Renewable and Green Energy, Africa’s Pathway to Sustainable Development; Harnessing the Continent’s Natural Energy Sources
- 1 University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
- 2 Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria
- 3 Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria
- 4 American University, Washington, DC, USA
- 5 University of Dallas, Irving, Texas, USA
Abstract
Renewable energy includes all forms of energy produced from renewable sour ces in a sustainable manner, including bioenergy, geothermal energy, hydropower, ocean energy, solar energy, and wind energy. Less than one quarter of A frica’s renewable power generation potential is utilized. Africa’s natural endowments are enormous, yet the continent experiences high energy shortage. Amongst the classifications of energy sources, renewable and green energy sources are increasingly gaining popularity due to their sustainable nature and environmental concerns. This paper explores the continent’s natural energy sources and identifies pathways to sustainable development. The paper also narrows the renewable and green energy sources obtainable on the continent and presents their contribution to the development of the continent. The awareness level of Africans towards renewable energy is discussed and the challenges of renewable and green energy sources are highlighted. Finally, the roles to be played by the government and private organizations in the development of renewable and green energy sources in Africa are discussed.
- Akinwale, Y.O., Ogundari, I.O., Ilevbare, O.E. and Adepoju, A.O. (2014) A Descriptive Analysis of Public Understanding and Attitudes of Renewable Energy Resources towards Energy Access and Development in Nigeria. International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, 4, 636-646.
- Akinwale, Y.O. and Ogundari, I.O. (2017) Exploration of Renewable Energy Resources for Sustainable Development in Nigeria: A Study of the Federal Capital Territory. International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, 7, 240-246.
- Aderemi, B.A., Daniel Chowdhury, S.P., Olwal, T.O. and Abu-Mahfouz, A.M. (2017) Solar PV Powered Mobile Cellular Base Station: Models and Use Cases in South Africa. 2017 IEEE AFRICON, Cape Town, 18-20 September 2017, 1125-1130. https://doi.org/10.1109/AFRCON.2017.8095640
- Azouma, Y.O., Jegla, Z., Reppich, M., Turek, V. and Weiss, M. (2018) Using Agricultural Waste for Biogas Production as a Sustainable Energy Supply for Developing Countries. Chemical Engineering Transactions, 70, 445-450.
- Amigun, B., Musango, J.K. and Stafford, W. (2011) Biofuels and Sustainability in Africa. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 15, 1360-1372. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2010.10.015
- Uduma, K. and Arciszewski, T. (2010) Sustainable Energy Development: The Key to a Stable Nigeria. Sustainability, 2, 1558-1570. https://doi.org/10.3390/su2061558
- Gebretsadik, Y., Fant, C., Strzepek, K. and Arndt, C. (2016) Optimized Reservoir Operation Model of Regional Wind and Hydro Power Integration Case Study: Zambezi Basin and South Africa. Applied Energy, 161, 574-582. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2015.09.077
- Kuang, Y., Zhang, Y., Zhou, B., Li, C., Cao, Y., Li, L., et al. (2016) A Review of Renewable Energy Utilization in Islands. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 59, 504-513. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2016.01.014
- Hassan, H.A.H., Nuaymi, L. and Pelov, A. (2013) Renewable Energy in Cellular Networks: A Survey. 2013 IEEE Online Conference on Green Communications, Piscataway, 29-31 October 2013, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1109/OnlineGreenCom.2013.6731020
- Pegels, A. (2010) Renewable Energy in South Africa: Potentials, Barriers and Options for Support. Energy Policy, 38, 4945-4954. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2010.03.077
- Sebitosi, A.B. and Pillay, P. (2008) Renewable Energy and the Environment in South Africa: A Way Forward. Energy Policy, 36, 3312-3316. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2008.05.013