RENEWABLE ENERGY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: EMERGING TRENDS AND TECHNOLOGIES

Authors

  • Engr Theo Aku Ugah Dept of Environmental Sciences
  • Prof. Okeke Gerald Ndubuisi Professor of Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability
  • Engr. Prof Sony Emeka Ali Professor of Civil Engineering and Project Management
  • Associate Professor Cynthia Amaka R Obiorah Ph.D Centre for Occupational Health Safety and Environment
  • Dr. Omatseyione Nesiama Health Safety & Environmentalist
  • Engr. Cletus Onyemhese Agbakhamen
  • Engr. Ogheneteme Pupu Okoro Department of Environmental Sciences

Keywords:

Sustainable energy solutions, climate change, renewable energy sources, energy security, carbon reduction, economic sustainability, international cooperation, environmental sustainability, emerging, trends

Abstract

The urgent need for sustainable energy solutions has intensified due to climate change, energy crises, and environmental degradation (IPCC, 2021). Traditional fossil fuels significantly contribute to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, necessitating a transition toward renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, hydro, and bioenergy (IEA, 2022). These alternatives offer potential solutions for energy security, carbon reduction, and economic sustainability. However, their extensive acceptance faces challenges, including technological limitations, economic barriers, and policy constraints (REN21, 2023).This study explores advanced renewable energy technologies and their role in achieving global sustainability. It assesses innovations in energy efficiency, integration of multiple renewable sources, and emerging storage solutions (Smil, 2020). Additionally, it examines economic and policy challenges that hinder large-scale deployment and proposes strategies for overcoming these barriers (Jacobson et al., 2017). The research highlights the importance of international cooperation and government policies in driving the transition toward a renewable energy future (Sovacool et al., 2018).Key research questions include evaluating the latest advancements in renewable energy, optimizing integration and storage, addressing economic and policy constraints, and understanding the role of renewables in achieving carbon neutrality. By analyzing these aspects, this study provides valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and industry stakeholders to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy and enhance sustainability worldwide.

Author Biographies

Engr Theo Aku Ugah, Dept of Environmental Sciences

Dept of Environmental Sciences,Highstone Global University, Texas, USA

Prof. Okeke Gerald Ndubuisi, Professor of Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability

(Professor of Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability).FNisafety, FISPON etc Highstone Global University, Texas, USA.

Engr. Prof Sony Emeka Ali, Professor of Civil Engineering and Project Management

(Professor of Civil Engineering and Project Management). FNSE, FNICE, FNisafetyE, FNIStructE.

Highstone Global University, Texas, USA

Associate Professor Cynthia Amaka R Obiorah Ph.D, Centre for Occupational Health Safety and Environment

Centre for Occupational Health Safety and Environment, University of Port-Harcourt

Dr. Omatseyione Nesiama, Health Safety & Environmentalist

Health Safety & Environmentalist/Geologist/Oil& Gas Professional

Engr. Cletus Onyemhese Agbakhamen

Highstone Global University, Texas, USA

Engr. Ogheneteme Pupu Okoro, Department of Environmental Sciences

Department of Environmental Sciences, Highstone Global University, Texas, USA.

References

BMWK. (2021). Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) 2021.German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action.

BMWK. (2022). Germany’s Energy Transition: Progress and Challenges.German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action.

BloombergNEF.(2023). Energy Transition Investment Trends 2023.BloombergNEF.

BloombergNEF.(2023). Renewable Energy Investment Trends 2023.BloombergNEF.

Bridgwater, A. V. (2019). Review of fast pyrolysis of biomass and product upgrading. Biomass and Bioenergy, 120, 105-128.

CDP. (2023). Corporate Renewable Energy Commitments: Trends and Insights.Carbon Disclosure Project.

Chen, H., Vinh, T. T., & Park, M. S. (2020). Microalgae-based biofuels: A critical review of microalgae cultivation and lipid extraction techniques. Biotechnology Advances, 40, 107536.

Danish Energy Agency.(2022). Denmark’s Wind Energy Strategy 2022.Danish Energy Agency.

DNV. (2022). Offshore Wind Power Report: Floating Wind Potential. DNV Group.

DOE. (2023). Geothermal Energy Advancements: The Future of EGS.U.S. Department of Energy.

Energy Web Foundation.(2023). Blockchain for Decentralized Energy Trading.Energy Web Foundation.

European Commission. (2020). The European Green Deal.European Commission.

European Commission.(2023). Modernizing Europe’s Energy Grid for Renewable Integration.European Commission.

Falcão, A. F., &Henriques, J. C. (2022).Oscillating water column wave energy converters: A review of developments and innovations.Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 137, 110649.

Fraunhofer ISE. (2023). Next-Generation Photovoltaic Research.Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems.

Geels, F. W. (2011). The multi-level perspective on sustainability transitions: Responses to seven criticisms. Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, 1(1), 24-40.

IEA.(2021). China’s Renewable Energy Expansion and Policy Implications.International Energy Agency.

IEA.(2022). World Energy Outlook 2022.OECD/IEA.

IEA.(2023). Electricity Grid Modernization and Smart Grid Innovations.International Energy Agency.

IEA.(2023). Power Purchase Agreements and Market Trends in Renewable Energy.International Energy Agency.

IRENA.(2020). Global Renewables Outlook 2020.IRENA.

IRENA. (2021). Hydropower 2021: Status and Outlook.IRENA.

IRENA. (2021). Renewable Energy Financing: Global Trends and Challenges.International Renewable Energy Agency.

IRENA.(2021). Social Barriers to Renewable Energy Adoption.International Renewable Energy Agency.

IRENA.(2022). Concentrated Solar Power Innovations.IRENA.

IRENA. (2022). Global Renewables Outlook: Energy Transformation 2050.International Renewable Energy Agency.

IRENA. (2022). The Role of Energy Storage in Renewable Integration.International Renewable Energy Agency.

IRENA. (2023). Hydrogen: A Renewable Energy Game-Changer.International Renewable Energy Agency.

IRENA.(2023). Offshore Renewable Energy Systems.IRENA.

IRENA. (2023). Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2023.International Renewable Energy Agency.

Jacobson, M. Z., Delucchi, M. A., Cameron, M. A., &Frew, B. A. (2017).100% Clean and Renewable Wind, Water, and Sunlight All-Sector Energy Roadmaps for 139 Countries of the World. Joule, 1(1), 108-121.

Kibler, K. M., & Alstead, K. (2020).Small hydropower, big impacts: Disproportionate environmental impact of small hydropower projects.Frontiers in Environmental Science, 8, 43.

Lackner, M. A., &Elkinton, C. (2021).The future of wind turbine blade materials. Renewable Energy, 175, 937-948.

Lazard. (2023). Levelized Cost of Energy Analysis – Version 16.0.Lazard.

MIT Energy Initiative.(2022). Flow Battery Innovations for Grid Storage.Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

MIT Energy Initiative.(2023). AI and Smart Grid Applications in Renewable Energy.Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Mol, A. P., &Sonnenfeld, D. A. (2014).Ecological Modernisation Theory: Critical Debates.Routledge.

Musial, W., &Beiter, P. (2019).Offshore Wind Energy: Opportunities and Challenges.National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

Nadabo,S.L.(2010) Renewable Energy as a Solution to Nigerian Crisis, University of Applied Sciences, 2010.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).(2022). Overcoming Transmission Bottlenecks for Renewable Energy.National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). (2023). Advances in Perovskite Solar Cells.NREL.

Neill, S. P., Hashemi, M. R., & Lewis, M. J. (2021).Tidal Energy Developments and Future Directions.Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 149, 111403.

Pitz-Paal, R. (2020). Next-Generation CSP Technologies for Enhanced Efficiency and Storage.Solar Energy Materials & Solar Cells, 213, 110529.

REN21. (2023). Renewables 2023 Global Status Report.REN21 Secretariat.

Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusion of Innovations. Free Press.

Sachs, J. D. (2015). The Age of Sustainable Development.Columbia University Press.

Smil, V. (2020).Energy and Civilization: A History.MIT Press.

Sovacool, B. K., Burke, M., Baker, L., Kotikalapudi, C. K., &Wlokas, H. (2018). Energy Security, Equality, and Justice. Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 43, 619- 647.

Tester, J. W., Anderson, B. J., & Moore, M. C. (2021).Geothermal Energy: An Evolving Renewable Resource. Renewable Energy, 169, 1463-1479.

UNFCCC. (2015). The Paris Agreement on Climate Change.United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

UNEP.(2023). Net-Zero Commitments and Global Climate Policy.United Nations Environment Programme.

United Nations. (2021). The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2021.United Nations.

USGS.(2022). Critical Mineral Supply Chains and the Energy Transition.United States Geological Survey.

White House. (2022). Inflation Reduction Act: Clean Energy Provisions.White House.

World Bank. (2023). Addressing Energy Inequality in the Renewable Transition.World Bank.

World Bank. (2023). Green Bond Market Development: 2023 Update.World Bank.

World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED).(1987). Our Common Future (The Brundtland Report).Oxford University Press.

WWF. (2022). The Environmental Impact of Renewable Energy Expansion.World Wildlife Fund.

Yan, B., Liu, J., & Tang, Y. (2021).Bifacial Solar Cells: Design, Performance, and Applications. Progress in Photovoltaics, 29(4), 372-389.

Zhou, Y., Zhao, J., & Zhang, H. (2022).Artificial Intelligence in Wind Energy: Predictive Analytics and Optimization.Energy, 245, 123456.

Downloads

Published

2025-02-15

How to Cite

1.
Engr Theo Aku Ugah, Prof. Okeke Gerald Ndubuisi, Engr. Prof Sony Emeka Ali, Associate Professor Cynthia Amaka R Obiorah Ph.D, Dr. Omatseyione Nesiama, Engr. Cletus Onyemhese Agbakhamen, Engr. Ogheneteme Pupu Okoro. RENEWABLE ENERGY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: EMERGING TRENDS AND TECHNOLOGIES. se [Internet]. 2025Feb.15 [cited 2025Nov.13];3(02):16-30. Available from: https://iphopen.org/index.php/se/article/view/267

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 02 (2025): IPHO-Journal of Advance Research in Science And Engineering (ISSN.3050-8797)

Section

Articles

License

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Author(s) and co-author(s) jointly and severally represent and warrant that the Article is original with the author(s) and does not infringe any copyright or violate any other right of any third parties and that the Article has not been published elsewhere. Author(s) agree to the terms that the IPHO Journal will have the full right to remove the published article on any misconduct found in the published article.