In renewable energy lies salvation

Renewable energy is generally defined as energy that is collected from resources which are naturally replenished on a human timescale. Renewable energy projects in many developing countries have demonstrated that renewable energy can directly contribute to poverty reduction by providing the energy needed for creating businesses and employment. Renewable energy technologies can also indirectly support in alleviating poverty by providing energy for cooking, space heating, and lighting. Renewable energy can also contribute to education, by providing electricity to schools.
It may be noted that renewable energy is derived from natural processes that are replenished constantly. In its various forms, it derives directly from the Sun, or from heat generated deep within the earth. Included in the definition is electricity and heat generated from solar, wind, ocean, hydro power, biomass, geothermal resources, bio fuels and hydrogen derived from renewable resources.
This form of energy is functional in four important areas: electricity generation, air and water heating/cooling, transportation and rural (off-grid) energy services. Based  on REN 21's  2014 report, renewables contributed 19 percent to humans'  global energy consumption and 22 percent to their generation of electricity in 2012 and 2013, respectively. This was explained by the International Energy Agency  through the fact that renewable energy flows through involved natural phenomena such as sunlight, wind, tides, plant growth and geothermal heat.
Renewable energy resources and significant opportunities for energy efficiency exist over wide geographical areas, in contrast to other energy sources, which are concentrated in a limited number of countries. Rapid deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency, and technological diversification of energy sources, would result in significant  energy security and economic benefits.
It also generally agreed that it would reduce environmental  pollution such as air pollution  caused by burning of fossil fuels and improve public health by reducing premature mortalities due to pollution. Economists have indicated that this alone would save associated health costs that could amount to several billion dollars annually. Experts have also mentioned in recent workshops held during the COP-21 meeting in Paris that renewable energy sources, that derive their energy from the Sun, either directly or indirectly, or from Hydro and Wind, are expected to be capable of supplying humanity energy for almost another 1 million years, at which point the predicted increase in heat from the Sun is expected to make the surface of the earth too hot for liquid water.
 Renewable energy consumption as of now, according to scientists include 9 per cent coming from traditional biomass, 4.2 per cent from non-biomass, 3.8 per cent  from hydro electricity and 2 per cent  from wind, solar and geothermal sources.  It may be mentioned in this regard that worldwide investments in renewable technologies amounted to more than US$ 214 billion in 2013, with countries like China and the United States  heavily investing in wind, hydro, solar and bio-fuels.
In international public opinion surveys there is strong support for promoting renewable sources- particularly solar power and wind power. Statistics indicate that at the national level, at least 30 nations around the world already have renewable energy contributing more than 20 percent of their energy supply requirement. National renewable energy markets are projected to continue to grow strongly in the coming decade and beyond, and some 120 countries have various policy targets for longer-term shares of renewable energy, including a 20 per cent target of all electricity generated for the European Union by 2020. Some countries have much higher long-term policy targets of up to 100 per cent renewables.
Outside Europe, a diverse group of 20 or more other countries are targeting renewable energy shares in the 2020–2030 time frame that range from 10 per cent to 50 per cent. The IEA 2014 World Energy Outlook projects a growth of renewable energy supply from 1,700 gigawatts in 2014 to 4,550 gigawatts by 2040.
Taking this as a cue, economists and environmental activists have been forecasting that national renewable energy markets will continue to grow strongly in the coming decade and beyond. Some places and at least two countries, Iceland and Norway are reported to be generating almost their entire energy requirement using renewable energy. Denmark , following their example has also decided to switch their total energy supply (electricity, mobility and heating/cooling) to 100 per cent renewable energy by 2050.
It may be noted in this context that while many renewable energy projects are based on large-scale implementation, it is also now agreed that renewable technologies can be considered as suitable for rural and remote areas. This would be predominantly applicable in the case of developing nations , where energy is often crucial for human development. United Nations' Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon  has said in this context that renewable energy has the ability to lift the poorest nations to new levels of prosperity. This adage is now being translated into reality through pro-active measures of our present government.
As a result, in Bangladesh as well as in India, efforts are underway to ensure that renewables not only provide electricity but that through renewable energy deployment, in conjunction with further electrification , electricity is converted to heat without loss. This then enables the reaching of even higher temperatures than fossil fuels. In India, China and Korea, this measure is helping to convert the heat not only into mechanical energy with high efficiency but also ensuring that it is clean at the point of consumption. This process is also seen as beneficial in terms of cost as it leads to a significant reduction in primary energy requirements, because most renewables don't have a steam cycle with high losses- as is true of fossil power plants that usually have losses sometimes of up to 20 to 25 per cent.
This important aspect as well as factors related to climate change and global warming concerns is promoting greater awareness about the need for increasing government support in the formulation of increasing renewable energy legislation, incentives and commercialization . This trend can also be noticed in our country in the approach being taken by both the Public as well as the Private sectors with regard to their spending, regulatory measures and their policies. Available data indicates that nearly 2 million households in our country are now using solar power. That has also helped to create greater connectivity between the rural and urban sectors and promoted educational opportunities after sunset, trade, agriculture, employment and health care.
In 2011, the International Energy Agency said that the development of affordable, inexhaustible and clean solar energy technologies will have huge longer-term benefits. It will increase countries' energy security through reliance on an indigenous, inexhaustible and mostly import-independent resource. It will enhance  sustainability, reduce pollution, lower the costs of mitigating climate change and keep fossil fuel prices lower than otherwise. These advantages are global.
Biomass can also be converted to other usable forms of energy like methane gas  or transportation fuels like ethanol and bio-diesel . Rotting garbage, agricultural and human waste, and crops, such as corn and sugarcane, can be fermented to produce the transportation fuel, ethanol. This is being done in Brazil. At present, biomass is also being used for electricity generation through forest by-products, such as wood residues, in the United States and agricultural waste (sugar cane residue and rice husks) in Southeast Asia  . Animal husbandry residues, such as poultry litter, are also commonly used in the United Kingdom.
Bangladesh, like Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria and some other countries is also moving ahead in terms of use of biomass and biogas. At present, according to available data, nearly 44 million households world-wide use biogas  made in household-scale digesters for lighting and/or cooking, and more than 166 million households rely on a new generation of more-efficient biomass cook stoves. This dynamics is also taking place gradually in the rural areas of Bangladesh. The capital expenditure required for such installation is normally generated in Bangladesh through micro-credit.
Renewable energy technologies are getting cheaper, through technological change and through the benefits of mass production and market competition. From this point of view, it was indeed welcome to know in the third week of January that Bangladesh’s Ministry for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources is planning to establish three new Administrative Divisions- pertaining to Coal, Renewable and Independent Power Producers. This, it is being hoped, will facilitate smooth implementation of energy projects.
It may be added that an in-depth consideration of the existing situation in our country (current power generation capacity as on December 15, 2015 was 12,071 MW) and the desired goals regarding use of renewable energy has led to the conclusion that Bangladesh will need about US Dollar 3 billion for completing its green electricity generation target. This includes the difficult and unlikely target of generating about 800 MW electricity from utility-scale solar projects located in different parts of the country.  Initiatives in this regard will include production of renewable energy- 30 Mw from Dharla, 60 MW from Rangunia, 3 MW from Sharishabari, 55 MW from Gangachhara, 200 MW from various spots in Mymensingh Division, 20 MW from Cox’s Bazar and 200 MW from installations in Teknaf, Kaptai, Hatiya, Thakurgaon, Iswardi and Sirajganj. The potential of producing wind energy in the coastal areas and the off-shore islands is also under study. Denmark has already come forward to assist Bangladesh in this regard.
We are passing through an important phase in our national life- particularly so, in view of our commitments made in our INDC which we prepared ahead of the COP-21 meeting held in Paris towards the end of 2015 in relation to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). India, through Public-Private Partnership is now producing 5.0 GW renewable energy and aiming to reach 100GW by 2022. If they can do it, so can we. That is closely associated with our energy security policy. Our Public as well as our Private sectors now need to show their political will and commitment to move forward in an integrated manner so that we can make the use of renewable energy a viable factor that will benefit our next generation.
 
(Muhammad Zamir, a former ambassador, is an analyst specialised in foreign affairs,
right to information and good
governance.  He can be reached at [email protected])

 

In renewable energy lies salvation

Renewable energy is generally defined as energy that is collected from resources which are naturally replenished on a human timescale. Renewable energy projects in many developing countries have demonstrated that renewable energy can directly contribute to poverty reduction by providing the energy needed for creating businesses and employment. Renewable energy technologies can also indirectly support in alleviating poverty by providing energy for cooking, space heating, and lighting. Renewable energy can also contribute to education, by providing electricity to schools. It may be noted that renewable energy is derived from natural processes that are replenished constantly. In its various forms, it derives directly from the Sun, or from heat generated deep within the earth. Included in the definition is electricity and heat generated from solar, wind, ocean, hydro power, biomass, geothermal resources, bio fuels and hydrogen derived from renewable resources. This form of energy is functional in four important areas: electricity generation, air and water heating/cooling, transportation and rural (off-grid) energy services. Based on REN 21s 2014 report, renewables contributed 19 percent to humans global energy consumption and 22 percent to their generation of electricity in 2012 and 2013, respectively. This was explained by the International Energy Agency through the fact that renewable energy flows through involved natural phenomena such as sunlight, wind, tides, plant growth and geothermal heat. Renewable energy resources and significant opportunities for energy efficiency exist over wide geographical areas, in contrast to other energy sources, which are concentrated in a limited number of countries. Rapid deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency, and technological diversification of energy sources, would result in significant energy security and economic benefits. It also generally agreed that it would reduce environmental pollution such as air pollution caused by burning of fossil fuels and improve public health by reducing premature mortalities due to pollution. Economists have indicated that this alone would save associated health costs that could amount to several billion dollars annually. Experts have also mentioned in recent workshops held during the COP-21 meeting in Paris that renewable energy sources, that derive their energy from the Sun, either directly or indirectly, or from Hydro and Wind, are expected to be capable of supplying humanity energy for almost another 1 million years, at which point the predicted increase in heat from the Sun is expected to make the surface of the earth too hot for liquid water. Renewable energy consumption as of now, according to scientists include 9 per cent coming from traditional biomass, 4.2 per cent from non-biomass, 3.8 per cent from hydro electricity and 2 per cent from wind, solar and geothermal sources. It may be mentioned in this regard that worldwide investments in renewable technologies amounted to more than US$ 214 billion in 2013, with countries like China and the United States heavily investing in wind, hydro, solar and bio-fuels. In international public opinion surveys there is strong support for promoting renewable sources- particularly solar power and wind power. Statistics indicate that at the national level, at least 30 nations around the world already have renewable energy contributing more than 20 percent of their energy supply requirement. National renewable energy markets are projected to continue to grow strongly in the coming decade and beyond, and some 120 countries have various policy targets for longer-term shares of renewable energy, including a 20 per cent target of all electricity generated for the European Union by 2020. Some countries have much higher long-term policy targets of up to 100 per cent renewables. Outside Europe, a diverse group of 20 or more other countries are targeting renewable energy shares in the 20202030 time frame that range from 10 per cent to 50 per cent. The IEA 2014 World Energy Outlook projects a growth of renewable energy supply from 1,700 gigawatts in 2014 to 4,550 gigawatts by 2040. Taking this as a cue, economists and environmental activists have been forecasting that national renewable energy markets will continue to grow strongly in the coming decade and beyond. Some places and at least two countries, Iceland and Norway are reported to be generating almost their entire energy requirement using renewable energy. Denmark , following their example has also decided to switch their total energy supply (electricity, mobility and heating/cooling) to 100 per cent renewable energy by 2050. It may be noted in this context that while many renewable energy projects are based on large-scale implementation, it is also now agreed that renewable technologies can be considered as suitable for rural and remote areas. This would be predominantly applicable in the case of developing nations , where energy is often crucial for human development. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said in this context that renewable energy has the ability to lift the poorest nations to new levels of prosperity. This adage is now being translated into reality through pro-active measures of our present government. As a result, in Bangladesh as well as in India, efforts are underway to ensure that renewables not only provide electricity but that through renewable energy deployment, in conjunction with further electrification , electricity is converted to heat without loss. This then enables the reaching of even higher temperatures than fossil fuels. In India, China and Korea, this measure is helping to convert the heat not only into mechanical energy with high efficiency but also ensuring that it is clean at the point of consumption. This process is also seen as beneficial in terms of cost as it leads to a significant reduction in primary energy requirements, because most renewables dont have a steam cycle with high losses- as is true of fossil power plants that usually have losses sometimes of up to 20 to 25 per cent. This important aspect as well as factors related to climate change and global warming concerns is promoting greater awareness about the need for increasing government support in the formulation of increasing renewable energy legislation, incentives and commercialization . This trend can also be noticed in our country in the approach being taken by both the Public as well as the Private sectors with regard to their spending, regulatory measures and their policies. Available data indicates that nearly 2 million households in our country are now using solar power. That has also helped to create greater connectivity between the rural and urban sectors and promoted educational opportunities after sunset, trade, agriculture, employment and health care. In 2011, the International Energy Agency said that the development of affordable, inexhaustible and clean solar energy technologies will have huge longer-term benefits. It will increase countries energy security through reliance on an indigenous, inexhaustible and mostly import-independent resource. It will enhance sustainability, reduce pollution, lower the costs of mitigating climate change and keep fossil fuel prices lower than otherwise. These advantages are global. Biomass can also be converted to other usable forms of energy like methane gas or transportation fuels like ethanol and bio-diesel . Rotting garbage, agricultural and human waste, and crops, such as corn and sugarcane, can be fermented to produce the transportation fuel, ethanol. This is being done in Brazil. At present, biomass is also being used for electricity generation through forest by-products, such as wood residues, in the United States and agricultural waste (sugar cane residue and rice husks) in Southeast Asia . Animal husbandry residues, such as poultry litter, are also commonly used in the United Kingdom. Bangladesh, like Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria and some other countries is also moving ahead in terms of use of biomass and biogas. At present, according to available data, nearly 44 million households world-wide use biogas made in household-scale digesters for lighting and/or cooking, and more than 166 million households rely on a new generation of more-efficient biomass cook stoves. This dynamics is also taking place gradually in the rural areas of Bangladesh. The capital expenditure required for such installation is normally generated in Bangladesh through micro-credit. Renewable energy technologies are getting cheaper, through technological change and through the benefits of mass production and market competition. From this point of view, it was indeed welcome to know in the third week of January that Bangladeshs Ministry for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources is planning to establish three new Administrative Divisions- pertaining to Coal, Renewable and Independent Power Producers. This, it is being hoped, will facilitate smooth implementation of energy projects. It may be added that an in-depth consideration of the existing situation in our country (current power generation capacity as on December 15, 2015 was 12,071 MW) and the desired goals regarding use of renewable energy has led to the conclusion that Bangladesh will need about US Dollar 3 billion for completing its green electricity generation target. This includes the difficult and unlikely target of generating about 800 MW electricity from utility-scale solar projects located in different parts of the country. Initiatives in this regard will include production of renewable energy- 30 Mw from Dharla, 60 MW from Rangunia, 3 MW from Sharishabari, 55 MW from Gangachhara, 200 MW from various spots in Mymensingh Division, 20 MW from Coxs Bazar and 200 MW from installations in Teknaf, Kaptai, Hatiya, Thakurgaon, Iswardi and Sirajganj. The potential of producing wind energy in the coastal areas and the off-shore islands is also under study. Denmark has already come forward to assist Bangladesh in this regard. We are passing through an important phase in our national life- particularly so, in view of our commitments made in our INDC which we prepared ahead of the COP-21 meeting held in Paris towards the end of 2015 in relation to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). India, through Public-Private Partnership is now producing 5.0 GW renewable energy and aiming to reach 100GW by 2022. If they can do it, so can we. That is closely associated with our energy security policy. Our Public as well as our Private sectors now need to show their political will and commitment to move forward in an integrated manner so that we can make the use of renewable energy a viable factor that will benefit our next generation. (Muhammad Zamir, a former ambassador, is an analyst specialised in foreign affairs, right to information and good governance. He can be reached at [email protected])