Maldives Seeks Assistance with Renewable Energy Plan
Reaction was mixed to the announcement that The Maldives, an island nation in the Indian Ocean has become the first country to crowdsource its renewable energy plan.
Comments reacting to a story on a national news site ranged from an optimistic “I applaud the Government for releasing and requesting comments on this. Wish they had done this sooner!” to a more skeptical “If the Government needs the whole world to help with an investment framework the President should immediately fire his energy advisor.”
According to the article, the nation aims to cut emissions by 60 percent before 2020 and the plan suggests that up to 80 percent of the electricity island communities use could be derived from renewable energy, without the cost of energy increasing.
Economic modeling in studies done by the Maldives’ Ministry of Economic Development have shown it is cheaper to generate electricity from solar photovoltaic panels than from diesel, the current energy source, on many Maldivian islands. The plan also proposes a shift to wind, batteries and biomass to complement solar power, retaining existing diesel generators for reserve power.
Because “these are relatively new technologies to theMaldives, the government has limited experience working with renewable energies” the Minister for Economic Development, Mahmoud Razee was quoted as saying.
For that reason, the government has published their investment framework online and highlighted areas requiring feedback and help.
Forum topics request expert assistance on a variety of specific technical questions. With a tropical climate and temperatures ranging between 24 °C and 33 °C throughout the year, the nation has the abundant sunlight needed to capitalize on solar energy but night time power generation may be a challenge. Other issues include the use of solar panels in corrosive environments, the economics of tracking or fixed solar panel systems, and the viability of low velocity wind turbines.
Reader Comments
Renewable energy is always the way to go because it is non polluting and of course does not get depleted.
Posted by Chadwick Barbier on November 20, 2012
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