Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
upgradation. This development enables install-
ing wind turbines in lower-wind-speed areas,
which are often closer to consumption centres
than the best “windy spots”. Due to this installa-
tion in environment sensitive places and land-
scape integration (seashores, mountain ridges,
etc.) areas can be avoided leading to lower
potential for opposition and confl icts (Chabot
2013
). More green technological progress,
which may come about in the future, is likely to
reduce labour-saving technical change if these
compete for the same research resources (Droste-
Franke et al.
2012
). According Crown Estate
(
2012
), there is potential reduction of 39 % in
cost of offshore wind energy in Europe and a
signifi cant cost reduction (17 %) will be through
new and improved turbines (IEA
2013
).
4
Renewable Energy Status
Renewable energy is growing steadily and is
most likely to become the backbone of a secure
and sustainable energy supply in an increasing
number of developed and developing countries.
Non-fossil fuels are growing quickly but from a
very small base, with optimistic estimates plac-
ing them at 30 % of the energy mix by mid-
century (Kalicki and Goldwyn
2013
), and a
signifi cant contribution would be from renew-
ables. Many countries have been revisiting their
energy policy keeping climate change in mind,
and renewables are now given much needed
impetus. Many countries are setting ambitious
targets in terms of increasing share of renewable
energy in the energy mix. Sweden and Norway
have set a target to achieve 50 % and 67.5 % of
total fi nal energy from renewables by 2020,
respectively (Table
2
). The Chinese government
has ambitious targets for wind, solar and hydro
and plans to increase the share of non-fossil fuels
to 30 % of installed electricity generating capac-
ity by the end of 2015 (Shuo
2013
).
It is observed that with fairly stable and tested
technology renewables such as wind and solar
are increasingly getting adopted across various
markets especially for producing electricity. In
2012, renewable forms of energy accounted for
2.4 % of global energy consumption, up from
0.8 % in 2002; renewables in power generation
accounted for a record 4.7 % of global power
generation (BP Statistical Review
2013
).
According to a recent report by REN 21 total
renewable power capacity worldwide exceeded
1,470 GW in 2012, up about 8.5 % from 2011.
During the 5-year period of 2008-2012, installed
capacity of many renewable energy technologies
grew very rapidly, with the fastest growth in the
power sector (REN21
2013
). Total capacity of
solar photovoltaic system (PV) grew at rates
averaging 60 % annually. Concentrating solar
thermal power (CSP) capacity grew more than
40 % per year on average, growing from a small
base, and wind power increased 25 % annually
3
Primary Energy
Consumption
According to the BP Statistical Review of
World Energy (
2013
) in 2012, China consumed
21.92 % (Table
1
) of global primary energy fol-
lowed by the USA (17.7 %), the Russian
Federation (5.5 %) and India (4.52 %). Asia-
Pacifi c with 40 % share of primary energy was
the leading region followed by Europe and
Eurasia (23.47 %) and the Middle East (6.11 %).
In the Asia-Pacifi c region, coal (52.26 %) was
the largest form of primary energy followed by
oil (27.83 %) and natural gas (11.26 %). In the
region renewables and hydro contributed just
about 0.7 %. Unlike Asia-Pacifi c, Europe and
Eurasia is driven by natural gas (33.29 %)
closely followed by oil (30 %), and North
America is primarily driven by oil (37.30 %)
closely followed by natural gas (30 %)
(Table
1
). In 2012, India with 20.5 billion cubic
metre (BCM) became the fourth largest
importer of liquefi ed natural gas (LNG) after
Japan (118.8 BCM), South Korea (49.7 BCM)
and Spain (21.4 BCM), and India accounts for
6.2 % of the total LNG trade (BP Statistical
Review
2013
).
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