Interestingly, we reveal the uselessness of fossil fuel subsidy changes in stimulating green FDI in Africa. However, a 1% growth in Africa’s gross domestic product expands FDI by almost 1.5%. Similarly, one additional point in the corruption index reduces FDI by about 1.2%. Furthermore, increasing the number of educated African children and raising renewable energy awareness contributes constructively to the REI and sustainable energy development. To mitigate the energy issues, policymakers should elevate clean power consciousness among Africans and enhance sustainable energy support and policies.

The share of renewable energy consumption in total electricity consumption is analysed for a sample of forty-nine countries worldwide from 1985 to 2017. The analysis follows a two-step approach. First, the club convergence model was used to find the convergent countries. Second, a panel vector autoregression (PVAR) model estimation was used to analyse the convergent countries. Club convergence analysis confirms that forty-two countries are convergent in renewable energy consumption in total electricity consumption. The subgroup convergence tests confirm the existence of seven subgroups and one non-convergent group. Of these eight groups, the first seven are convergent among their group members, but the eighth group (Norway, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago) is non-convergent. The PVAR revealed a dense Granger causal relationship among the variables share of renewable electricity consumption, fossil consumption, GDP, trade openness, economic complexity, financial development, and oil prices. In their interventions, policymakers should be aware that the share of renewable energy consumption in total electricity consumption is very interdependent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Journal of Management Academy is the property of Uluslararasi Yonetim Akademisi Dergisi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The aim of this study was to improve the residential photovoltaic systems (RPVS) sector, using surveys as the research method. The research was carried out in four selected districts in Jordan, taking into account the largest population. The prepared sets of questionnaires covered a wide range of topics, divided into three parts and seven sections. The results showed that the highest use of solar energy for heating was in the Amman district, while in the Irbid and Zarqa districts photovoltaic (PV) system installations can potentially be more prospective because of high electricity and thermal energy usage. This study found the willingness of people to have a combined on-grid/off-grid PV systems, made by European and American manufacturers. However, those respondents were afraid of the high maintenance cost, the unclear lifespan of the system, doubtful reliability, and unclear warrantee of the PV systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the indirect effects of renewable power generated in Tohoku on the electricity spot market in Tokyo, through the channel of cross-regional interconnection. By adopting a two-step regression analysis framework, we investigated how the renewable power generated in Tohoku affects Tokyo's spot price and market volatility. Our results indicate that the electricity spot market is affected not only by within-regional renewable power generation but also by cross-regional transmitted renewable power generation through interconnection. The relatively higher price reduction effect of transmitted power can be attributed to higher price elasticity under a tight supply-demand balance. Our results confirm the cross-regional price stabilization effect of renewable power generation in Tohoku. We attribute the negative effect on realized volatility of Tokyo to the relatively stabler renewable electricity supply from Tohoku. Furthermore, we find that renewable power producers – especially solar power producers – are not incentivized by the fixed-price feed-in tariff to meet electricity demand during peak hours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the impact of environmental technological innovation, economic complexity, energy productivity, the use of renewable electricity generation, and environmental taxes on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the G-10 countries for the timeframe from 1995 to 2020. The purpose of the study is to examine the need for a clear plan or strategy to achieve environmental objectives in G-10 countries. In both short-term and long-term projections, the increased use of environment-based technology, economic complexity, and renewable electricity generation has a major positive impact on carbon emission reduction. Moreover, the results demonstrate both unidirectional and bidirectional causality from carbon emissions to renewable energy, electrical generation, and environment-based technologies, respectively. Based on the results, the study proposes a number of concrete policies, such as updating modernized tax systems, increasing tax collection, providing individuals with the means to finance the Sustainable Development Goals through incentive regulations, and making grants from international organizations and the private sector available to finance investments toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and carbon neutrality environment targets. This is the study's most significant contribution in order to attain a sustainable and low-carbon future in the G-10 countries, which has policy implications for governments and policymakers.

Since Russia’s 2022 invasion, Ukraine’s civilian energy infrastructure has faced systematic attack and requires urgent and strategic reconstruction. This study confronts the dual challenges of rebuilding Ukraine’s energy system rapidly to mitigate civilian and economic disruption while aligning this to long-term goals of sustainability and energy security. We demonstrate that Ukraine can readily meet future energy demands through a fully renewable electrified system at costs comparable to those from fossil fuels and nuclear power. Contrary to previous reliance on high-carbon energy sources, we find a diversified renewable energy portfolio, including significant solar photovoltaic and wind contributions, can efficiently meet growing energy demands and position Ukraine as an energy exporter, capitalising on its geographical advantages. This study’s approach, based on open data and models, extends beyond national borders and offers a model for post-conflict reconstruction that harmonizes immediate recovery with sustainable energy transition.

The rapid fall in the cost of solar photovoltaics and wind energy offers a pathway to the deep decarbonization of energy at an affordable price. Off-river pumped hydro energy storage and batteries provide mature and large-scale storage to balance variable generation and demand while minimizing environmental and social impacts. High-voltage inter-regional interconnection and dispatchable capacity (existing hydro and geothermal) can help balance supply and demand. This work investigates an Indonesian energy decarbonization pathway using mostly solar photovoltaics. An hourly energy balance analysis using ten years of meteorological data was performed for a hypothetical solar-dominated Indonesian electricity system for the consumption of 3, 6 and 10 megawatt-hours (MWh) per capita per year (compared with current consumption of 1 MWh per capita per year). Pumped hydro provides overnight and longer storage. Strong interconnection between islands was found to be unnecessary for Indonesia, contrary to findings from similar modelling in countries at higher latitudes. Storage requirements for power and energy were found to be smaller than three kilowatts and 30–45 kilowatt-hours per person, respectively. Introducing gas turbines (burning hydrogen or synthetic methane) contributing around 1% of annual generation reduced the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) by 14% and halved the storage requirements by allowing the system to ride through prolonged cloudy periods at lower cost. This work showed that Indonesia’s vast solar potential combined with its vast capacity for off-river pumped hydro energy storage could readily achieve 100% renewable electricity at low cost. The LCOE for a balanced solar-dominated system in Indonesia was found to be in the range of 77–102 USD/megawatt-hour.

The development of 100% renewable electricity (RE) systems play a pivotal role in ensuring climate stability. Many municipalities blessed with wealth, an educated and progressive citizenry, and large RE resources, have already reached 100% RE generation. Impoverished municipalities in unwelcoming environments both politically and climatically (e.g., northern latitudes with long, dark winter conditions) appear to be incapable of transitioning to renewables. This study challenges that widespread assumption by conducting a detailed technical and economic analysis for three representative municipalities in the Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Each municipality is simulated with their own hourly electricity demand and climate profiles using an electrical supply system based on local wind, solar, hydropower, and battery storage. Sensitivities are run on all economic and technical variables. Results show that transition to 100% RE is technically feasible and economically viable. In all baseline scenarios, the 100% RE systems produced a levelized cost of electricity up to 43% less than the centralized utility rates, which are predominantly fueled by gas and coal. Current policies, however, prevent such self-sufficient systems from being deployed, which are not only detrimental to the global environment, but also aggravate the economic depression of such regions. Potential energy savings advance the prohibitive energy justice principle.

Exploring acceptance on benefits of solar farm implementation in Malaysia. Implementation of solar farms to generate electricity is still low in Malaysia, where only 1%, or 227.5 MW of the total installed electrical capacity in Malaysia was produced from solar PV installations in 2016. Renewable energies, e.g. solar energy, have been adopted in many countries to generate electricity as a response to global environment issues. The aim of this study is to determine financial opportunities and benefits of solar farm implementation towards the society and the environment. Data were acquired through a literature review and questionnaire survey that was conducted among the respondents that are directly involved in the solar energy. Long-term financial savings constitute the most identified financial opportunities for the implementation of solar farms in generating clean electricity. Implementation of solar farms will encourage more businesses related to solar energy to be established in the country and will lead to new business opportunities. Solar farms are far better than conventional fossil fuel power plants in terms of the environmental effect and also reduce the health effects on the society during the electric generating process.

Road transport is one of the most energy-consuming and greenhouse gas (GHG) emitting sectors. Progressive decarbonisation of electricity generation could support the ambitious target of road vehicle climate neutrality in two different ways: direct electrification with onboard electrochemical storage or a change of energy vector with e-fuels. The most promising, state-of-the-art electrochemical storages for road transport have been analysed considering current and future technologies (the most promising ones) whose use is assumed to occur within the next 10–15 years. Different e-fuels (e-hydrogen, e-methanol, e-diesel, e-ammonia, E-DME, and e-methane) and their production pathways have been reviewed and compared in terms of energy density, synthesis efficiency, and technology readiness level. A final energetic comparison between electrochemical storages and e-fuels has been carried out considering different powertrain architectures, highlighting the huge difference in efficiency for these competing solutions. E-fuels require 3–5 times more input energy and cause 3–5 times higher equivalent vehicle CO2 emissions if the electricity is not entirely decarbonised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Implementation of solar farms to generate electricity is still low in Malaysia, where only 1%, or 227.5 MW of the total installed electrical capacity in Malaysia was produced from solar PV installations in 2016. Renewable energies, e.g. solar energy, have been adopted in many countries to generate electricity as a response to global environment issues. The aim of this study is to determine financial opportunities and benefits of solar farm implementation towards the society and the environment. Data were acquired through a literature review and questionnaire survey that was conducted among the respondents that are directly involved in the solar energy. Long-term financial savings constitute the most identified financial opportunities for the implementation of solar farms in generating clean electricity. Implementation of solar farms will encourage more businesses related to solar energy to be established in the country and will lead to new business opportunities. Solar farms are far better than conventional fossil fuel power plants in terms of the environmental effect and also reduce the health effects on the society during the electric generating process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present an analysis of electricity from renewable sources in the European Union countries. Analysis includes the quantity of electricity produced from renewable sources - Electricity (hydro, wind, solar, solid biofuels, all other renewables), the amount of renewable electricity used in Transport (Renevable electricity in road transport, in rail transport, in all other transport modes, compliant biofuels, non-compliant biofuels, other renewable energies), gross final consumption of energy from renewable sources in the heating and cooling sector (final energy consumption, derived heat, heat pumps), gross final consumption of energy from renewable sources (electricity, Transport, heating and cooling (European Commision, 2021). Design/methodology/approach: The article presents an analysis of the volume of energy obtained from renewable sources and its use, taking into account the list of volumes, changes in volumes in subsequent years, relative values and percentage change compared to the first period from which the data are available (2004) and compared to the period immediately preceding. Findings: By analyzing the data, conclusions can be drawn regarding the level of share and its changes in relation to renewable sources in obtaining electricity, as well as its use in aspects such as Transport or heating and cooling. Research limitations/implications: The problem that arose during the search for the necessary data was the lack of data from all European Union countries - as a result, the analysis includes data until 2020 (when the work was being written, data from 2021 was not yet available). Practical implications: he results of the analysis can be used to assess the possibility of implementing the climate project by the EU Member States. Social implications: Observing the behavior of society as a result of climate policy, it can be concluded that the community is aware of the need to achieve climate goals, and an increasing percentage of people reach for solutions such as heat pumps or solar panels. Originality/value: The article analyzed electricity obtained from renewable sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Africa's electricity insecurity issues are getting worse. However, there has been significant foreign direct investment (FDI) absorbed by the renewable electricity generation (REG) industry in the last twenty years. To date, the impact of FDI on REG in Africa has yet to be investigated. This study thus empirically examines REG determinants with a special focus on FDI in forty African countries between 2000 and 2019. By using the Prais-Winsten panel corrected standard errors model, a range of promising results are revealed. Importantly, we find compelling evidence that FDI inflows directly and indirectly limit, or even impede, REG development. What's more, Africa's population growth undermines REG. However, the encouraging result is that raising awareness in Africa of renewable energy boosts REG. We conclude that there is a necessity for the gradual reform of lax environmental laws and renewable energy education plans in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the last four decades, energy demand has been reached to the utmost level, which also leads to emissions and causes environmental degradation, global warming and climate change all over the world. In this sense, policy makers have suggested various measures including renewable adoption and energy efficiency. Current study aims to investigate the influence of economic growth, energy consumption, renewable electricity output, and energy efficiency on the energy related emissions. A panel of 12 RCEP economies are examined covering the period 1990-2020. Since the data follows irregular path, therefore a novel method of moment panel quantile regression is employed along with the Granger causality test. The empirical results indicate that economic growth and energy consumption significantly enhances energy related emissions, where the magnitude and significance level is found strengthening from lower to upper quantiles (Q0.25, Q0.50, Q0.75 and Q0.90). Conversely, renewable electricity and energy efficiency are the significant tools for lowering energy related emissions in the region. Additionally, a unidirectional causality is found from energy consumption and renewable electricity output to energy related emissions. However, a feedback effect is validated between economic growth, energy efficiency, and energy related emissions. Based on the empirical findings, this study suggests enhancement of renewable electricity output and adoption of energy efficient technologies to reduce environmental degradation and emission level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utility-scale renewable electricity generation is essential to decarbonisation as well as to ensuring affordable and secure electricity supplies around the world. Yet thus far there has been limited critical thinking dedicated to the complexities behind the finance and ownership of this new infrastructure and how national and local stakeholders should participate in and benefit from its development, particularly in contexts of high inequality in low- and middle-income countries. As the global renewable energy industry becomes increasingly consolidated and financialised, evidence from a number of countries suggests that despite the pro-environmental outcomes of utility-scale renewable electricity generation, the processes and institutions that procure and finance it have often failed to include or benefit individuals and communities living in the national and local vicinity. This paper therefore sets two key competing objectives of renewable electricity generation in context: as a predictable, long-term revenue stream for investors, and as a mechanism for socio-economic development and community empowerment. Building on scholarship from human geography, development studies and sustainability transitions, my analysis takes forward understandings of the role of finance in utility-scale renewable electricity generation as a key aspect of the political economy of the energy transition. In exploring the evolution of renewable electricity as a new and rapidly emerging asset class I consider how its development is increasingly determined by the frameworks and logics of finance and investment. Drawing on examples from South Africa and Mexico, I address the following questions: What are the evolving configurations and processes of finance and investment in utility-scale renewable electricity generation? How have they been facilitated? And what tensions have arisen from their implementation at the national and local level? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable energy (RE) electricity plays a crucial role in addressing climate change but has limitations, such as intermittent production, high costs, and site constraints. South Korea transitioned its RE support system from a feed-in tariff (FIT) to a renewable portfolio standard (RPS) in 2012. This study evaluates the impact of the FIT-to-RPS transition on cost reduction for non-photovoltaic RE technologies (RETs), i.e., onshore wind power, bioenergy power, small hydropower, and fuel cell power, using a learning curve model. The results indicate that the FIT-to-RPS transition did not have a significant positive impact on cost reduction for onshore wind power, bioenergy power, or small hydropower, as the results show negative learning rates (LRs) during both FIT and RPS periods. The analysis suggests that the positive learning effect was hindered by the gradual depletion of sites favourable to RE power plants as more RE power plants were installed. However, fuel cell power, which is not affected by land availability, increased the LR from 1.4 % to 3.5 %. This study has policy implications, such as improving excessive regulations and procedures that hinder the installation of RE power plants on sites with good condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Electrotreatment affected the viability, surface charge, and morphology of algal cyst. • Electrotreatment promoted cyst germination, cell division, and astaxanthin synthesis. • Electrogermination increased the astaxanthin content and productivity by 73 and 52% This study investigated the technical feasibility of using electrogermination to activate dormant cysts as an inoculum for subsequent 14-d photosynthetic astaxanthin production in Haematococcus lacustris. Electrotreatment affected the cell viability, surface charge, and morphology of H. lacustris cysts. At an optimal voltage of 2 V for 60 min, the cyst germination rate peaked at 44.6 % after 1 d, representing a 2.2-fold increase compared with that of the untreated control. Notably, electrogermination significantly enhanced both the astaxanthin content (44.9 mg/g cell) and productivity (13.2 mg/L/d) after 14 d of photobioreactor cultivation, corresponding to 1.7- and 1.5-fold increases compared with those in control, respectively. However, excessive electrotreatment, particularly at voltages exceeding 2 V or for durations beyond 60 min, did not enhance the astaxanthin production capability of H. lacustris. Proper optimization of renewable electrogermination can enable sustainable algal biorefinery to produce multiple bioactive products without compromising cell viability and astaxanthin productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The EU power sector is under increasing pressure due to rising electricity demand and the need to meet decarbonisation targets. Member states have been active in investing in renewables and building capacity to increase their share of renewables in electricity generation. However, it is important to examine what progress each member state has made in the deployment of renewable energy for electricity generation and what factors influence gross electricity generation from renewable energy. In this study, logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI) analysis was used to examine the changes in EU-27 countries’ gross electricity generation from renewable energy sources (RES), wind, and solar PV from 2012 to 2021. The results show that the RES deployment per capita effect and the RES share effect were the main positive factors for the total gross electricity generation from RES in the EU. In contrast, the RES capacity productivity effect and the energy intensity effect had negative contributions. Population growth had a positive influence but was less significant than the other factors. The deployment of RES per capita effect was the main factor in the overall growth of gross electricity generation from RES in Northern Europe, Central Western Europe, and Central Eastern Europe, according to comparisons between the regional groups. RES share effect was the main driver in Southern Europe. The decrease in RES capacity productivity was the second most important factor influencing the variation in the amount of energy generated by RES in Northern Europe and Central Western Europe. The results could be used to develop more effective and tailored renewable energy policies that take into account the existing main drivers of RES, wind, and solar energy in each of the EU-27 member states.

This paper presents a novel water reservoir cover using semi-transparent Organic Photovoltaics (OPV), that addresses water, energy and land shortages in addition to water quality improvements, by creating a dual-purpose usage of land resources by both generating electricity and reducing evaporation, whilst at the same time preserving or enhancing water quality. A simulation of the effect of the OPV cover on water temperature and evaporation is presented, as well as a discussion on the different variables influencing its viability. The filtering out of parts of the IR spectrum and 400–550 nm parts of the spectrum reduced both water temperatures and evaporation, which could thereby improve water quality.

The vulnerability of solar power producers to sunshine fluctuations exposes them to the volumetric risk that future electricity generation may deviate from predicted generation. Weather derivatives have recently emerged as a tool for hedging the volumetric risks of these power producers. However, the state-of-the-art instruments have several shortcomings, contributing to their limited application in the industry. Therefore, novel solar radiation-based weather derivative smart contract arrangements on a blockchain marketplace are proposed to address some of the main limitations of traditional instruments. In this regard, the cash flow of solar generators is modelled to assess the weather elements causing its stochasticity. Using this information, novel smart contract arrangements on a blockchain marketplace with solar radiation days as the underlying weather index are developed and analytically valued. Thereafter, a suite of novel smart contract autonomous mechanisms compelling contracting parties to behave rationally and maintain an enduring arrangement is presented. Finally, a trading strategy based on the developed smart contract arrangements is proposed to minimize the power producers’ volatility risk. Results emanating from notional simulations indicate that the proposed approach could be more suitable for hedging the volumetric risks of solar power producers than traditional instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are many promising renewable energy (RE) technologies that could help increase the contribution of RE in energy supply but which are not yet commercially available. The development rate of new RE technologies depends on many factors, such as Research and Development (R&D) efforts and policies. This study focuses on comparing China's efforts regarding the development of new RE technologies (e.g., wave and tidal, binary geothermal power, floating solar, micro hydro, osmotic energy, floating offshore wind and vertical axis wind turbines) with those of the European Union (EU). For this purpose, we collected data from publications and databases and analysed several indicators: e.g., the development of renewable electricity generation and capacity, demonstration projects, investments in R&D and patent applications. The results show that China has become a big player globally for mainstream renewable electricity (hydropower, wind and solar PV). This development is due to China's industrial policy and prioritization of effectiveness over cost efficiency. The main developments in China occurred in the 2010s, while the EU was a frontrunner in the 2000s. For the newer or less mainstream technologies, the application in China is still low, compared to the EU, except for floating solar, where China is a lead player. Regarding patent applications, China has shown a higher application amount compared to the EU since 2006. However, only a small share of China's patents are valid internationally. We conclude that China has emerged as a big player in mainstream renewable energy technologies over the last decade. In regard to new renewable energy technologies, China is predominantly involved in solar energy and, in comparison to the EU, less in other new technologies (e.g., binary geothermal systems and ocean energy). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]