CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION -THE ROLE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY

BY

WISDOM AHIATAKU-TOGOBO

Ministry of Energy

Accra

wtogobo@gmail.com

Climate Change

• Composition of the Earth's atmosphere plays a major role in establishing surface temperature and climate of the earth.

• The earth’s temperature is maintained by a balance between

- heating from Solar Radiation by the sun and

- cooling from infra-red radiation emitted by the earth’s surface.

• Movement of these radiation occurs through the atmosphere.– Solar radiation (Visible sunlight) readily

penetrates the atmosphere to warm the earth.– Infra-red radiation (invisible) on the other hand

is trapped by Greenhouse Gases (GHG) which acts as blankets in the atmosphere to keep the heat in.

Greenhouse Gases

GREENHOUSE GAS % CONCENTRATIONCarbon dioxide CO2 55Methane CH4 15Chloroflorocarbons (CFCs) 24Nitrous oxide N2O 6

These GHG are necessary to maintain the temperature of the earth in other to be habitable by mankind, animals and plants. The main GHG and their concentrations are detailed below

• Also in the upper atmosphere is the Atmospheric Ozone (O3) which plays a crucial role to absorb solar ultra-violent radiation from the sun, preventing it from reaching the earth’s surface where it is harmful to life.

• However, since the industrial revolution in the 19th century coupled with increasing deforestation, the concentration of these gases have been increasing resulting in a change in climate called global warming.

• CO2 which was balanced by its uptake by plants during

photosynthesis is now increasing by about 4% due to – Extraction and burning of fossil fuels (petroleum, coal, oil

and gas)– Destruction of tropical forest for energy, timber and other

landuses.

• CH4 is increasing by 1%/year as a result of anaerobic fermentation of organic matter due to – Changing agricultural practises– Waste disposals and – Mining

• N2O is increasing by 0.3% mainly from agriculture and biomass burning

• CFCs are increasing due to production of aerosol propellants, refrigerants and insulators.

Environmental consequences of Climate Change

• Rise in sea level due to melting of glacier and land ice sheet– Low lands are taken over by sea eg. Keta

• Change in composition of plant communities– Indigenous plants are becoming difficult to find

• Change in temperature and rainfall makes changes in crop type necessary

• Land is becoming less suitable for Agric– frequent drought and change in rainfall pattern

• Addition stress on plant communities presently affected by air pollution and acid disposition

• Significant climate change could modify the occurrence of disease and pest

• Change in ocean current could alter fish population by verifying temperature salinity and availability of nutrients

• River flow and ground water storage.

• Negative impact on urban environment and infrastructure

KYOTO PROTOCOL

• The central feature is its requirement that countries limit or reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

• By setting such targets, emission reductions took on economic value.

• Three market-based mechanisms to help countries meet their emission targets, and to encourage the private sector and developing countries to contribute to emission reduction efforts, – Emissions Trading,

– the Clean Development Mechanism

– Joint Implementation

Clean Development Mechanism • The CDM allows emission-reduction (or emission removal)

projects in developing countries to earn certified emission reduction (CER) credits, each equivalent to one tonne of CO2.

• These CERs can be traded and sold, and used by industrialized countries to a meet a part of their emission reduction targets under the Kyoto Protocol.

• The mechanism is expected to stimulate sustainable development in developing countries through emission reductions, while giving industrialized countries some flexibility in how they meet their emission reduction limitation targets.

• The mechanism is overseen by the CDM Executive Board, answerable ultimately to the countries that have ratified the Kyoto Protocol.

CDM PROJECTS

• Projects must qualify through a rigorous and public registration and issuance process designed to ensure real, measurable and verifiable emission reductions that are additional to what would have occurred without the project.

• In order to be considered for registration, a project must first be approved by the Designated National Authority (DNA).

CDM

• Operational since the beginning of 2006, the mechanism has already registered more than 1,000 projects and is anticipated to produce CERs amounting to more than 2.7 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent in the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, 2008–2012.

RENEWABLE ENERGY PROSPECTS FOR REDUCING GHS EMISSIONS

• Increase availability of plants to absorb more CO2

– Forestry and Agroforestry

• Minimise destruction of forest– bushfire, timber fuelwood collection, agric etc.

• Effective utilization of biomass resources– Promotion of Improved charcoal & firewood stoves

– Promotion of improved charcoal production techniques

– Use of biomass waste such as sawdust timber residues and off cuts for energy.

• Use of alternatives for fossil fuel that emits little or no GHG but could provide energy for transport, Agric, Heat and Electricity– Energy crop such as Jatropha, sugarcane, vegetable oil

as fuel for engines

– Draught animal power such as bullocks, Donkeys etc for transport and agric

– Biogas production from municipal & animal waste for heat and electricity.

– Small scale hydro-power for electricity

– Wind power, wind pumps and hand pumps

– Solar Water Heating to replace firewood, Charcoal & LPG

– Solar PV electricity to replace kerosene, diesel & petrol for lighting, water pumping, health stations etc.

– Solar dryers– Solar Cookers

Solar PV

Electricity

Regulator Battery

Lamp, TV, FanFridge

Solar Panel

DC/AC

• Solar Water Heater– Hospitals, hotels, homes etc.

• Solar Crop Dryer

RE Application - Wind• Off-GridOff-Grid

– Demonstrated of small wind turbines for electricity production in rural homes,

– Battery charging– Water pumping

• Isolated-GridIsolated-Grid– Working with the private sector to

develop wind hybrid systems for isolated mini-grid systems

• Central-GridCentral-Grid– Efforts are currently underway to

develop wind farms along the costal line of the country.

Biomass Energy-• Municipal solid and liquid Waste to power generation

technology. • Fuelwood plantation for cogeneration• Energy Crop Plantations (Jatropha) for bio diesel production• Biogas technology for processed heat and power.

• Briquette of sawdust and agricultural residues for fuel.

• Efficient charcoal production techniques.• Improved woodstoves for fuel efficiency and smoke reduction