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As global energy consumption levels soar, people seek alternative production from the sun, wind, and water. Of these sustainable technologies, wind arguably proves most efficient in producing large quantities of usable energy. Historically, people harnessed the wind and controlled solar gain through architecture. While the urban application of renewable energy begins to appear in cities, it remains largely as production occurring on the periphery where the most space is available. Citing these fields of production necessitates expanding energy and infrastructure to produce energy where it is needed. What if energy production occurred at the site of consumption? What if production and consumption co-existed equally? What if wind harnessing technologies began to influence architecture? This thesis will study the feasibility and architectural potential for incorporating these renewable technologies into existing urban settings to reduce transmission loss. These buildings will not just be a traditional power plant, but will also teach users about consumption levels, turning the space into a dual-usage program. It is my intention to investigate how buildings can both produce energy and contribute to the public life of cities. / 0 / SPK / specialcollections@tulane.edu

This thesis addresses three economic and social impediments to the successful deployment of community-based micro hydro grids using a case study from the Republic of Kenya. Kenya is one of the countries in Sub-Sahara Africa currently faced with low rural electricity access rates, but with abundant micro hydro resources spread across vast rural locations. Although majority of financial resources are channeled to grid extension in developing countries like Kenya, many rural households still live 'under the grid' because they cannot afford connection fees and/or cost of grid electricity. Such phenomenon has led to innovative solutions such as the concept of Community-Based Renewable Energy Schemes (CRES), facilitating joint exploitation of a local renewable energy (RE) resources. The government of Kenya in partnership with non-state actors set up demonstration points for Community-Based Micro Hydro Schemes (CBMHS) in two locations, and other communities have adopted this model by setting up their own electrification schemes in Kenya. However, the success of such schemes continues to be very limited in Kenya and other developing countries with majority of them disintegrating after few years of operation. This phenomenon is widely documented in literature, and a variety of barriers to success of such schemes continue to be interrogated in both published and unpublished academic literature. There are issues relevant to both establishment and continued operation of such electrification that have not received much scholarly research, but continue to largely limit delivery of sustainable and quality service, as well as hindering scaling up of these potentially useful rural electrification alternatives. These include: a) mismatch between the provided services by such group electrification schemes and the expectations of their consumers b) lack of supportive capacity for joint effort mobilization and capacity for self-governance within such schemes c) unsubstantiated claims of the capability of small scale renewable energy electrification impact on households that make them not to be considered as equally important energy solutions. This thesis makes a threefold contribution to the literature of rural electrification by firstly analyzing preference for properties of decentralized electricity delivery service in a field dominated by utility provided grid solutions. Secondly, the literature on governance of man-made common pool resources (CPR) is extended by providing evidence for the requirements for successful management of a small-scale electricity commons line a CBMHS. Lastly, the study produces reliable evidence regarding immediate or short-term changes to households anticipated from small scale electrification projects. Overall, the study presents lessons on implementing and sustaining rural communities' investments in decentralized RE electrification while demonstrating why such schemes should now form essential part of rural electrification delivery models. The three research issues are addressed independently in three chapters that follow the introductory chapter of this thesis.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Arts in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Masters in Communication Science in the Department of Communication Science at the University Of Zululand, 2017 / Renewable energy is considered to be a viable and cost-effective solution to the problem of providing electricity to rural regions in many developing countries. The infrastructure challenges experienced by South Africa’s energy parastatal Eskom in providing a stable and affordable electricity supply to the country is compounded by criticism of Eskom’s continued use of coal-powered stations. The King Cetshwayo District has a high unemployment rate, with thousands of rural residents living in poverty, without access to water or electricity. The possibility of utilising organic waste to create biogas is an untapped market that would provide many advantages for rural dwellers. From a communications perspective, this study analysed how communications theories could be utilised to stimulate interest in renewable energy. The feasibility of using renewable energy as a source of electricity for households was considered, while the potential for job creation and other economic activities emanating from the production and sale of biogas was also examined. The study examined how the proximity of cattle herds on a substantial proportion of rural land could offer the opportunity to access animal waste, which is a core fuel source for biogas. If communities are amenable to the concept of a cheap and environmentally-friendly energy option, it would mean huge implications for the future of creating a green economy in the region. The research has found that biogas can also be bottled and sold at a fraction of the cost of purchasing conventional grid electricity. This will mean cost-savings for poor households as well as job creation for entrepreneurs who preserve and sell the gas. The study delved into the socio-economic advantages of using green energy in the King Cetshwayo District and the reasons why communication theories and strategies are critical to the further progress of renewable energy projects in the district.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--RAND Graduate School, 2008. / Title from title screen (viewed on Oct. 24, 2008). "This document was submitted as a dissertation in September 2008 in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the doctoral degree in public policy analysis at the Pardee RAND Graduate School." --T.p. Includes bibliographical references: p. 168-178.

Thesis (M. Com. (Accounting)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / Since 2008, South Africa has been experiencing significant bottlenecks in its energy supply. The transition to renewable energy is no longer just an option but a necessity. In demonstrating the commitment to the Kyoto Protocol, which requires a reduction in greenhouse gases and is a response to the electricity crisis, various mechanisms have been applied to stimulate renewable energy production. This study examines the effect of the influencing factors and enablers on renewable energy generation in selected developing countries. To this end, the study investigated if the amount invested in renewable energy, economic, governance, environmental and social factors have an impact on renewable energy output produced in the selected emerging economies. Secondary data which comprised of the renewable energy output, investment and proxy data for the other factors being tested was used in the investigation. A quantitative research design was used, and panel data for the periods 2000-2016 was analysed. Results of the study revealed that the renewable energy generation is impacted diversely by the elements tested. A positive causal link was found between the dollar amount invested and the production of renewable energy. Additionally, the study found that governance, economic, environmental, and social factors can influence renewable energy output favourably or unfavourably. Results of the study suggest that policymakers should consider the effect of these variables when formulating policies to accelerate the transition to a sustainable energy supply system. Furthermore, the results provide possible solutions for budgetary constraints which have limited the transformation of the energy industries in the selected developing countries. Potential to investigate this study further on a country by country basis as data becomes available exists. Additionally, mixed methods may be applied to explore a qualitative element in the study. Keywords: Renewable Energy, Non-renewable energy, Green energy

Many settlements in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) lack access to electricity which is a necessary resource for development. Given the geography and population patterns in the region, extending national grids is economically unviable for many of the un-electrified settlements. Meanwhile the region is endowed with renewable resources which can be exploited in off-grid mode for electricity generation. This thesis examines the importance of off-grid technologies for onward electrification in the SSA region. The exercise inspires an electricity planning problem that can be analytically specified but is computationally intensive and impractical for real sized problems. Heuristic methods must therefore be used. We develop two new heuristic solution methods which draw on standard algorithms i.e. lexicographic algorithm and genetic algorithm to solve the problem. The new solution methods together with two existing heuristic algorithms in the literature are applied to a case study of Ghana. We find that the electrification schemes yielded by all four solution methods/algorithms suggest off-grid technologies, especially solar, are important for onward electrification in SSA. Locations that were assigned off-grid technologies in the algorithms mentioned above are typically rural where livelihoods are based on small scale farming. Currently, adoption of renewable resource technologies is low in these locations. We therefore develop a dynamic stochastic farm household model to examine the extent to which market failures impact self-funded investment in solar panels by farmers in rural SSA. We find that credit restrictions and risk affect solar panel investment to varying degrees. Using simulations of the policy functions, we find that the expected investment cycle for a credit constrained household in a stochastic farm income environment is 30 years if investment in solar panels is irreversible. In a reversible investment scenario, the expected investment cycle is 5 years only. Reversibility is therefore a major determinant of solar panel adoption among poor farmers.

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This study was carried out with the aim of finding out the challenges towards Feed-in Tariff law instrument in order to promote renewable energy in Iran. The targets of the study were chosen among authorities and investors in the field of wind energy. Wind power was selected as the case study because of its more popularity among investors. Qualitative research design was used to conduct the study and semi-structured interviews served as the method. Although there were a few studies done with the focus on renewable energy challenges in Iran, however, none of them focused on the challenges through Feed-in Tariff law. The results show that the law's long administrative process, lack of communication between authorities and investors, and rather low remuneration rate are the barriers to promote renewable energy in Iran. Furthermore, lack of financial assistance and imposed political and economical sanctions against Iran play an important role in this regard.