Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) over the next 30 years will critically depend upon urban land use and infrastructure development actions taken across multiple sectors (buildings, energy, transportation, water-sanitation, and waste) in global cities. Integrated urban planning addresses a multiplicity of urban sustainability objectives (e.g., economy, environment, inclusivity, and resilience) (GPSC, World Bank 2018), including cross-sectoral and cross-scale linkages (Ramaswami et al. 2016) and connection of physical planning with social, cultural, behavior, and policy dimensions. The objective of this report is to review the state of knowledge (science) and the state of practice (models actually used by cities for...
A significant benefit of floating solar is that it doesn’t take up valuable space on land - meaning that it can be used for other purposes, such as farming or construction. Installing floating solar farms on bodies of water, such as reservoirs, avoids this issue. Hydropower reservoirs alone cover a surface of more than 250 thousand square kilometers worldwide - enough to host enough floating solar capacity to produce 2.5 times the electricity produced by all the underlying hydropower capacity. As the technology develops, the costs and technical challenges are expected to fall. Demand for floating solar power will also...
Energy efficiency is among the cheapest, cleanest, and most widely available of energy resources. Improved energy efficiency provides opportunities to sustainably expand energy services and support development and economic growth, contributing to higher living standards, as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In developing countries, where demand for energy is growing rapidly, the potential for energy efficiency improvements is significant, particularly in the residential sector. The purpose of this guide is to raise awareness of behavioral approaches to achieving development outcomes, demonstrate the role that behavioral sciences can play in promoting energy efficiency, and provide guidance on how to integrate...
The ongoing transformation of the global energy sector is opening possibilities for many developing countries to reach their energy access and service delivery goals in a lower cost, more sustainable manner, while combating climate change. New technologies, and new ways of using existing technologies such as geospatial data systems, smart grids, and smart meters are helping to develop resilient energy infrastructure and operate it more efficiently. These developments, combined with major cost reductions in renewable energy and storage solutions are presenting a strong prospect of a complete re-orientation of the energy sector towards a more decentralized, decarbonized and digitalized path....
Tracking SDG7: The Energy Progress Report provides the international community with a global dashboard to register progress on the targets of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7): ensuring universal energy access, doubling progress on energy efficiency, substantially increasing the share of renewable energy, and enhance international cooperation to facilitate access to clean and renewable energy by 2030. It assesses the progress made by each country on these targets and provides a snapshot of how far we are from achieving SDG7. The report is a joint effort of the International Energy Agency (IEA), the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), United Nations Statistics...
The electrification of health centers, schools, and other public institutions has been limited by the slow expansion of national grids, which has staggering consequences for economic growth, poverty reduction, and the accumulation of human capital. Off-grid solar solutions have enormous potential to address the problem, both in Sub-Saharan Africa and across the world, but simply purchasing and installing the units without providing for adequate maintenance is not effective. Installing stand-alone solar units and servicing them through long-term performance-based contracts can give public institutions the electricity service they need at a cost governments can afford.
Barbados National Energy Policy (BNEP 2019-2030) proposes a 100% renewable energy and carbon neutral island- state transformational goal by 2030.
The report, a joint effort between the World Bank’s Social Development Global Practice and International Finance Corporation (IFC) advisory services, is based on the idea that local engagement, for example, through benefit sharing, is an important way for better risk management and creating a more enabling environment for renewable energy development. It finds that the underlying causes of the conflicts are diverse, complex, and dynamic: influencing factors include historical struggles over poverty and inequality, land ownership, mistrust in public and private institutions, a lack of free, prior and informed consultations (FPIC) before investment flows into the region and oftentimes a...
The CESaRE Webinar Series entitled Big Data and the Caribbean's Energy Transition featuring Dr. Legena Henry, Susanna Shaw and Yekini Wallen-Bryan. The webinar looks into how Big Data can transform the region's energy transition.
This technical guide is the first in a series of four technical guides on variable renewable energy (VRE) grid integration produced by the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP) of the World Bank and the Global Sustainable Electricity Partnership (GSEP). It provides a general overview of the intrinsic characteristics of VRE generation, mainly solar PV and wind, what the main challenges are along with some recommendations for VRE technical specifications, applicable standards, and essential testing. The main focus of the document presents a detailed outline of the essential requirements for VRE integration into the power grid. The requirements differ for...