Analysis on Barriers of Renewable Energy Development -Context of Nepal

Abstract

Abstract Analysis on Barriers of Renewable Energy Development -Context of Nepal

: An Analytical Hierarchy Process Approach

Laxman Prasad Ghimire Technology Management, Economics and Policy Program College of Engineering Seoul National University

Energy is an indispensible requirement for socioeconomic, industrial, and technological development, which have brought about better living conditions for the society. The experts in the renewable energy sector argue that renewable energy technologies such as micro and mini hydropower, solar, wind, and biomass are not only financially viable solutions but also ultimate suitable energy source alternatives for the rural and remote areas in developing countries like Nepal. This notwithstanding, 33% of the households in the remote areas in Nepal do not have electricity access. The traditional, commercial, and renewable energy consumption ratios in Nepal have stood at 80, 17.43, and 2.6%, respectively. In the present energy mix scenario of Nepal, an observable change can be clearly seen in the share of renewable energy, which has increased from almost zero in 2004 to 2.6% in 2014. Numerous barriers arise while developing renewable energy technologies. If such barriers are not properly addressed, development cannot be achieved. Moreover, if proper priorities are not set in addressing the barriers, it will not be easy to develop renewable energy technologies at a fast rate. In this research, an attempt was made to identify the barriers to the development of renewable energy from the Nepalese perspective, and to rank them. All together, 22 barriers were identified and listed through a review of the previous researches. These listed barriers were categorized into six dimensions: social, policy and political, technical, economic, administrative, and geographic barriers. This study used the analytical hierarchical process (AHP) methodology for estimating and ranking the barriers to renewable energy development in the context of Nepal. Pair-wise comparisons were made based on experts views provided by renewable energy professionals in the government, private sector, and academe. This research may provide a basic framework for the study of the barriers to renewable energy development in developing countries, especially in the context of Nepal. It is expected that this research will help the renewable energy technology regulators, experts, and researchers in their future researches.

Keywords: Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP), Renewable Energy, Barriers, Context of Nepal, Dimensions of Barriers

Student Number: 2014-22102