Project Report Titled

INFINITE ENERGY VISION

Submitted
in partial fulfilment for
the requirements of the diploma in

Electrical Engineering
(Semester V)

By

Ms. Samiksha S. Golatkar ID 164121011

Ms. Samiksha R. Mahadik ID 164121014

Ms. Sanjana N. Gunti ID 164121017

Ms. Sneha R. Prabhu ID 164121026

Ms. Hemangi P. Kapase ID 164121039

Ms. Bhakti S. Khadaye ID 164121055

Prof. Asha Sharma

Guide

Electrical Engineering Department

Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute
Mumbai 400 019

2018-19
 CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the following students

Ms. Samiksha S. Golatkar ID 164121011

Ms. Samiksha R. Mahadik ID 164121014

Ms. Sanjana N. Gunti ID 164121017

Ms. Sneha R. Prabhu ID 164121026

Ms. Hemangi P. Kapase ID 164121039

Ms. Bhakti S. Khadaye ID 164121055

have successfully completed and submitted the project entitled

INFINITE ENERGY VISION

for the partial fulfilment of

Diploma

in

Electrical Engineering (Semester V)

during the academic year 2018-2019 as prescribed by VJTI Mumbai.

Prof. Sucheta Yadwad

Head Diploma

(Electrical)

Prof. Asha Sharma

Seal
Guide
External Examiner

Date :-
Place :- Mumbai
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

In Performing our Project, we had to take the help and guidelines of some respected persons,
who deserve our greatest gratitude. The completion of this project gives us much pleasure. We
would like to show our gratitude Mrs. Asha Sharma (Electrical Department, VJTI) for Commented [samiksha 1]: to

giving us a good guideline for project throughout numerous consultations. He never left a single Commented [samiksha 2]: she

stone unturned for us providing with all possible resources, when we were in dire need of them.
We would also like to expand our deepest gratitude to all those who directly and indirectly
guided us in our project. We take this opportunity to thank Mrs. Sucheta Yadwad (Head of
Electrical Engineering Department, V.J.T.I) and Dr. Dhiren Patel (Director, V.J.T.I.) for
having permitted us to carry out this project work.

We are also grateful to our college for providing us with an internet lab and its co-operative
employees where we allowed browsing, learning, and hunting for everything we could think Commented [samiksha 3]: are

about studying this project. We would like to offer thanks to the Laboratory Assistants for their
cooperation for providing us all the possible resources.

Lastly, we thank our parents, siblings, friends and well-wishers who always looked for the
chance to help us in whatever means came forth and for their constant encouragement, without
which, this project would only be a distant reality. And above all we express our deep sense of
gratitude to almighty GOD who gave me immense strength and showed us the path to make Commented [samiksha 4]: us

this project victorious.

INFINITE ENERGY VISION 3

 ABSTRACT

The world is fast becoming a global village due to the increasing daily requirement of energy
by all population across the world while the earth in its form cannot change. The need for
energy and its related services to satisfy human social and economic development, welfare and
health is increasing. Returning to renewables to help mitigate climate change is an excellent
approach which needs to be sustainable in order to meet energy demand of future generations.
The study reviewed the opportunities associated with renewable energy sources which
includes: Energy Security, Energy Access, Social and Economic development, Climate Change
Mitigation, and reduction of environmental and health impacts. Despite these opportunities,
there are challenges that hinder the sustainability of renewable energy sources towards climate
change mitigation. These challenges include Market failures, lack of information, access to raw
materials for future renewable resource deployment, and our daily carbon footprint. The study
suggested some measures and policy recommendations which when considered would help
achieve the goal of renewable energy thus to reduce emissions, mitigate climate change and
provide a clean environment as well as clean energy for all and future generations.

Knowledge regarding the interrelations between sustainable development and renewable

energy in particular is still limited. The aim of the paper is to ascertain if renewable energy
sources are sustainable and examine how a shift from fossil fuel-based energy sources to
renewable energy sources would help reduce climate change and its impact. A qualitative
research was employed by reviewing peer-reviewed papers in the area of study. This study
brought to light the opportunities associated with renewable energy sources; energy security,
energy access, social and economic development and climate change mitigation and reduction
of environmental and health impacts.

INFINITE ENERGY VISION 4

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Sr. No. Title Page no.

1. Acknowledgement 3

2. Abstract 4

3. Table of Contents 5

4. Index 6

INFINITE ENERGY VISION 5

 INDEX

Part Title Page

No.
1. Motivation 8-9

2. Recent trends 10-12

3. Introduction 13-15

3.1. History of renewable energy

4. Renewables 16-23

4.1. Bioenergy
4.2. Hydro energy
4.3. Solar energy
4.4. Wind energy

5. Aspects 24-26

5.1. Benefits
5.2. Climate Change
5.3. Costs
5.4. Enabling the rapid rise of Power Sector

6. Implementation for renewable sources 27-32

6.1. Heating
6.2. Cooling
6.3. Cooking

7. Conclusion 33-34

8. Bibliography 35

INFINITE ENERGY VISION 6

 LIST OF FIGURES
Fig No. Title

4.1. Renewable energy policies

4.2. Renewable power capacity and generation

4.1.1 Bioenergy

4.1.2. Bioenergy data

4.2.1. Hydro energy

4.2.2. Hydro energy data

4.3.1. Solar energy

4.3.2. Solar energy data

4.4.1. Wind energy

4.4.2. Wind energy data

6.1 Overview of renewable energy options in urban commercial and

residential buildings

LIST OF TABLES
Table No. Title

1 City examples of renewable energy technologies and policies to

meet energy consumption of commercial and residential
buildings

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 1. MOTIVATION
The use of renewable energy (RE) sources, primarily wind and solar generation, is poised to
grow significantly within the Indian power system. India’s power grid is one of the world’s
largest synchronized networks, with about 300 gigawatts (GW) of installed capacity serving
one billion people. The grid is also one of the most rapidly growing grids. During the last
decade, India’s economy and electricity demand grew at an annual average of 7% (OECD/IEA
2016). The demand for power is expected to continue to increase to support India’s growing
manufacturing sector and meet the rising aspirations of its people.

The Government of India has therefore seized energy development and security as critical
policy objectives, and RE, in a country with immense solar and wind resources and falling
technology costs, serves a central role in meeting these objectives. The government has
established an installed capacity target of 175 GW RE by 2022, including 60 GW of wind and
100 GW of solar, up from 29 GW wind and 9 GW solar today.1 India’s Nationally Determined
Contribution extends this ambition to 40% non-fossil fuels-based electricity generation
capacity by 2030 (250–300 GW of solar and wind capacity depending on load). To meet these
targets, the Ministry of Power has undertaken a number of initiatives to facilitate such large
scale RE integration.

Global experience demonstrates that power systems can integrate wind and solar at this scale,
but that evidence-based planning helps facilitate this integration at least cost. This report
describes a largescale study of the Indian power system so that the potential impacts of high
levels of RE can be rigorously calculated and serve as the basis for decision-making+. At the
heart of this study is a detailed electricity production cost model that establishes how the Indian
power system can operate at least cost. To understand the impacts of increased variability and
uncertainty of large-scale RE expansion, we employed high-resolution weather data to capture
the time- and place-specific nature of wind and solar generation. Applying this generation data
to the production cost model creates a realistic assessment of the impacts of high levels of RE
based on the way the Indian grid is currently configured and operated. With high levels of RE,
the model captures the key impacts of wind and solar energy—variability and uncertainty—in
detailed simulations performed at 15-minute intervals for an entire year.

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In this report, we describe how the project team closely collaborated with power industry
experts, Ministry of Power and other government representatives, and other stakeholders so
that the study could incorporate key technical and policy insights, helping to ensure a high-
quality model grounded in the Indian context. We describe the modeling effort, key results, Commented [samiksha 5]: cut

and alternative scenarios that reflect a range of RE targets and modes of operating the system.
The richness of the data and modeling allows us to quantitatively explore options to integrate
RE into the power system so that the benefits—energy security and reduction in emissions—
can be maximized for the entire country.

This work is conducted under a broader program, Greening the Grid, which is an initiative co-
led by India’s Ministry of Power and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID),
and includes collaboration with World Bank, the U.S. Departments of Energy and State, and
the 21st Century Power Partnership. Commented [samiksha 6]: cut

INFINITE ENERGY VISION 9

 2. RECENT TRENDS
Solar thermal systems China is home to 70% of the global installed capacity of SWH, and
Chinese cities have played an important role in accelerating its deployment. Between 2009 and
2011, a central government policy supported demonstration cities for renewable energy use in
buildings (IEA-SHC, n.d.). 72 cities and 146 counties took part in the programme. By 2011,
about 45% of solar thermal systems in China were based in cities, up from 40% just one year
earlier (Tao, 2011). At the same time, over 80 cities had issued compulsory and favourable
policies for installing solar water heating systems, which often included the compulsory
installation of SWH in new public, residential, and commercial buildings. The Chinese city of
Rizhao, for example, has promoted SWH in residential buildings for the past 20 years through
regulations, information campaigns and subsidies. The Shandong provincial government
helped finance solar research and development resulting in competitive pricing of SWH
systems compared to electric heaters. As a result, by 2015, 90% of households in Rizhao had
access to SWH (Rizhao Government, 2015).

Today, water heating accounts for about 26% of household energy use in cities in Spain (WWI,
2016). Barcelona was the first city in Europe to introduce a Solar Ordinance in 1999. It
mandated that 60% of hot water be provided through solar energy in new and renovated
buildings (C40, 2011). The area of installed solar thermal panels expanded from 1 650 m2 to
87 600 m2 within a decade (2000-2010). Barcelona’s efforts prompted more than 70 Spanish
cities to introduce similar ordinances, and in 2007, the Spanish national government adopted a
new technical building code requiring mandatory solar thermal installations (ICLEI, 2014a;
WWI, 2016). Since then, many other cities and countries around the world have followed this
example.

Seawater district cooling District cooling networks using seawater cooling have been used in
cities in cold climates such as Copenhagen and Stockholm for quite some time, but recently
the technology has gained traction in hot climates as well. In Port Louis, Mauritius, the first
seawater-based district-cooling network in Africa is under development. When completed, it
will offset about 26 MW in power supply, or about 6% of 2014 peak electricity demand in the
country (UNEP, 2015a). In Honolulu, Hawaii, a USD 250 million seawater cooling project is
under development, which would avoid imports of 178 000 barrels of oil per year (Honolulu
SWAC, n.d.).

Clean cooking Modern bioenergy cookstoves can run on biogas, solid biofuels or ethanol, and
reduce indoor air pollution significantly compared to cooking on an open fire. Biogas digesters

INFINITE ENERGY VISION 10

for cooking have been used for some time in the south of India. The biogas is produced from
organic waste in plants ranging in size from household (1-5 kg per day) to large-scale (up to
100 tonnes/day) (Vögeli and Zurbrügg, 2008). In Nepal biogas has been used in cooking for
more than 60 years, mainly in rural settings. The country now aims to build 2 500 biogas plants
in urban locations between 2012 and 2017 (Government of Nepal, 2012). These plants will use
biodegradable waste to produce cooking gas and electricity (The Kathmandu Post, 2015).

For solid biomass, programmes to provide cleaner and more efficient charcoal and wood
cookstoves are underway in Ghana, Kenya and Mali. Ethanol cooking is also prevalent in Commented [samiksha 7]: space delete

selected urban areas in Africa. 200 000 cookstoves have been sold in Ghana and Nigeria using
cellulosic ethanol made from sawdust (Green Energy BioFuels, n.d.).

Electric cooking is also growing in popularity. In South Africa, 85% of urban households now
use electricity for cooking, 73% in Zimbabwe, and 40% in Mongolia (ESMAP, 2015). In
Ecuador, the government decided in 2014 to promote induction cooking through financing
support and free electricity during the first month. It aims to reach 3.5 million systems by the
end of 2017 (Scherffius, 2015). As solar and wind power capacity is set to expand in most of
these countries, indirectly more of the energy used for cooking will be supplied by renewable
energy.

Renewable Energy in Cities form of cooking on open fires in the developing world. While this
is mainly a rural practice, urban households are also using solid cooking fuels in inefficient
stoves. This is harmful to human health, due to indoor air pollution. In developing countries,
urban dwellers tend to have higher levels of access to commercial energy sources than rural
populations. Yet, about 18% of urban populations in developing countries still use fuelwood
and charcoal for cooking, and in the least developed countries, this share reaches close to 70%
(UN DESA, 2013).

Modern cookstoves, using bioenergy or electricity, are therefore a key solution being actively
promoted. The electricity used for cooking can in turn be generated by renewable power.

From consumption to production:

One of the defining features of renewable energy is that consumers can now become producers
at the same time. Commented [samiksha 8]: space delete

INFINITE ENERGY VISION 11

Commercial and residential buildings are amongst the largest energy consumers in cities, but
in a renewable energy system, they are also the most widely available urban resource (WRI,
2016) (WWI, 2016). This is mainly due to the dramatic growth of rooftop solar PV.

Between 2010 and 2014, rooftop solar power capacity more than tripled worldwide, from 30
GW to 100 GW, enough to cover the electricity demand of about 30 million households2. By Commented [samiksha 9]: delete

2030, IRENA estimates installed rooftop PV could rise to 580 GW (IRENA, 2016b). This
paradigm shift gives households the option 2 Estimated based on global averages for the
capacity factor of solar PV (10%) and electricity use (3000 kWh per household).

Rooftop solar PV In April 2016, San Francisco became the first major US city to require all
new buildings to install rooftop solar PV. The ordinance builds on a California requirement for
new buildings to set aside 15% of the roof area to be “solar ready”, meaning the space should
be clear and unshaded (City and County of San Francisco, 2016).

The City of Adelaide has launched a solar leasing initiative to reduce the upfront cost of
installing solar systems, targeted at lower income households (Vorrath, 2016).

Tokyo plans to install 1 gigawatts (GW) of rooftop systems by 2024, including 22 megawatts
(MW) of PV on metropolis-owned buildings and facilities by 2020. It aims to increase the share
of renewables to 20% of total power generation by the time of the Summer Olympics in 2020
(Movellan, 2015b).

INFINITE ENERGY VISION 12

 3. INTRODUCTION TO RENEWABLE ENERGY

Renewable energies are those generated from sources that do not have a finite end, or those
that can be recycled, typically from natural sources - like solar power, wind power and water
power. These are the examples that we think about most when we hear the term “renewable
energy” but they are not the only sources.

We use energy every day of our lives - our electronic devices require electricity for power, our
streetlights need the same for lighting, our vehicles require gasoline and diesel. We fuel our
homes with domestic oil, propane or electricity from a national or local grid for lighting,
heating and for powering our devices. The places we work use computers, phone networks,
security systems and servers, as do our shopping malls, parking lots, sports stadiums, cars,
airplanes and so on. All of these things require power from fuel.

The world is doing what it can to reduce carbon emissions and limit the global average
temperature change with a new agreement decided in 2015 at the Paris Climate Summit (or
COP21) . To move forward, we also need to realize that there is only so much that can possibly
be done in limiting GHG output as the human population only increases and puts more demands
on our energy infrastructure. To further help the environment and secure the future of the planet
for our children and their children, we need to move to renewable sources for our energy
generation.

3.1. HISTORY OF RENEWABLE ENERGY

It may or may not come as a surprise to learn that before the discovery of coal deposits around
the time of the Industrial Revolution, most of the energy we used for lighting and heating was
from renewable sources - with one or two exceptions. Then we discovered coal, which fueled
the industrial revolution in the western world, and later still learnt to tap oil in greater quantities
leading to an acceleration of technologies that would take us into the 20th century. Throughout
most of human history and pre-history, we burned what would today be known as “bio mass”:
plant material such as wood, grass, mosses and so on, to fuel our hearths and later, homesteads.
It became an important fuel source, hence why the hearth and the fireplace was central to homes
until relatively recently.

From one perspective, the discovery and utilization of fire is a history of civilization, and a
history of the use of renewable energy. Humanity continued in that fashion for many thousands
of years before the discovery of oils (though obviously in smaller quantities than later) in

INFINITE ENERGY VISION 13

antiquity and the mass drilling of oil during the industrial age. Other uses of renewables in
antiquity include animal power (using cattle to drive ploughs or turn millstones) and wind for
the sail that has driven trade for some 8,000 years of human history. The use of water sources,
such as creating dams to harness the power of the fluid motion of water, is not a new idea either.

It was in the 1970s that we began to look back towards some of these ancient methods and
technologies to provide the power sources of tomorrow. Peak oil and peak coal was theorized
as far back as the 1870s. Remarkably, even during the Industrial Revolution, some thinkers
were theorizing on and developing concepts of solar technology to prepare for a post coal
world. The reason may have changed, but the thinking has not as many of the modern
developments are for a post oil world. We have known since early in the process of mass mining
of coal and oil, that there would be a peak and a time when these resources ran out. Theories
and investment in solar technology lasted until the outbreak of WWI. Even in 1912, a paper in
Scientific American hypothesized that soon, fossil fuels would run out leaving solar power our
only option.

The concept of peak oil in the 1950s began a new drive towards renewables. Solar, hydro and
others were seized upon by both environmentalists and industrialists. They were both equally
concerned about the exponential growth in human population, in oil consumption, and realized
that it is a finite resource and will run out regardless of the size of the supply today. A growing
environmental movement, the development of environmental sciences and a push against
pollution (such as the Clean Air Act in the US and equivalents in other countries most of which
passed in the 1960s-1970s) meant that more than ever before, renewable energy became not
just a scientific innovation for the future, but a necessity.

Since then, there have been successive debates about whether we have reached peak oil. Many
experts agree that it happened around 2008. New pockets are getting fewer and fewer and
smaller and smaller. Shockingly, demand has outstripped supply since 1986, spurring on
economists, scientific researchers and environmental campaigners to hasten its demise by
campaigning that what is in the ground to remain in the ground. Instability in oil-producing
countries has led to fluctuations, particularly since the 1990s, and that has brought another issue
to the world’s attention - energy security.

Energy security has been a major concern to world leaders since the end of the 20th century,
but even more so since the beginning of the 21st century. The term refers to the link between
each country’s national security, and the availability of that country to resources for energy
production and consumption.

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If a country loses, or finds it has restricted access, to oil and other resources, instability is likely
as energy is rationed. Energy security can be the result of armed conflict or political instability
in gas or oil-producing countries, or a buying country having access restricted when a
producing country deliberately cuts a supply.

INFINITE ENERGY VISION 15

 4. RENEWABLES

Fig. 4.1.

Fig. 4.2.

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4.1. BIOENERGY

Fig. 4.1.1.

Bioenergy use falls into two main categories: “traditional” and “modern”. Traditional use refers
to the combustion of biomass in such forms as wood, animal waste and traditional charcoal.
Modern bioenergy technologies include liquid biofuels produced from bagasse and other
plants; bio-refineries; biogas produced through anaerobic digestion of residues; wood pellet
heating systems; and other technologies.
About three-quarters of the world’s renewable energy use involves bioenergy, with more than
half of that consisting of traditional biomass use. Bioenergy accounted for about 10% of total
final energy consumption and 1.4% of global power generation in 2015.
Biomass has significant potential to boost energy supplies in populous nations with rising
demand, such as Brazil, India and China. It can be directly burned for heating or power
generation, or it can be converted into oil or gas substitutes. Liquid biofuels, a convenient
renewable substitute for gasoline, are mostly used in the transport sector.
Brazil is the leader in liquid biofuels and has the largest fleet of flexible-fuel vehicles, which
can run on bioethanol – an alcohol mostly made by the fermentation of carbohydrates in sugar
or starch crops, such as corn, sugarcane or sweet sorghum.

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  Bioenergy Data

Fig. 4.1.2.

4.2. HYDROPOWER

Fig. 4.2.1.
Hydropower is energy derived from flowing water. More than 2,000 years ago, the ancient
Greeks used waterpower to run wheels for grinding grain; today it is among the most cost-
effective means of generating electricity and is often the preferred method where available.

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In Norway, for example, 99% of electricity comes from hydropower.
The world’s largest hydropower plant is the 22.5 gigawatt Three Gorges Dam in China. It
produces 80 to 100 terawatt-hours per year, enough to supply between 70 million and 80
million households.
Small-scale micro-hydropower projects can make a big difference to communities in remote
locations.
The basic principle of hydropower is using water to drive turbines. Hydropower plants consist
of two basic configurations: with dams and reservoirs, or without. Hydropower dams with a
large reservoir can store water over short or long periods to meet peak demand. The facilities
can also be divided into smaller dams for different purposes, such as night or day use, seasonal
storage, or pumped-storage reversible plants, for both pumping and electricity generation.
Hydropower without dams and reservoirs means producing at a smaller scale, typically from a
facility designed to operate in a river without interfering in its flow. For this reason, many
consider small-scale hydro a more environmentally-friendly option.

 Hydropower Data

Fig. 4.2.2.

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4.3. SOLAR

Fig. 4.3.1.
Energy can be harnessed directly from the sun, even in cloudy weather. Solar energy is used
worldwide and is increasingly popular for generating electricity or heating and desalinating
water. Solar power is generated in two main ways:
Photovoltaics (PV), also called solar cells, are electronic devices that convert sunlight directly
into electricity. The modern solar cell is likely an image most people would recognise – they
are in the panels installed on houses and in calculators. They were invented in 1954 at Bell
Telephone Laboratories in the United States. Today, PV is one of the fastest-growing
renewable energy technologies, and is ready to play a major role in the future global electricity
generation mix.
Solar PV installations can be combined to provide electricity on a commercial scale, or
arranged in smaller configurations for mini-grids or personal use.
Using solar PV to power mini-grids is an excellent way to bring electricity access to people
who do not live near power transmission lines, particularly in developing countries with
excellent solar energy resources.
The cost of manufacturing solar panels has plummeted dramatically in the last decade, making
them not only affordable but often the cheapest form of electricity. Solar panels have a lifespan
of roughly 30 years, and come in variety of shades depending on the type of material used in
manufacturing.
Concentrated solar power (CSP), uses mirrors to concentrate solar rays. These rays heat
fluid, which creates steam to drive a turbine and generate electricity. CSP is used to generate
electricity in large-scale power plants.

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A CSP power plant usually features a field of mirrors that redirect rays to a tall thin tower. One
of the main advantages of a CSP power plant over a solar PV power plant is that it can be
equipped with molten salts in which heat can be stored, allowing electricity to be generated
after the sun has set.

 Solar Energy Data

Fig. 4.3.2.

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4.4 . WIND

Fig. 4.4.1.
Wind power is one of the fastest-growing renewable energy technologies. Usage is on the rise
worldwide, in part because costs are falling. Global installed wind-generation capacity onshore
and offshore has increased by a factor of almost 50 in the past two decades, jumping from 7.5
gigawatts (GW) in 1997 to some 487 GW by 2016, according to figures from the Renewable
Energy Network for the 21st Century (REN21). Production of wind electricity doubled between
2009 and 2013. Many parts of the world have strong wind speeds, but the best locations for
generating wind power are sometimes remote ones. Offshore wind power offers tremendous
potential.
Wind turbines first emerged more than a century ago. Following the invention of the electric
generator in the 1830s, engineers started attempting to harness wind energy to produce
electricity. Wind power generation took place in the United Kingdom and the United States in
1887 and 1888, but modern wind power is considered to have been first developed in Denmark,
where horizontal-axis wind turbines were built in 1891 and a 22.8-metre wind turbine began
operation in 1897.
Wind is used to produce electricity using the kinetic energy created by air in motion. This is
transformed into electrical energy using wind turbines or wind energy conversion systems.
Wind first hits a turbine’s blades, causing them to rotate and turn the turbine connected to them.
That changes the kinetic energy to rotational energy, by moving a shaft which is connected to
a generator, and thereby producing electrical energy through electromagnetism.
The amount of power that can be harvested from wind depends on the size of the turbine and
the length of its blades. The output is proportional to the dimensions of the rotor and to the
cube of the wind speed. Theoretically, when wind speed doubles, wind power potential
increases by a factor of eight.

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Wind-turbine capacity has increased over time. In 1985, typical turbines had a rated capacity
of 0.05 megawatts (MW) and a rotor diameter of 15 metres. Today’s new wind power projects
have turbine capacities of about 2 MW onshore and 3–5 MW offshore.
Commercially available wind turbines have reached 8 MW capacity, with rotor diameters of
up to 164 metres. The average capacity of wind turbines increased from 1.6 MW in 2009 to 2
MW in 2014.

 Wind Energy Data

Fig. 4.4.2.

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 5. ASPECTS

5.1. BENEFITS
The environmental advantages of renewable energy, including lower carbon emissions and
reduced air pollution have been widely known for decades. Its numerous socio-economic
benefits, however, have only become apparent in recent decades as the deployment of
renewable energy technologies has become more widespread.

i. Employment
Renewable energy provides a significant—and growing—number of jobs worldwide each year.
The renewable energy sector, according to IRENA’s estimates, employed a record 9.8 million
people worldwide in 2016, driven by rising investments. This, in turn, was the result of rapidly
falling costs, technological improvements and government policies to support renewables.

ii. Health
Wind, solar and hydropower produce little or no air pollution. Other renewable energy
technologies, such as biomass and geothermal, do emit air pollutants, but at much lower rates
than most conventional fuels. Air pollution has become a critically important issue in many
developing countries, where up to 2.9 billion people still rely on wood, coal and charcoal for
cooking and heating homes. Cleaner options, including biomass and solar technologies, can
play a role in this regard.

iii. Resilience
Some renewable energy technologies are deployed in a distributed, modular fashion, making
them less prone to large-scale failure. This brings advantages during severe weather events or
complex emergencies, as such technologies can be rolled out quickly wherever needed, getting
electricity to people without complex and time-consuming infrastructure development.

iv. Access to energy

Over one billion people lack access to electricity, while a further one billion have an unreliable
supply. Improved reliability, rapidly falling technology costs and supportive policies have
made stand-alone and mini-grid renewable electricity solutions viable for the 80% of those
without access in rural areas or small developing island states.

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One of the most compelling arguments for off-grid solutions is that they are decentralised, and
because project development activities occur locally, job creation is also localised.

5.2. CLIMATE CHANGE

Action to reduce the impact of climate change is critical. The Paris Agreement sets a goal to
limit the increase in global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels
and to attempt to limit the increase to 1.5°C. Implicit in these goals is the need for a transition
to a low-carbon energy sector, which accounts for two-thirds of global emissions. Renewable
Energy, coupled with energy efficiency gains, can provide 90% of the CO2 emissions
reductions needed by 2050.

Renewable energy is therefore a key component of Nationally Determined Contributions

(NDCs) – the central implementation tool for countries under the Paris Agreement. At present,
the level of detail contained in NDCs differs from country to country, with little in-depth
analysis and limited quantitative information about the role of renewable energy in meeting
greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets. In this regard, IRENA intends to leverage
its existing work on renewable energy potential and socio-economic benefits, as well as its
robust data portfolio to develop a comprehensive framework for NDC analysis and
implementation support.

5.3. COSTS
Renewable energy has entered a virtuous cycle of falling costs, increasing deployment and
accelerated technological progress. Solar PV module prices have fallen by around 80% since
the end of 2009, while wind turbine prices have fallen by 30–40%. The public debate around
renewable energy, however, continues to suffer from an outdated perception that renewable
energy is not competitive, forming a significant and unnecessary barrier to its deployment.
IRENA’s cost analysis programme is designed to improve publicly available analysis and data
on costs to allow policy makers and investors to make robust decisions about the role of
renewables.

The IRENA Renewable Cost Database contains 15,000 utility-scale renewable power
generation projects and 5,600 PPA and tender results that provide new insights into trends in
the costs and performance of renewables.

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The IRENA Renewable Costing Alliance (an alliance of companies, industry associations,
governments and researchers) is helping to expand the database by sharing, confidentially, their
data for real-world renewable energy projects.

5.4. ENABLING THE RAPID RISE OF POWER SECTOR

In the ongoing energy transition, the power sector has seen the most significant acceleration in
renewable energy deployment. Although great progress has been achieved over the past
decade, renewable energy deployment in the power sector is expected to continue apace,
leading the transformation of the global energy system.

Solar and wind have seen aggressive , which launched a virtuous cycle of: deployment;
learning effects leading to cost-reduction; and further acceleration of deployment due to
increased competitiveness. During the last decade, fossil fuel prices have been characterised
by extreme volatility. However, this has not slowed renewable energy deployment in the power
system, regardless of competitiveness being higher in certain years than others.
The large-scale deployment of renewables in the power sector has also triggered a wave of
innovation in technology, business models and policy, all of which has been covered under
IRENA’s related work streams.

Increased efforts are necessary to scale-up renewable energy deployment outside the power
sector. The electrification of end-use sectors is gaining momentum, leveraging accelerated
renewable energy deployment in the power sector. Electric vehicles are a prominent area of
interest and significant potential remains to be exploited in the electrification of heating and
industrial processes, as well as the production of fuels (e.g. hydrogen) from renewable
electricity.

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6. IMPLENTATION OF RENEWABLE ENERGY IN BUILDINGS

Most of a city’s energy use takes place in its residential, commercial, and public buildings –
through heating, cooling, and the powering of appliances. Figure 1 shows how cities can make
use of a wide range of renewable sources to supply energy for consumption within buildings,
and Table 2 at the end of this section presents selected examples of cities using renewable
energy technologies and policies to meet energy needs in commercial and residential buildings.

Options range from decentralised renewable energy production, supplying energy within the
direct vicinity of buildings, to centralised renewable energy production, in which energy is
generated elsewhere and then distributed to buildings via energy networks.

Decentralised options include solar thermal collectors, solar PV panels, biomass boilers, and
modern cookstoves using bioenergy (mainly in developing countries).

Centralised options include using renewable energy applications to generate heat or cold
supplied to buildings through district energy networks, and renewable power, which can be
used for cooking, lighting and appliances, and heating or cooling.

Urban policy makers can promote the production of renewable energy in buildings through a
range of policies and regulations, such as building codes, permits, zoning regulations and
building performance ratings (WWI, 2016). More specific examples include incentivising
rooftop solar photovoltaic panels, and solar water heating (SWH).

There are more than 600 building codes and standards worldwide, which vary widely in how
broadly and how strictly they apply (WWI, 2016). Building standards provide technical
guidelines and minimum requirements for a building’s performance; building codes are
standards transposed into law by local, regional or national governments. Most codes are
legally binding, although their enforcement tends to be lagging (IEA, 2013), while some codes
exist purely as voluntary green certification schemes (Heinsdorf, 2015; C40 and ARUP, 2015).

6.1. Heating:
Renewable energy options for heating (space and water) consist of decentralised equipment in
buildings and centralised generation.

Decentralised solid biofuel-fired boilers (e.g. wood pellets and chips) are a mainstream
technology. For cities the implementation of codes and standards to minimise the negative
health impact of such boilers is important, given they can contribute to air pollution.

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Solar thermal systems have been used for decades for water heating, and to some extent also
for space heating. IRENA estimates a potential of more than 3 200 million m2 of rooftop space
to be used for solar thermal collectors worldwide by 2030; a near six-fold increase from the
installed capacity in 2014. Historically, cities have played an important role in promoting the
use of solar thermal energy systems, in particular for water heating.

Large quantities of heat are lost every year from power generation and industrial processes.
Co-generation is one of the most efficient ways of reusing this heat, but accounts for less than
10% of global power generation, and its use is declining (IEA, 2016).

District heating and cooling networks are another way to provide more cost-effective energy
(UNEP, 2015a; OECD, 2013). District energy systems consist of a network of underground,
insulated pipes that pump hot or cold water to multiple buildings in a district, neighborhood or
city. Some systems just connect a few buildings, while others connect thousands of buildings
and homes across a city.

Despite the benefits, however, the use of district energy is quite limited, accounting for only
one tenth of demand for heat in the commercial and residential sectors (IEA, 2016). This creates
significant opportunities to further scale up the use of renewables to generateheat for
distribution through district heating systems. The potential varies between cities though, not
only because of the difference in the availability of renewable resources but also because
generally a minimum level of heating density is required for district heating to be viable.

District heating networks using bioenergy have been in operation for a long time in many cities,
mainly in Nordic countries and other parts of Europe. The heat is typically produced in large
boilers known as heat plants, which is then transported across the cities to households,
commercial buildings and industrial plants. Other renewable energy resources are also used,
such as geothermal in Iceland and industrial excess waste heat in various cities in Europe. The
use of renewable energy is growing in certain cities, such as geothermal in Munich and Paris,
and solar collectors in Denmark. District energy has become a cornerstone of Denmark’s goal
of sourcing 100% of its energy needs from renewables.

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6.2. Cooling:
As people in hot climates grow more prosperous, their demand for cooling is increasing
rapidly.Almost all cooling is currently provided by air conditioning (A/C) systems using
electricity. While more of this electricity can be generated by renewable energy, cooling can
also be supplied by renewable options integrated in the building infrastructure.

This includes solar cooling systems, such as absorption chillers, adsorption chillers, and
desiccant cooling systems. Absorption chillers use a refrigerant to cool the environment, and
account for over 70% of installed systems today (IRENA and IEA-ETSAP, 2015).

Some households connect their A/C systems to a solar panel mounted on the rooftop. This is
becoming popularin cities, especially with decreasing battery storage prices.

The global market for renewable energy-based cooling is still in a nascent stage, however, and
cities could do more to promote its uptake. Renewable energy-sourced district cooling is also
an option, using cold water from rivers, lakes or the sea, waste heat for absorption chillers, and
solar energy.

6.3. Cooking:
60% of renewable energy use in buildings today consists of traditional uses of bioenergy,
mainly in the form of cooking on open fires in the developing world. While this is mainly a
rural practice, urban households are also using solid cooking fuels in inefficient stoves. This is
harmful to human health, due to indoor air pollution. In developing countries, urban dwellers
tend to have higher levels of access to commercial energy sources than rural populations.

Yet, about 18% of urban populations in developing countries still use fuelwood and charcoal
for cooking, and in the least developed countries, this share reaches close to 70% (UN DESA,
2013).

Modern cook-stoves, using bioenergy or electricity, are therefore a key solution being actively
promoted. The electricity used for cooking can in turn be generated by renewable power.

From consumption to production:

One of the defining features of renewable energy is that consumers can now become producers
at the same time.

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Commercial and residential buildings are amongst the largest energy consumers in cities, but
in a renewable energy system, they are also the most widely available urban resource (WRI,
2016) (WWI, 2016). This is mainly due to the dramatic growth of rooftop solar PV.

Between 2010 and 2014, rooftop solar power capacity more than tripled worldwide, from 30
GW to 100 GW, enough to cover the electricity demand of about 30 million households. By
2030, IRENA estimates installed rooftop PV could rise to 580 GW (IRENA, 2016b). This
paradigm shift gives households the option to produce their own electricity, and reduce risks
related to shortages, blackouts and volatility in electricity prices.

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 Fig. 6.1. Overview of renewable energy options in urban commercial and residential
buildings

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 7. CONCLUSION
Energy is a requirement in our everyday life as a way of improving human development leading
to economic growth and productivity. The return-to-renewables will help mitigate climate
change is an excellent way but needs to be sustainable in order to ensure a sustainable future
for generations to meet their energy needs. Knowledge regarding the interrelations between
sustainable development and renewable energy in particular is still limited.

The aim of the paper was to ascertain if renewable energy sources were sustainable and how a
shift from fossil fuel-based energy sources to renewable energy sources would help reduce
climate change and its impact. A qualitative research was employed by reviewing papers in the
scope of the study. Even though, the complete lifecycle of renewable energy sources have no
net emissions which will help limit future global greenhouse gas emissions. Nevertheless, the
cost, price, political environment and market conditions have become barriers preventing
developing, least developed and developed countries to fully utilize its potentials.

In this way, a creation of global opportunity through international cooperation that supports
least developed and developing countries towards the accessibility of renewable energy, energy
efficiency, clean energy technology and research and energy infrastructure investment will
reduce the cost of renewable energy, eliminate barriers to energy efficiency (high discount rate)
and promote new potentials towards climate change mitigation.

The study brought to light the opportunities associated with renewable energy sources; energy
security, energy access, social and economic development and climate change mitigation and
reduction of environmental and health impacts. There are challenges that tend to hinder the
sustainability of renewable energy sources and its ability to mitigate climate change. These
challenges are: market failures, lack of information, access to raw materials for future
renewable resource deployment, and most importantly our (humans) way of utilizing energy in
an inefficient way.

From the findings, the following suggestions are made that can help improve the concerns of
renewable energy being sustainable and also reduce the rate of the depletion of the ozone layer
due to the emissions of GHG especially carbon dioxide (CO2):

•Formulation of policies and discussions from all sectors towards the improvement of
technologies in the renewable sector to sustain them.

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•Changes in our use of energy in a more efficient way as individuals, countries and the world
as a whole. Efforts that aim at increasing the share of renewable energy and clean fossil fuel
technologies into global energy portfolio will help reduce climate change and its impacts.
Energy efficiency programs should be introduced globally, which give tax exemptions to firms
who prove to provide energy efficiency initiatives (energy-efficient homes), product design
(energy-efficient equipment) and services (industrial combined heat and power). Introducing
the concept of usability, adaptability and accessibility into energy-dependent product design
is a way of promoting energy efficient behaviors.

•Increase research in these areas, so that the fear of some renewables posing risks in the future
is limited.

•Improve education, awareness-raising and human institutional capacity on climate change

mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning. Developed countries should
incorporate de-carbonization policies and strategies into the industry, energy, agricultural,
forest, health, transport, water resource, building and other sectors that have potential of
increasing greenhouse gas emissions.
Efforts in developing countries aimed at improving institutional training, strengthening
institutions and improving capacity of research on climate change will increase awareness,
promote adaptation and sustainable development.
Least developed countries should develop and test tools and methods with a global support
that direct policy and decision-making for climate change mitigation, adaptation and early
warnings. Supporting a global dialogue through international cooperation and partnership with
developed, developing and least developed countries will promote the development,
dissemination and transfer of environmentally friendly technologies, innovation and
technology, access to science, and among others which will increase the mutual agreement
towards combating climate change and its impacts.

If these suggestions are implemented, the sustainability of renewable energy resources would
be addressed as well as the seventh and thirteenth goal of sustainable development which seeks
to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, modern energy for all and combat climate
change and its impact.

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 8. BIBLOGRAPHY

1. https://www.nrel.gov/india-grid-integration/
2. https://www.ieeexplore.ieee.org
3. https://www.irena.org
4. https://www.tandonline.com/
5. https://www.article.sciencepublishinggroup.com

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