Assay of renewable energy transition: A systematic literature review

Utsav Bhattarai; Tek Maraseni; Armando Apan

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155159

Assay of renewable energy transition: A systematic literature review

Sci Total Environ. 2022 Aug 10:833:155159. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155159. Epub 2022 Apr 12.

Authors

Utsav Bhattarai¹, Tek Maraseni², Armando Apan³

Affiliations

¹ Institute for Life Sciences and the Environment (ILSE), University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Queensland 4350, Australia.
² Institute for Life Sciences and the Environment (ILSE), University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Queensland 4350, Australia; Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Systems (CSAS), University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Queensland 4350, Australia. Electronic address: Tek.Maraseni@usq.edu.au.
³ Institute for Life Sciences and the Environment (ILSE), University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Queensland 4350, Australia; School of Surveying and Built Environment, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Queensland 4350, Australia; Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City 1101, Philippines.

PMID: 35421473
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155159

Abstract

Issues of environmental degradation, finite quantity and uneven spatial distribution of fuels in nature, and growing demand accentuated by volatility of oil prices have led to the global clean renewable energy transition (RET). With an objective of examining the current knowledge-stock on RET, we reviewed 248 journal publications pooled from three databases (ScienceDirect, Web of Science and Scopus) using a Systematic Literature Review method. This study does not focus on the specifications of a particular energy technology or regress relations among a limited set of variables. Rather, the key contribution is the critical assessment of the factors that encourage and those that hinder the transition process to provide a wider perspective through seven broad lenses: technological, investment, market, environmental, government and institutional, policy and social. Research, development and implementation of technology is a direct outcome of policy investment. Developed countries are leading the RET research while the global south is far behind. Most of the studies were found to be donor-driven which faced a serious risk of being counter-welcomed in different settings of the world without compromising the objectives of the transition. A strong international collaboration among the rich and poor countries is urgently felt necessary to foster mutual benefits. Research, planning and implementation of the RET would be highly effective and sustainable through a participatory bottom-up approach promoting local technology instead of imposed expensive imported ones. The need for "demand-pull" and "technology-push" policy instruments is stringent for successful transition. We conclude that there is a unanimous agreement among all the studies on the future prospects of renewable energy in the electricity sector; however, some skepticism still exists regarding other high energy demanding areas. Our review recommends updating existing and designing new robust policy mixes to guide the modality and pace of the RET, adhering to local specificities.

Keywords: Drivers of transition; Participatory bottom-up approach; Policy mixes; Renewable energy transition; Systematic literature review.

Publication types

Review
Systematic Review

MeSH terms

Electricity*
Renewable Energy*