Implementation of renewable energy technologies - opportunities and barriers. Summary of country studies

Abstract

The project was launched to identify barriers to the implementation of renewable energy technologies (RETs) and explore measures to overcome the identified barriers. National institutions in Egypt, Ghana and Zimbabwe carried out the country studies based on the basic methodological framework provided by the UNEP Centre. The objectives of the project included strengthening institutional capacity for analysis and implementation of RET projects in the participating countries and bring out experiences on RETs barriers and removal measures for dissemination so that others can benefit from the knowledge so gained. An important highlight of the studies was involvement of stake holders in the process of identification of barriers and measures to remove them. A preliminary identification of relevant RETs for their countries was done by the country teams in the initial stage of the project. After that, national workshops involving various stake holders were held between July and September 1999 to discuss the RETs and barriers to their implementation. Based on the discussions, a few important RETs were identified for more detailed study. PV systems for rural electrification, solar water heating systems and large-scale biogas system were identified and analysed for barriers in the Egypt country study. Economic, information and policy barriers were identified as major barriers for these technologies. Solar water pumps, biogas and small hydro were the focus of study in Ghana. In this case also, economic, information and policy barriers were found to be the important barriers for the selected technologies. In the case of Zimbabwe, focus was on identification of primary and secondary barriers to RETs dissemination. The primary barriers included lack of capacity to develop proposals, lack of information for policy making and framework for information dissemination. The study concluded that the secondary barriers as seen and experienced by the stake holders are due to primary barriers. Therefore, it is important to address primary barriers. Measures to remove the identified barriers were suggested by the stake holders in all the three countries. Final national workshops were held in June in Egypt and Ghana, and in August 2000 in Zimbabwe to discuss the study findings. The workshops were attended by a spectrum of stake holders and generated a lot of interest and discussions on the findings of the studies in all the three countries. The feedback from the stake holders has been included in the reports finalised during 2001. The lessons learnt from the studies included in this summary report point to the key concerns of the stake holders on the RETs and their suggestions to promote these technologies. (au)