Ecological payback in Brazil energy matrix: analysis of a wind energy expansion

Sustainable development concern has become subject of recurrent discussions over the last years due to the duet large greenhouse gases emissions and world growth, especially in developing countries. Electrical sector is one of the major segments responsible for greenhouse gases emissions, but also the one in which modern society depends the most for life standard maintenance, economic and social activities. A renewable source considered in Brazilian energy sector expansion is wind power, which has a 143 GW potential. As such, the paper aims to estimate environmental impacts (CO2 emission) involved in wind power plants construction phase and return time for compensating these emissions during operation. Ecological payback is developed through CO2 emission analysis of different energy sectors required as inputs in construction and final emission reduction due to this “clean” power plant operation in national electrical matrix. Estimation of economic and environmental impacts is based on input-output methodology, using a 2004 matrix for Brazilian economy. Results point out for a maximum payback period of 4 months in worst case scenario, and major pollution contribution of Steel and Products Manufacturing during construction.Input-Output; Environmental Sustainability; Energy Economics; Wind Energy; Brazil

Ecological payback in national energy matrix: analysis of wind energy expansion

Sustainable development concern has become subject of recurrent discussions over the last years due to the duet large greenhouse gases emissions and world growth, especially in developing countries. Electrical sector is one of the major segments responsible for greenhouse gases emissions, but also the one in which modern society depends the most for life standard maintenance, economic and social activities. A renewable source considered in Brazilian energy sector expansion is wind power, which has a 143 GW potential. As such, the paper aims to estimate environmental impacts (CO2 emission) involved in wind power plants construction phase and return time for compensating these emissions during operation. Ecological payback is developed through CO2 emission analysis of different energy sectors required as inputs in construction and final emission reduction due to this “clean” power plant operation in national electrical matrix. Estimation of economic and environmental impacts is based on input-output methodology, using a 2004 matrix for Brazilian economy. Results point out for a maximum payback period of 4 months in worst case scenario, and major pollution contribution of Steel and Products Manufacturing during construction.Input-Output; Environmental Sustainability; Energy Economics; Wind Energy

Bridging the Gap Between Energy and Climate Policies in Brazil: Policy Options to Reduce Energy-Related GHG Emissions

Brazil is facing a series of important policy decisions that will determine its energy future over the next several decades, with important implications for the country's economic competitiveness, the well-being of its citizens, and the global climate. The decisions concern the direction of approximately 0.5 trillion U.S. dollars of anticipated investment in energy infrastructure over the next decade -- which can either lock in carbon-intensive infrastructure, or advance Brazil's position as a leader in the low-carbon economy. This report examines Brazil's key energy-related GHG emitting sectors through a climate lens in order to offer recommendations for a more integrated approach that can more effectively reconcile energy and climate needs. It begins with an overview of Brazil's past energy and GHG emissions profiles, current pledges and future trends, and a discussion of the implications for a possible allocation of the remaining global carbon budget. Next, it reviews available scenarios for Brazil's energy-related GHG emissions in order to identify key drivers and results and compare them to a given allocation of the global carbon budget. It then focuses on the top emitting subsectors -- transport, industry, and power generation -- to identify key abatement opportunities. The report concludes with recommendations regarding a portfolio of policies and measures that could achieve both climate and energy objectives

Policies for capacity development

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Spots of interaction: an investigation on the relationship between firms and universities in Minas Gerais, Brazil

Spots of interaction summarize the nature of partial connections (between science and technology) operating in the Brazilian system of innovation. A pilot study in Minas Gerais, Brazil, uses two new research tools (for immature NSIs) and presents a database with research groups located in universities and a database built upon an adapted version of the pioneering Yale and Carnegie Mellon Surveys. These complementary databases identify spots of interaction, indicating how economic sectors use specific science and engineering fields. This investigation identifies a dual role of universities in immature NSIs, as substitutes and/or complements firms R&D.systems of innovation, underdevelopment, interactions between science and technology, surveys, universities

Defining the Legal and Policy Framework to Stop the Dumping of Environmentally Harmful Products

Environmental dumping is a practice historically associated with the export of hazardous product waste from a developed country for irresponsible and often illegal disposal in a developing country. Now, with the industrialization and globalization of China and other developing countries, environmental dumping can involve both developing and developed countries as origin and destination. This dumping can be especially harmful to attempts to control under the Montreal Protocol ozone-depleting and climate-forcing chemical substances and/or products requiring unnecessarily high energy consumption. While developing country Parties to the Montreal Protocol are allowed to delay their phasedown of climate-forcing and ozone-depleting hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) during a multi-year grace period, there are advantages to earlier implementation when superior alternatives are already available at reasonable costs, as is the case for many uses of HFCs today. Thus, developing countries can benefit under the Protocol from setting controls for environmental dumping. This article aims to give policymakers, especially those in developing countries, a legal and policy “toolkit” that can be used to stop unwanted environmental dumping. It includes an examination of the history of environmental dumping, illustration of such dumping in practice, a detailed explanation and examination of the legal and policy tools, and a summary of the consequences of environmental dumping

Impact of lower oil prices on renewable energy technologies

The impacts of reduced oil prices on the economic viability of selected technologies which utilize solar, wind and biomass energy sources are examined. The technologies include dendrothermal, bagasse, fuel alcohol, wind electric, biomass gasifiers, solar water heaters, photovoltaic water pumps, and wind pumps. Specific projects in each of these categories are reviewed with oil prices above US$28 bbl, and their economic justifications recalculated at a range of lower oil prices. The findings indicate that the economic sensitivity of renewable energy technologies is mainly a function of scale and project location. Renewable energy technologies that compete directly in the modern large scale sector, such as dendrothermal are the most adversely affected by falling oil prices. Remote and rural applications are less affected because of their generally smaller sizes, and the reduced availablility and consequently greater costs of petroleum fuels.Energy and Environment,Energy and Poverty Alleviation,Environmental Economics&Policies,Energy Demand,Oil Refining&Gas Industry

Evaluating R&D Program of the Brazilian Electricity Sector through Industrial Property Indicators

The Law 9,991/2000 can be considered a milestone in the history of the ANEEL R&D Program, which was created to stimulate the technological development of the Brazilian Electricity Sector. Around R$ 4.5 billion were already invested in the program, covering more than 6,000 projects. Considering the amount of resources involved, the present study aimed to evaluate the results of this program, after the Law 9,221/2000, using industrial property indicators as a measure of performance. The research was based on a survey of the applications for patents and industrial designs, filed in the Brazilian Patent Office (INPI), by the 117 companies operating in the electricity generation segment. The findings showed: the companies that had at least one patent or industrial design application filed in the INPI after the Law 9,991/2000; the type of protection requested; and if the content of the application was related to the goals of the program