Feasibility Study Of Renewable Energy Deployment And Corresponding Effects On Climate Change

ABSTRACT

Owing to the fact that the global warming and climate change has a worsening trend due to the steadily greenhouse gas (GHG) emission from generating electricity to support the blooming economic activities and transportation needs. There is an ever-growing concern of reducing the GHG emission by investigating the potential of increasing energy production from various renewable energy sources. In this paper, the feasibility of implementing a household hybrid renewable energy system including the solar, biomass, wind turbine systems and its effect on climate change are presented.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE

APPROVAL PAGE

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

ABSTRACT

TABLE OF CONTENT

CHAPTER ONE

1.0      INTRODUCTION

1.1      BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT

1.2      PROBLEM STATEMENT

1.3      AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT

1.4      SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

1.5      BENEFIT OF RENEWABLE ENERGY

1.6      RESEARCH QUESTION

CHAPTER TWO

2.0     LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1      OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY

2.2      ENERGY TRANSITIONS

2.3      REVIEW OF RELATED STUDIES

2.4      RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES

2.5      DEVELOPMENT OF ENERGY NEEDS

2.6      DEVELOPMENT OF RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES

2.7      SIGNIFICANCE FOR THE POTENTIAL AND THE NEED FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY

2.8      ENERGY SITUATION IN GHANA

2.9      RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCE SITUATION IN GHANA

2.10   BARRIERS TO RENEWABLE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

2.11   IMPACTS OF THE CONTINUAL USAGE OF NON-RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES

2.12   THE GHANAIAN RENEWABLE ENERGY POLICY

2.13   PROBLEMS IN THE POLICY FRAMEWORK

CHAPTER THREE

3.0     METHODOLOGY

3.1     HYBRID RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEM FORMATION AND SIMULATION

3.2     EFFECT OF RENEWABLE ENERGY ON CLIMATE CHANGE

CHAPTER FOUR

4.1     SIMULATION RESULTS

CHAPTER FIVE

5.1      CONCLUSION

5.2      REFERENCES

CHAPTER ONE

1.0                                                        INTRODUCTION

1.1                                           BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Over recent years, few areas of international development research have seen as much transformation as those relating to energy access and low carbon transitions. Ghana, amongst other African economies, has seen an increase in energy demand surpassing the supply of energy in the last decade. The incorporation of the incorporation of renewable energy into the mix is, therefore, seen as a significant role in addressing the energy needs by replacing conventional fuels with clean and reliable domestic electricity with the advantage of local economic opportunities. The country has adopted the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG); SDG goal 7 targets ensuring universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services. This target presents a formidable challenge to Ghana because the country still relies mainly on non-renewable energy sources. The country has a huge potential for renewable energy that remains underexploited.

Renewable energy has a critical impact to the transition to a low-carbon emission nation in our environment. Though in most of African countries such as in Ghana  It accounts for 5 percent of Ghana’s primary energy consumption (Parida et al., 2011). There has been an established Centre for Renewable Energy (CRE) to encourage the development, commercialization and deployment of renewable energy and related technologies and to improve their competitiveness in Ghana.

In the pass years, Renewable Energy Target (RET) scheme was put into effect by the government, which is dedicated to deliver on the Government’s obligation to ensure that 20 percent of Ghana electricity supply will be generated from renewable sources by 2020. In ten years’ time, the sum of electricity coming from sources such as solar, wind and geothermal will be nearly matches all of Australia’s current household electricity needs. As a result, there is a need for us to seek for alternative, renewable energy source for us to support the country’s further development and for the sake of our future.

As per 2017, 80% of the world’s energy still comes from burning of fossil fuel which is a non-renewable energy source, this type of fuel will be depleted eventually. In addition, the burning of fossil fuels would also induce a lot of emissions of greenhouse gases which leads to global warming. In 2016, data from the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Trend shows that there are 532,971.15 Gigagrams of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission in Ghana, of which 433,528.46 Gigagrams, that is more than 80% of emissions are from the energy generation sector (Parida et al., 2011).

In view of the utilization of renewable energy in Ghana, according to the Clean Energy Ghana Report 2016 (Parida et al., 2011), only 17.3% of the total energy generated are from renewable source which includes hydropower, bioenergy, solar panels and windmill etc.

1.2      PROBLEM STATEMENT

Energy-related greenhouse gas emissions account for the majority of all anthropogenic emissions – about 80% in developing countries such as Ghana and NIgeria, for example. Just 20% of final energy consumption is in the form of electricity, but the generation of electricity is responsible for over 40% of all energy-related emissions.

Worldwide emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) from burning fossil fuels total about 33 billion tonnes (Gt) per year. About 44% of this is from coal, about 34% from oil and about 21% from gas. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the power sector accounted for nearly two-thirds of global emissions growth in 2018, with coal use for power generation alone producing 10 Gt of CO2.

The impacts of electricity generation go beyond the emission of CO2 and other greenhouse gases.

Renewable energy minimizes carbon pollution and has a much lower impact on our environment. And it’s having its moment in the sun.

1.3      AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main aim of this work is to carry out the feasibility study of renewable energy deployment and corresponding effects on climate change.

The objectives of the work are:

1. To determine the level of renewable energy deployment in our country.
2. To determine the benefit of deploying renewable energy

• To determine the impact of renewable energy on climate change.

1. To assess the current renewable energy resource situation
2. To examine the trend in Ghana’s energy consumption and undertake a comprehensive review
3. To critically evaluate Ghana’s renewable energy drive and policies.

1.4      SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will serve as a means of understanding the operation of different renewable energy sources and their benefit.

It will serve as a medium of encouraging the stakeholders to invest more on renewable energy.

The study will also serve as a means of making student involved to know why renewable energy is preferred more than any other source of energy.

1.5      BENEFIT OF RENEWABLE ENERGY

Renewable energy serve as a means of reducing energy bills while reducing stress on the grid and demand for fossil fuel power. This can save money for all ratepayers and allow us all to breathe cleaner air.”

1.6      RESEARCH QUESTION

1. What is the potential for renewable energy in Ghana?
2. What are the policy issues regarding a shift towards renewable energy in Ghana?

• How much can renewable energy help climate change?

1. How is renewable energy affecting the environment?
2. What are the effects of renewable energy?
3. How does energy sources affect climate change?