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....
This paper uses simple analytical models to study high-income donor countries' willingness to pay to supply mitigation finance to low-income countries; how this depends on modality for finance supply; and how it changes as the global greenhouse gas mitigation agenda moves forward. The paper focuses on two modalities: transformational project-based mitigation finance (transitioning from fossil to non-fossil energy use at scale), and transformational policy-based mitigation finance support (implementing comprehensive carbon taxation). These modalities are compared with conventional finance for which donors have lower willingness to pay. High-income countries' willingness to pay is higher when mitigation is combined with carbon taxation;...
The power sector remains especially vulnerable to natural disasters and extreme weather events exacerbated by climate change. Planning ahead and investing in resilience to mitigate climate and disaster risks in the power sector can help minimize infrastructure damage and yield savings during recovery from a natural disaster. Conducting an in-depth climate and disaster risk screening (CDRS) during the planning and preparation stages of energy infrastructure projects is a crucial first step to building resilience. Data sharing, knowledge exchange, and awareness building on CDRS can substantially improve the screening process, while also helping to bring resilience to the forefront of energy...
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 recent advances in battery technology and reductions in battery costs have brought battery energy storage systems (BESS) to the point of becoming increasingly cost-effective projects to serve a range of power sector interventions, especially when combined with PV and where diesel is the alternative, or where subsidies or incentives are used. Quantifying the economic impact of BESS requires a high level of temporal granularity in the analysis, because the time-steps required for a reliable assessment of costs and benefits are much shorter than the usual annual time steps of many power sector investment projects. In short, there is as...
Battery technology is evolving at a breathtaking pace. As performance improves and costs fall, batteries are already critical for consumer electronics, such as mobile phones, and are paving the way for the electric vehicle market. The battery revolution doesn’t end there. Battery systems are also transforming intermittent renewable energy - such as solar and wind - by making them much more financially attractive. Investors are taking notice. But while the versatility of batteries makes them attractive, it is difficult to determine their economic value. Understanding where and why batteries are most successful remains challenging, as each situation is different based...
In developing countries, battery storage is becoming a viable way to increase system flexibility and enable more integration of variable renewable energy. Battery energy storage systems (BESS) respond rapidly to control signals, are easy to deploy, and are benefiting from cost reduction trends. New battery technologies have valuable attributes that are well suited to the needs of developing countries. However, they have a rather short track record in terms of deployment and operation, and this can hamper efforts to reassure buyers and investors that these new technologies will perform reliably over their project life. Conditions found in some developing countries...
The project “Regional potential assessment of novel bio energy crops in fifteen ECOWAS countries” was started by the different project partners based on the need to make an overall assessment of a series of novel potential bio energy crops which can or could be grown and processed in the future in the 15 ECOWAS countries. This project fits in a broader strategic analysis of alternative energy needs and production, the key mandate of the main funding partner in the project, ECREEE. The project partners deliberately excluded conventional “bio energy” crops like sugarcane, oil palm, maize or sunflower as target crops,...
The Renewables 2021 Global Status Report is the worldwide reference document for the market, policy, and technology trends in renewable energy for 2020. Crowdsourced from hundreds of contributors from industry, NGOs, governments, and academia across the world, this year’s report raises a fundamental question: what is holding the world back from using the COVID-19 crisis as an opportunity for transformation? REN21’s 2021 report shows that governments need to give a much harder push to renewables in all sectors, and advocates for the establishment of renewable shares as key performance indicators for both private and public decision-making processes, as well as...
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