Research report

Renewable energy technology impacts

Preparation for RE461 Energy, Environment & Sustainability Course

Mediterranean Institute of Technology

By

Youssef Kammoun

Tunis, 2020-2021

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 ABSTRACT

The main purpose of this research is to show the huge impact of renewable energy
technologies as part of the global energy mix on different levels worldwide, starting by
explaining its effects on the world economy level, after that, we will clarify its impact on the
environmental aspect and then we will demonstrate how it strongly influences the political facet
in the world, eventually, we will disclose its crucial role in ensuring not only the energy security
but also the climate change mitigation needs.

We will support this report with some illustrations in order to explain better the impacts of the
energy transition trends on the divergent aspects while emphasizing their important role.

Keywords: Renewable energy, Impact, Economy, Environmental aspect, Politics, Energy

security, Energy transition climate change, mitigation

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TABLE OF CONTENT

ABSTRACT........................................................................................................................2

TABLE OF FIGURES.........................................................................................................4

1. Renewable energy technologies as part of the global energy mix...............................5

a) The Economic Effects of Renewable Energy Technologies....................................5

b) The environmental Effects of Renewable Energy Technologies.............................7

c) The political aspect of Renewable Energy Technologies.........................................9

2. The renewable energy technologies role in energy security......................................11

3. The renewable energy technologies role in climate change mitigation needs...........12

CONCLUSION..................................................................................................................14

BIBLIOGRAPHY..............................................................................................................15

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TABLE OF FIGURES

Figure 1:The global renewable energy employment...........................................................6

Figure 2:Global new investment in renewable energy by technology................................6

Figure 3:Estimates of lifecycle GHG emissions for RE technologies.................................7

Figure 4:The CO2 emissions intensity................................................................................8

Figure 5:World solar potential.............................................................................................9

Figure 6:World wind potential...........................................................................................10

Figure 7:The percentage of public opinion on renewable energy systems in USA...........11

Figure 8:The energy security relationship with the different aspects .............................12

Figure 10:Change in total GHG emissions countries (1990–2012)...................................13

Figure 11:The CO2 emissions per capita in different countries........................................13

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INTRODUCTION

A significant number of nations all over the planet have vowed to invest in renewable
energies in the future. Nevertheless, countries notorious for their enormous amounts of carbon
releases, such as China, have also promised to considerably reduce their greenhouse emission
rate. As a consequence, an enhanced interest in building renewable energy plants is introduced in
this era.

Are such projects as friendly toward the economic, environmental, and political aspects as they
are believed to be?

Are they able to ensure their role in meeting both energy security and climate change mitigation
needs?

1. Renewable energy technologies as part of the global energy mix

Renewable energy sources including hydropower, solar and wind energy, biomass, as well as
geothermal have a massive potential to deliver energy services for the planet. This kind of trends
in the global energy mix outpaced the traditional ways in many aspects.

a) The Economic Effects of Renewable Energy Technologies

The implementation of renewable energy technologies and its investments contributed

remarkably to an astonishing economic development in the long term, progressively altering the
economy towards the sustainable “green” economy (OECD, 2011a), by creating a new incentive
for advanced business procedures and economic flows.

Indeed, in indorsing renewable energy trends, the grants made direct economic benefits, like the
creation of job and business opportunities including different other domains in research,
production, manufacturing, maintenance, among others. Thus these kinds of technologies
generate more professions than conventional energy technologies and henceforward create larger
socioeconomic benefits., as shows the figure 1. [1]
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 Figure 1:The global renewable energy employment

Furthermore, the energy evolution would endorse the socioeconomic outcomes of energy
plants at the international level making it more positive than the current condition, by expanding
the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) to achieve a cumulative gain of $ 52 trillion resulting from
the rise in GDP between 2018 and 2050.[2]

In 2018 the world also hit a new record for international investment in renewable energy at
$285.9 billion (USD). Not only is renewable energy investment on the rise but it’s topping gas
and coal investments, which totaled $150 billion as shown in Figure 2. [3]

Figure 2:Global new investment in renewable energy by technology

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The approach of renewable energy technologies executed in rural areas, particularly in
underdeveloped areas, could nurture their economic expansion and society's need for energy in
broad-spectrum. In that sense, they provide much-wanted electricity in areas where the electrical
grid is underdeveloped or unused and considered a cost-effective means in decreasing electricity
deficiencies.

b) The environmental Effects of Renewable Energy Technologies

The global warming phenomenon has drawn more awareness with the arrival of the notion of
sustainability, faced with this circumstance, the use of RE is no longer an option but rather a
requirement. Here, we will inspect the effects of the energy trends reflected on air pollution
pertinent emissions. For instance, the wind, solar-Panels hydroelectric power, emissions ascend
only due to the construction, installation, and maintenance, of the technology and it is considered
minimal.

The approximations of lifecycle GHG emissions illustrate that all electricity production systems
driven by non-renewable resources are much higher than those driven by renewable ones. The
average values for all renewable energy range from 5 to 47 g CO2 eq/kWh, while these values
range from 481 to 1,005 g CO2 eq/kWh for non-RE.as represented in figure 3. [4]

Figure 3:Estimates of lifecycle GHG emissions for RE technologies

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 It should be pointed out that the average carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions will only drop
to 497 g/kWh by 2030 which is not enough to achieve the goal of preventing the global median
temperatures from increasing more than 2° Celsius. Yet a doubling in the use of RE could
support the objective by lowering the global median emissions of CO2 to 350 g/kWh, which is
equal to a 40% intensity reduction in comparison to the 1990 levels as shown in figure 4. [4]

Figure 4:The CO2 emissions intensity

Given the disparities in emissions of distinct systems, the possible effects on human
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health from the complete life cycle of upcoming energy production, by using LFC linked to
climate change are malnutrition, diarrhea, cardiovascular diseases, coastal and inland flooding,
and malaria. [4]

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The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method is able to measure environmental problems and the possible
effects on human health and the environment. It made it possible to evaluate the environmental
performance of fossil, nuclear, and renewable generation machineries.

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 c) The political aspect of Renewable Energy Technologies

Renewable trends diverge in many ways from fossil fuels, and these disparities will have
geopolitical consequences. The renewable energy assets are accessible in one form or another in
most territories, dissimilar from fossil fuels which are clustered in specific sites. This lessens the
significance of current energy choke points, such as the limited channels on sea tracks that are
essential to the international supply of oil.

Besides, supplies can be implemented at almost any level, thus this energy alteration will be one
of the foremost fundamentals that restructure geopolitics in the 21st century, as figure 5 and 6
demonstrate how solar and wind energy could affect geopolitics. [5]

Figure 5:World solar potential

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 Figure 6:World wind potential

Undeniably, politics portrays a possibly influential role in these trends (identifying the
scene, supporting or disrupting new systems), it involves strong interest from politicians
interested in the development of green transitions. The politics of sustainability necessitates a
redefinition of common welfares and this suggests a political intervention to form new unions,
establish new centers of power, buy innovative renewable technologies taking into consideration
the profile of political alliances.

It should be underlined that the majority of citizens prefer growing renewable sources and
its trends, and the public is far less encouraging of expanding the production of fossil fuels, as it
is portrayed in figure 7. [6]

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 Figure 7:The percentage of public opinion on renewable energy systems in the USA

We can say that Political philosophies stimulus the concept of modernization and vice versa. It is
not just consumer choices and inclinations that define the views for new technologies but also
politicians’ suggestions about the seriousness of green transition topics, and the appropriate role
and functions of the government.

2. The renewable energy technologies role in energy security

The political state of a nation that provides energy is an important element in the security of
energy2 supply. Since it largely depends on the compromise between the government of a country
and other divisions.

Likewise, the economy of a country has a powerful influence over the security of resources
since it is an important factor that contributes to regulate an adequate price for the trends taking
into account the demand and supply complementary mechanism which is highly influenced by
market prices, Therefore, we can say that price of energy ensures the energy security if it is
stable.

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Energy security is a notion that makes sure the reliability of sources, keeps a sufficient
supply at a reasonable price, and avoids the destructive effects to the environment.

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The connection between these different aspects is getting stronger every day, their common goal
which is their stability fortify as a result the energy security stability.

Figure 8:The energy security relationship with the different aspects [7]

We can conclude that modern renewable energy technologies improve the energy security
aim since it gives massive socio-economic benefits to populations, creating common cooperation,
and permitting each country to attain its climate mitigation goals.

3. The renewable energy technologies role in climate change mitigation

needs

Research has proven that Renewable energy sources applied in energy production aids the
reduction of greenhouse gases which mitigates as a result of climate change, by lowering also
environmental and health troubles due to pollutants from fossil fuel sources of the energy mix.
For example, the difference in total GHG emissions in EEA countries between 1990–2012
dropped by 14% in 33 countries as depicted in Figures 10 and 11. [8]

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 Figure 9:Change in total GHG emissions countries (1990–2012)

Figure 10:The CO2 emissions per capita in different countries

We can say that climate change mitigation is highly influenced by different aspects and
parameters such as social and economic development and energy accessibility.

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CONCLUSION

Energy is a necessity in our daily life as a means to improve human advancement leading
to economic and political growth and productivity. Nevertheless, knowledge regarding the
interrelationships between sustainable development and renewable energy with their impact on
earth regarding different aspects is still limited for the next century. However current
studies have proven that sustainable innovations are by far better than the traditional technologies
in numerous areas and the shift from fossil fuel-based energy sources to renewable energy
sources would help to secure the global energy mix in the globe and reduce climate change and
its impact.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

[1] international renewable energy agency. (2017). renewable energy and jobs annual review
2017. irena, 2–25. retrieved from
https://irena.org/-/media/files/irena/agency/publication/2017/may/irena_re_jobs_annual_review_
2017.pdf/

[2] international renewable energy agency. (2018). transformation énergétique mondiale. irena,

1–12. retrieved from
https://irena.org/-/media/files/irena/agency/publication/2018/apr/irena_global_energy_transforma
tion_2018_summary_fr.pdf?la=en&hash=792e6f83ee4430dee9c8b7424e09363a9b109547

[3] ourworldindata. (2017). investments in renewable energy by technology. retrieved 2017, from
https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/investment-in-renewable-energy-by-technology

[4] pablo-romero, m. del p., román, r., sánchez-braza, a., & yñiguez, r. (2016). renewable energy,
emissions, and health. renewable energy - utilisation and system integration. doi:10.5772/61717 

[5] van de graaf, t. (2019). a new world: the geopolitics of the energy transformation.

[6] meadowcroft, j. (2011). engaging with the politics of sustainability transitions. environmental
innovation and societal transitions, 1(1), 70-75.

[7] arava institute. (2019). energy security: the role of renewable energy sources. retrieved
october 21, 2019, from https://arava.org/arava-research-centers/center-for-renewable-
energy/energy-security-the-role-of-renewable-energy-sources/

[8] owusu, p. a., & asumadu-sarkodie, s. (2016). a review of renewable energy sources,
sustainability issues and climate change mitigation. cogent engineering, 3(1).
doi:10.1080/23311916.2016.1167990

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