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The target for 2030 of reaching a 32% share of renewable energy in the gross final energy consumption can be achieved by speeding up the transformation pending the implementation of knowledge transfer (KT) policies that foster regional cooperation for the cost-effective development of renewables. The research purpose is the analysis of important factors in the development of the renewable energy sector through knowledge sharing and collaboration across the Member States in a comparable manner. The hypotheses are as follows: Hypothesis 1 (H1) there are synergies between knowledge transfer and economic impact through income and jobs for the renewable energy sector and Hypothesis 2 (H2) the EU countries have different profiles of synergy. The research proposition was established through the employment of a quantitative synergy and trade-offs analysis based on the knowledge transfer indicators and the sustainable development framework. The research method, namely the advanced sustainability analysis (ASA), uses the quantitative assessment tool for the understanding of synergies between two or three dimensions of sustainable development, presuming that the combined effect of the factors is greater than the sum of their individual effects. The current research comprises an evaluation of the renewable energy sector knowledge transfer policy models at the national level for 24 EU countries and four other European states, focusing on the capabilities to create synergies. The results of the study represent a valuable input for the policy makers, allowing for a coherent and sustainable planning and programming of the new electricity market, adopted through the Clean Energy Package, and following a highly dynamic and radically disruptive background, exploiting the 'successful' profiles.

The transformation of a power supply, a social-technical system suffering from a heavy lock-ins, requires structural adaptations which are extremely complex. All actors in social acceptance processes have either strong vested interests in the current system or are challenging these. In strategies developed by those actors, so-called &lsquo ; frames&rsquo ; play a key role. These are biased problem definitions and mental shortcuts, tools to affect the course of decision-making processes. Examples are &ldquo ; clean coal&rdquo ; &ldquo ; smart grid&rdquo ; &ldquo ; base-load&rdquo ; or &ldquo ; decentralized&rdquo ; . Framing is fundamental to political processes, including those of decision making on renewables. This review presents a glossary of significant frames used in social acceptance processes of renewables&rsquo ; innovation in power supply systems. The identified frames are classified and presented with, in each entry, one significant frame discussed and analyzed in relation to its most associated frames. Overall, the contrast comes to the fore between the paradigm of the current heavy centralized and hierarchically managed power supply system, on the one hand, and the newly emerging concepts around distributed generation on the other hand. Within these two clusters and in between, certain frames are focused on issues of ownership and control of infrastructures, while others concern allocation of space for establishing infrastructure.

This note's purpose is to objectively analyze West Virginia's recently enacted Alternative and Renewable Energy Portfolio Act ("AREPA") to determine whether it is the most ambitious alternative and renewable energy legislation that West Virginia can enact given its current political climate. Although coal may currently provide substantial economic benefits to West Virginia, future reliance on coal resources will be detrimental to the state's overall welfare due to dwindling coal reserves and coal's hazardous effects on the environment and public health. Because of coal's negative public health and environmental effects, coalmining states face tremendous federal, state, and local pressures to implement cleaner energy production methods. In 2009, West Virginia enacted AREPA to quell some of these mounting concerns. The legislation, however, has an unusually permissive definition of "alternative" energy sources and technologies and has no minimum requirement for renewable energy. In order to truly diversify from coal, the West Virginia Legislature should amend its "renewable energy resources" standard to require that at least twenty percent of its energy portfolio come from actual renewable energy sources by 2025. The legislature must also amend AREPA to exclude many of the most heavily polluting "alternative" energy sources instead of ensuring their continued existence and harm to the state. Because of West Virginia's dwindling coal reserves, the state's wealth of renewable energy resources, and a growing anti-coal movement, the Mountain State should diversify fromcoal-based energy resources and establish an appropriate alternative energy portfolio standard that is more heavily geared towards truly promoting renewable energy.

The study's overall objective is to present how the development of the Swedish biofuels system impacts the achievement of the European Union's target of 10% of renewable fuels in transport by 2020 and the establishment of a vehicle fleet independent of fossil fuels by 2030 in the country. The methodological approach is based on a combination of forecasting and backcasting scenarios. This cross-analysis is used to relate one set of data with others in order to identify gaps between the potential energy use in the Swedish domestic transport sector with the country's desired targets. Our analysis shows three gaps related to i) infrastructure and management capabilities for local biofuel production, ii) policy instruments to trigger systemic changes to reduce dependence of imports, and iii) investment decisions. In order to bridge those gaps, policymakers have to decide on how to steer the system's development not only by combining different pathways between growth patterns of the Swedish biofuel system but also deciding either to apply supply or demand pressures onto the system as driving forces. Despite meeting the desired target of 10% of renewable fuels in transport by 2020, these choices have to be taken in a very short-run in order to shape the development of the Swedish biofuel system away of failing the target of establishing a vehicle fleet independent of fossil fuels by 2030. ; QC 201300710

Over the recent decades, there has been an increasing focus on energy-efficient operation of vessels. It has become part of the political agenda, where regulation is the main driver, but the maritime industry itself has also been driven towards more energy-efficient operation of the vessels, due to increasing fuel costs. Improving the energy efficiency on board vessels is not only a technical issue - factors such as awareness of the problem, knowledge skills and motivation are also important parameters that must be considered. The paper shows how training in energy-efficient operation and awareness can affect the energy consumption of vessels. The study is based on navigational, full-mission simulator tests conducted at the International Maritime Academy SIMAC. A full-mission simulator is an image of the world allowing the students to obtain skills through learning-by-doing in a safe environment. Human factors and technical issues were included and the test sessions consisted of a combination of practical simulator exercises and reflection workshops. The result of the simulator tests showed that a combination of installing technical equipment and raising awareness - making room for reflections-on and in-action - has a positive effect on energy consumption. The participants, on average, saved approximately 10% in fuel.

The majority of informal settlements in South Africa do not have access to reliable, safe, and clean energy. Infrastructural constraints, poor service delivery, the inapt application of policy, and the financial constraints of those living in informal settlements all contribute towards this problem of energy poverty. This dissertation argues that low carbon energy transitions, such as solar home systems, are a viable means for overcoming issues of energy poverty in informal settlements. This dissertation examines the role of urban experimentation in implementing low carbon energy transitions within informal settlements in South Africa, through exploring interactions between policy, technology and justice. The iShack Project (improved Shack) is used as a case study, to identify, analyse, and discuss the ways in which solar home systems have resulted in social and financial changes amongst the residents in Enkanini, Stellenbosch. These relate to changing fuel use patterns, reducing shack fire risk and addressing issues of access and affordability. Multilevel perspective (MLP) and the political ecology approach are the two analytical tools used to discuss the broader conditions that give rise to transitions, as well as providing a more in-depth look at the experiences of those making up the 'social' aspect of socio-technical transitions. These analytical tools informed a series of interviews, which is the primary method through which data was gathered, by highlighting prominent components of agency and power - providing greater understanding of the lived realities of the Enkanini residents. The interviewing process provided an opportunity for residents of Enkanini to voice their opinions on this urban experiment and discuss the impact iShack has had on their lives. Photographs accompany many of the findings in this dissertation and provide a valuable lens through which the lived reality of the Enkanini residents can be more accurately represented. Using the case study of the iShack Project in Enkanini, the findings of this dissertation highlight that policy, technology and justice come to positively reinforce one another in addressing the issue of energy poverty in South Africa. For example, the granting of the Free Basic Electricity (FBE) subsidy to the iShack Project has made it possible for the intermediary to address justice issues, such as the poor being able to access and afford reliable, safe, and clean electricity. Furthermore, iShack's technological innovations, such as "Flash" and the "Flash wallet" have brought about foundational changes in some values, goals, operational procedures and decision-making processes taking place in the community - especially around the notion of monetary savings. This also points to the fact that these technological innovations are physical manifestations of policy itself. The findings show that low carbon energy transitions can be a viable means of overcoming energy poverty in informal settlements and addressing issues of access and affordability for the poor. However, local government plays an important role in being able to adapt local policy in such a way that it creates an enabling environment for an intermediary to be supported or strengthened in this.

Intro -- Contents -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- Chapter 1: The Atmosphere -- Chapter 2: The Weather -- Chapter 3: Modern Meteorology -- Chapter 4: Advances in Weather Studies -- Chapter 5: Weather Modification -- Chapter 6: Local Air Pollution -- Chapter 7: Acid Rain -- Chapter 8: Toxic Substances -- Chapter 9: Ozone Depletion -- Chapter 10: Breathing Particles -- Chapter 11: Global Warming -- Chapter 12: Clean Energy -- Glossary -- Further Reading -- Web Sites -- Index.

When it comes to corporate tax policy, Alberta is taking a different path than the federal government and other provinces. Alberta's May 28th Job Creation Tax Cut will reduce the provincial corporate income tax rate from 12% to 8% in lieu of introducing accelerated depreciation that was adopted by federal government November 20182 , including a 100% write-off for clean energy and manufacturing.

Published online: August 2020 ; Energy Systems Integration (ESI) is an emerging paradigm and at the centre of the EU energy debate. ESI takes a holistic view of the electricity, gas, and heat sectors to deliver a clean, reliable, and affordable energy system. By using the synergies within and between sectors, ESI aims to increase flexibility in the energy system, maximise the integration of renewable energy and distributed generation, and reduce environmental impact. While ESI-enabling technologies have been studied from a technical perspective, the economic, regulatory, and policy dimensions of ESI are yet to be analysed in depth. This paper discusses ESI in a multi-step approach. We first focus on the economics of ESI-enabling technologies. Then we briefly discuss how the EU national regulators incentivise their adoption. Major economic and policy barriers to ESI are identified and policy solutions to overcome these barriers are proposed. We conclude that current regulatory frameworks in the EU do not sufficiently stimulate ESI investments and only through proper design of incentives ESI can be adopted.

In Uganda, the energy sector like the rest of the economy has suffered severe setback during the 1970s and l980s, the years of political problems in that country. It has been seen that middle class households and even the upper class are reverting from the more efficient and cleaner fuels i.e. electricity and gas, to woodfuel in form of charcoal due partly to the unrealiability of the clean fuels and partly to their high prices and that of the appliances required in their utilisation. This report is a result of a Minor Field Study to evaluate the energy situation in Uganda with the aim of establishing the possibilities of introducing biogas systems in the countryside. It came out during the study that the country faces fuel shortage in the urban areas and some parts of the rural areas and the situation is deteriorating with time. Factors contributing to this situation include inefficient use of fuelwood and charcoal, the rapid population increase without corresponding technological development, rapid growth of the urban areas and the intensive exploitation without replanting of forest products for other purposes. The report gives a general description of biogas production, its characteristics, and its use for cooking, lighting, heating, driving of engines, generating of electricity and curing of tobacco. There is an outline of safety precautions during the production and use of the gas. Conditions for the introduction of biogas systems in the rural areas of Uganda are also outlined and these include, energy needs, availability of technical know-how, availability of building material and availability of organic materials for biogas production. It is pointed out in the report that all these conditions are fairly satisfactorily fulfilled as it concerns the Ugandan situation. The Chinese Pilot Project consisting of seven plants in the eastern part of Uganda is examined. Some plants have managerial problems but the biggest problem is that the project has no technical backup in terms of repairs and servicing, whenever problems arise. There is hardly any data being collected from the plants and no visible follow-up. The local extension staff do not have knowledge about the functioning of the units and therefore they are not useful to the unit owners in terms of advice and repairs. Some differences in basic conditions as relates to biogas technology transfer are briefly examined It turns out that the pilot plants are very expensive. There is an observation on the likely effects of introducing biogas systems in rural Uganda. It is likely that if care is not taken, the project can increase the labour burden on some members of the society. The health conditions in the society should improve and the environment conservated. There then comes an economic analysis which points out that research is needed to produce a cheaper design.

In February 2019 Common Weal set out our vision for the design and development of Scotland's publicly-owned national energy company (NEC) and a Scottish Energy Development Agency (SEDA), which would act as a strategic body to prioritise and direct the development of new energy generation projects and associated infrastructure and fuel supply chain needs. In this paper we highlighted the particularly complex problem of how to better enable to development of district heating systems (DHS) and heat networks, and how considerable benefits to this could be unlocked through the roles of these organisations in Scotland's energy future. This new paper builds directly on this report, as well as our previous report on energy performance certificates, by reviewing the evidence for how sustainable, low / zero-carbon DHS projects have been developed elsewhere in the world, particularly in Denmark, and proposing a set of criteria for designing and delivering successful DHS projects in Scotland. The concerns raised in this report, and our proposals for addressing them, are entirely within the powers and responsibilities currently devolved to the Scottish Government. However, as recognised in our previous papers, we are of the view that there are clear and substantial benefits to be had from the full devolution of all energy powers to Scotland, and more still from becoming an independent country within the European Union. The purpose of this paper is to highlight key barriers to the successful deployment of new DHS in Scotland, conduct an extensive review of evidence on how they should be addressed, and to outline a set of criteria for use as part of strategic planning and procurement to leverage new DHS projects. These criteria have been developed in consultation with other experts with specialist knowledge of developing and deploying DHS, and are intended to deliver new DHS and heat networks that best meet the needs of Scotland's agendas for climate change, energy, employment, regeneration, fuel poverty, and community empowerment. Furthermore, the data needs for assessing these criteria can already be met from sources available to the Scottish Government. As always, we would welcome further comments from other experts and stakeholders as to how these proposals can be refined and implemented.

Treballs Finals del Màster d'Economia, Facultat d'Economia i Empresa, Universitat de Barcelona, Curs: 2020-2021, Tutor: Enrique López-Bazo ; The human impact on the environment and climate is growing at an alarming speed, as about half of the cumulative anthropogenic CO2 emissions have occurred since the 1970's. International efforts to limit the rise in global temperature to 1.5°C above preindustrial levels are undertaken and the reduction of emissions in the energy sector plays a crucial role in this process. Based on the decentralized character of most clean technologies and the policy-based property of the energy transition, this study investigates the impact of (governmental) decentralization and its interdependency with institutional quality on the renewable energy development. For this purpose, a panel data sample, containing 63 developed and developing countries over the timeperiod of 1990 to 2015 is deployed and econometrically evaluated. The results indeed verify a promoting effect of decentralization and its crucial relationship with institutional quality, although, emphasizing its conditional robustness to alternative outcome variable and model specifications. Furthermore, the findings suggest a significantly heterogenous impact of decentralization depending on the level of development and the associated level of institutional quality. The results imply the importance of a simultaneous strengthening of the institutional quality in combination with decentralization to sustain an enhancing impact on the renewable energy deployment.

The power sector reform experiences of developing countries vary greatly. To help explain this from a political economy perspective, this paper reviews several dozen statistical analyses, multi-country case studies, and development practice publications. The frame of reference is the model of market-oriented reforms that became a global norm in the 1990s. Findings are organized in terms of the history, theory, motives, processes and outcomes of reforms. Market orientation emerged around the 1980s as part of a shift in economic theory and policy away from state control, and was expected to improve efficiency and investments. Reform advocates never took political economy issues into full consideration. Yet, policy makers have had sociopolitical as well as technical motives for reform, such as crisis response. International norms and competition for foreign investment and trade pulled governments to model reforms, while development partners pushed them as a condition of aid. Reform implementation has been characterized by strong tensions among different public and private interests. Concretely, 1990s model reforms were based on a logic of depoliticizing pricing and investment decisions; often placing policy makers in a conflict of interest situation. Thus, the political costs and risks of reform have often exceeded the benefits perceived by local decision makers, especially as reforms did not generally result in immediate benefits for citizens. In practice, incremental, inclusive processes may be better than quick and stealthy reforms that sidestep stakeholders' concerns. While there was limited evidence of efficacy at the time the reforms were implemented, ex post the outcomes of reforms are ambiguous, as improvements in some areas have been offset by negative results elsewhere. For increasing access to electricity and clean energy, 1990s model reforms may help, but they are neither necessary nor sufficient, nor did they focus on these objectives. In conclusion, the success or failure of policy prescriptions such as 1990s model reforms are contingent on dynamic, context-specific institutions as well as factors beyond the sector. More work is needed on integrated, flexible approaches to think and work politically in the sector, and to account for new technology and diverse sector development objectives.