Sustainable Energy

Background

Research on sustainable energy (that is renewable energy (RE) plus energy efficiency (EE)) is a relatively new item on ZEF's trans-disciplinary agenda. This extension is largely in recognition of lessons learned in the Cross-cutting projects, which have shown that the need for energy is often met at the expense of conserving land, water, as well as biodiversity. A sound sustainable energy policy is thus a key element of any strategy for sustainable development. Without it, the environmental damage caused by energy consumption will affect the productivity of agriculture and industry, human health, and education.

The energy problem: challenges and responses

The main challenge from the perspective of poverty reduction is energy provision to the poor. An enormous number of decentralized energy supply systems must be installed and operated to improve the living conditions of people in rural areas. The most sensible solution to decentralized supply would be to rely on locally produced renewable resources that are efficiently transformed using modern technologies and know-how. For this purpose, close cooperation between the public and private sectors is necessary.
ZEF's trans-disciplinary research agenda cannot span the full range of sectors, applications, and technologies of RE and EE. ZEF will concentrate on selected sectors and regions which fit into the portfolio of its research experience and research capacity:
(1) study policy and regulatory measures that encourage the production of renewables through private sector investment and lending,
(2) analyze the options, and the constraints and the technologies to produce sustainable energy, and
(3) develop alternative energy strategies and integrate environmental externalities into the energy sector analysis. As always, the ZEF focus will be on developing countries.
ZEF has considerable potential for formulating renewable energy policies and regulatory frameworks derived from its experience in resource and technology assessment. This includes market analysis, market forecasts, statistical analysis, and environmental assessment strategies for energy technologies.
ZEF will develop solid research experience in developing rural energy systems. These could include electricity for homes, schools, and health centers, as well as mechanical power for water pumping and agro-processing applications. A crosscutting project will be developed to study the technological, economic, and institutional constraints and requirements for the successful introduction of renewables in rural settings. Eventually, ZEF staff should be able to provide expert advice on implementing energy projects to, amongst others, government ministries, development agencies, and commercial clients.