MOI UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL, PRODUCTTION AND ENERGY
ENGINEERING
PRD 811 RENEWABLE ENERGY RESORUCES
PROF. AUGUSTINE MAKOKHA
Energy efficiency as a pathway to sustainable energy access in sub-Saharan Africa
Literature review- Environmental implications
NAME
VITUMBIKO NUNDWE
BERNADETTE DUSHENGERE
REGISTRATION NUMBER
MS/MES/5510/21
MS/MES/5548/21
Energy efficiency as a pathway to sustainable energy access in sub-Saharan Africa
Literature review- Environmental implications
Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has the lowest energy access rates in the world where people rely on
traditional biomass fuels and unimproved cook stoves. Thirteen countries in this part of the world
have less than 25% access, compared to only one in developing Asia (World Bank, 2018.). Clean
energy provides a golden thread to deliver on the promise of Agenda 2030 Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement (Corfee-Morlot, Parks, Ogunleye, & Ayeni,
2019).
Energy efficiency is the goal of efforts to reduce the amount of energy required to provide products
and services, it is also way of managing and restraining the growth in energy consumption. Energy
efficiency stands out as an important issue in maintaining the balance between environment and
sustainability as well as making important gains in all these issues on the other. Environmental
benefits can also be achieved by the reduction of greenhouse gases emissions and local air
pollution (Ozturk, 2013). Africa produces the least amount of greenhouse gases but is almost
universally seen as most at risk of its deleterious impact, not only because of possible changes in
its climate, but because it has the least ability to cope and because large sections of its population
are still heavily dependent on the changing vagrancies of nature such as rain-fed agriculture
(Niyibizi, 2015)
Sustainable energy can be defined as a form of energy that can be utilized repetitively without
putting a source in danger of getting depleted. In addition to that, (Junejo, Saeed, & Hameed, 2018)
retaliate about the reasons the use of clean sustainable energy is widely encouraged as it does not
harm our environment and is available all around us free of cost. All renewable sources like ocean,
wind, and solar are sustainable energy sources due to the fact that they are stable and available
worldwide.
In terms of Environmental benefits, renewable energy is clean and results in little to no green house
and net carbon emissions. It will not deplete natural resources and has minimal negative impacts
on the environment. The environmental benefits of renewable energy are to scale back on the
amount of toxic air polluting and greenhouse gases released in to the atmosphere by other methods.
(Niyibizi, 2015).
But despite the numerous positive impacts over usage of fossil fuels, renewable energy sources
are associated with negative impacts on the environment. Discussing the environmental impacts
of hydroelectric power should move beyond the electric power sector and investigate the many
roles that hydropower has been called upon to play in human society. Major dams have often built
with the promise of not just generating electricity but also of providing flood control, navigation,
water for irrigation and drinking, and a number of other benefits. Some of the impacts include;
Changes in downstream water quality: effects on river temperature, nutrient load, turbidity,
dissolved bases, concentration of heavy metals and minerals; Reduction of biodiversity due to the
blocking of movement of organisms (Kleinman & McCully, 2008). For instance, reservoir
planners in Kenya have in the past failed to recognize the linkages between the environment and
economic development leading to a number of negative socio-economic impacts. Similarly, the
government has always assumed that economic, technological and social benefits derived from
reservoir establishments are important for the development of the overall country and that spillover
effects will eventually improve the livelihoods of the entire population, including those directly
affected by the river damming (Okuku, et al., 2015).
However it is important to note that apart from big hydropower systems, small hydropower
systems have also environmental implications due its extensive utilization. Small scale hydro
schemes tend to have a relatively modest and localized impact on the environment and these arise
mainly from construction activities and from changes in water quality and flow on ecosystems
(aquatic ecosystems and fisheries) and on water use. These impacts encompass the environment
upstream small hydropower systems, at the site of the installation, and downstream of the small
hydropower system. The aquatic as well as the terrestrial environments are under risk of disruption
in terms of physical, chemical, and biological factors. Most of the impacts from construction are
typical of any civil engineering scheme and include temporary disruption from transport of
materials, noise, visual intrusion, dust, etc. There are additional impacts in the aquatic
environment, including increases in suspended matter and turbidity (Abbasi & Abbasi, 2011).
By compiling the implications of renewable energy technologies in term of the environmental
aspects they affect, it is seen that in terms of Land use; Photovoltaics and wind power have similar
land use characteristics, with impacts from materials for unit manufacturing and disposal or
recycling although neither requires any further mining footprint (Evans, Strezov, & Evans, 2009).
Other potential burdens of solar energy to the environment include; habitat disruption during the
construction, installation and the demolition phases, noise and visual intrusion, greenhouse gas
emissions, water and soil pollution, energy consumption, labor accidents and impact on sensitive
ecosystems (Topić, Vezmar, Spajić, Šljivac, & Jozsa, 2014)
Biomass comprising traditional fuels constitutes about 50% of energy consumption in developing
countries, in some countries it is estimated to be as high as 90%. Heavy use of biomass energy
leads to deforestation which then leads to soil erosion, risks of floods, desertification on account
of clearing of forests and woodlands for agriculture and livestock (RavindranathK & Rao, 2008).
Heavy dependence on traditional biomass fuels has in turn led to overexploitation of forests and
woodland resources, thus accelerating the deforestation and forest degradation in the sub-Saharan
region (Ndegwa, Nehren, Grüninger, Iiyama, & Anhuf, 2016). But In general, environmental
impacts of bioenergy are considered smaller than those of conventional (fossil and nuclear) energy
systems, as renewable biomass is CO2-neutral when burnt, the resource base can be maintained if
harvested biomass is re-grown, and residues easily decompose or can be recycled (FAO, 2010).
Wind power is increasingly being used worldwide as an important contribution to renewable
energy. The development of wind power may lead to unexpected environmental impacts which
may include the following; Land surface impacts: When wind turbines operate, they generate
turbulence in their wakes. The turbulence is small-scale, chaotic almost-random air movement and
will modify the vertical mixing of lower and upper level air. This raises the surface temperature at
night, but may have no significant impact on surface temperature during the day; Greenhouse
gases: some greenhouse gases are also emitted, most of which arise from the production of concrete
and steel for wind turbine foundations, for instance the Life cycle analysis of wind turbines shows
that the greenhouse emissions from wind power range from 2 to 86 g CO2e/kW h ; bird fatality:
the development of wind power has been associated with the death of birds colliding with turbines
and other wind plants structures (Wang & Wang, 2015).
Geo-thermal power plants have relatively small surface footprints, with major elements located
underground. Due to the risk of land subsidence above the field, the whole geothermal field is used
in the footprint calculation (Bertani, 2005). However as there is growing interest in geothermal
energy , it is important to be familiar with the potential impact of geothermal power plants on the
environment and the latest technology solutions that reduce these impacts. The use of geothermal
energy in the past 40 years has shown that there are adverse impacts on the environment which
include the following: Due to well testing and drilling the impacts include; Land disturbance, Solid
and liquid waste disposal, and gases discharge, increased noise level, increased traffic, disturbance
in natural features, vegetation, habitat and wildlife. Other impacts arise due to solid and liquid
wastes production, waste gas emissions including carbon dioxide emissions, Hydrogen sulphide
and other gases (BOŠNJAKOVIĆ, STOJKOV, & JURJ, 2019).
References
Abbasi, T., & Abbasi, S. (2011). Small hydro and the environmental implications of its extensive
utilization. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2134-2143.
Bertani, R. (2005). World geothermal power generation in the period 2001–2005. Geothermics, 651-690.
BOŠNJAKOVIĆ, M., STOJKOV, M., & JURJ, M. (2019). Environmental Impact of Geothermal Power Plants.
Evans, A., Strezov, V., & Evans, T. J. (2009). Assessment of sustainability indicators for renewable energy
technologies. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 1082-1088.
FAO, F. a. (2010). Bioenergy Environmental Impact Analysis (BIAS): Analytical Framework . Rome, Italy :
Food and Agriculture Organisation.
Junejo, F., Saeed, A., & Hameed, S. (2018). Energy Management in Ocean Energy Systems. In
Comprehensive Energy Systems (pp. 778-807).
Kleinman, J., & McCully, P. (2008). ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF HYDROPOWER PLANTS INCLUDING
THOSE USING THERMAL, TIDAL AND WAVE POWER . In Interactions: Energy/Environment.
Oxford: Goldemberg Eolss Publishers Co. Ltd.
Ndegwa, G., Nehren, U., Grüninger, F., Iiyama, M., & Anhuf, D. (2016). Charcoal production through
selective logging leads to degradation of dry woodlands: a case study from Mutomo District,
Kenya. Journal of Arid Land .
Niyibizi, A. (2015). SWOT Analysis for Renewable Energy in Africa. Renewable Energy L. & Pol'y Rev., 276.
Okuku, E. O., Bouillon, S., Ochiewo, J. O., Munyi, F., Kiteresi, L. I., & Tole, M. (2015). The impacts of
hydropower development on rural livelihood sustenance. International Journal of Water
Resources Development.
Ozturk, I. (2013). Energy Dependency and Energy Security: The Role of Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Energy Sources. The Pakistan Development Review.
RavindranathK, N. H., & Rao, U. (2008). ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF ENERGY FROM BIOMASS AND
MUNICIPAL WASTES. In INTERACTIONS: ENERGY/ENVIRONMENT. Oxford: Goldemberg Eolss
Publishers Co. Ltd.
Topić, D., Vezmar, S., Spajić, A., Šljivac, D., & Jozsa, L. (2014). Positive and Negative Impacts of
Renewable Energy Sources. International Journal of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Systems.
Wang, S., & Wang, S. (2015). Impacts of wind energy on environment: A review. Renewable and
Sustainable Energy Reviews, 437-443.