sectoral economic costs and benefits of ghg mitigation - IPCC

Renewable Energy
• There is aesthetic opposition to winduse because of noise while in operation and location
of turbines. However, turbines can be located in rural areas, with surrounding land used
for agriculture or other purposes.
• Birds are attracted to the whirring noises made by the turbines; in some areas bird
mortality rates have increased significantly in some instances affecting endangered bird
species.
• Resources are site-specific and may not be located close to demand centers.
• Wind is intermittent; if not grid connected, a source of back-up power is needed,
increasing costs of generation.
Climate Change Impact
Conditions for Emissions Mitigation:
• If wind potential reaches the projected 700-1,000 TWh worldwide by 2020, it would avoid
the production of 0.1-0.2 GtC/year of fossil fuel-fired electricity.
Emission estimate: 1 kWh of wind avoids 0.5-1.0 kg/CO 2
A wind turbine with a 500-kW capacity operating at 30%
availability and producing 1.3 MWh per year avoids 351
MtC/year.
Cost-effectiveness:
Secondary effects:
3 Impact Assessment
$21.53 ton/C
Produces no air pollutants or greenhouse gases. Wind generation
avoids up to 7 grams/kWh of SO 2 , NOx and particulates from the
coal fuel cycle (including Mining and transport); 0.1 g/kWh of
trace metals (including mercury); and more than 200 g/kWh of
solid wasters from coal tailings and ash.
Numerous Barriers to the use of renewable energy (RE)
Numerous barriers still constrain potential RE markets. While markets are starting to develop in
many countries, RE use still faces substantial constraints. Barriers include: lack of information
about RE technology and grid extension plans; lack of capital for RE businesses and consumer
financing programs; and lack of trained technicians, managers and other human infrastructure
needed for system delivery and maintenance. Market distortions stemming from import duties on
RE equipment and subsidies for kerosene also constrain RE dissemination in many countries.
International initiatives and host country policies can help to remove these barriers, accelerate
RES markets, and ensure that potential GHG mitigation and development benefits are
realizeable.
High rate of CO 2 displacement
RE has a high rate of CO 2 displacement per installed Wp. Due to the tremendous inefficiency of
kerosene lighting, rural house-hold electrification in developing countries is among the highest
with PV applications for climate change mitigation per installed Wp. Displacing kerosene lamps
typically reduces far more CO 2 per installed Wp than grid-connected PV applications, in some
cases by a factor of ten.
Social, economic, and non-GHG environmental benefits
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