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In this work, generation control of an isolated small hydro plant (SHP) is demonstrated by applying optimal controllers in speed governor and hydraulic turbine system. A comparative analysis of application of fuzzy PI (FPI) and PID controller is conferred for generation control (both power and terminal voltage) of an SHP. The controllers are designed optimally by using crow search algorithm (CSA) and novel hybrid differential evolution crow search algorithm (DECSA). The purpose of this paper is to settle the voltage and real power to improve the quality of the power.

In this work, the controllers (PID and FPI) are implemented in speed governor and excitation system of SHP to regulate power and terminal voltage. Differential evolution and CSA are hybridized to enhance the performance of controller to refurbish the power and terminal voltage of SHP.

The proposed DECSA algorithm is applied to solve ten benchmark functions, and the effectiveness of DECSA algorithm over CSA and DE is demonstrated in terms of best value, mean and standard deviation. CSA and DECSA algorithms optimized controllers (PID and FPI) are used to design SHP with the capability to contribute power and voltage of better quality. The comparative analysis to substantiate the competence of DECSA algorithm and FPI controller is demonstrated in terms of statistical measures of power and voltage of SHP. Robustness analysis is performed by varying all system parameters to prove the effectiveness of the proposed controller.

The proposed algorithm and FPI controller are applied individually to improve the quality of the power of SHP. DE, CSA and DECSA algorithms are implemented to solve benchmark equations. The solutions of all benchmark equations contributed by DECSA algorithm is converged rapidly and having minimum statistical measures as compared to DE and CSA algorithms. The DECSA algorithm and FPI controller are proposed with superior competence to enhance the generator performances by conceding undershoot, overshoot and settling time of power and terminal voltage. DECSA-based FPI controller contributes a noticeable improvement of the performances over other approaches.

Tanzania is rich in small hydropower (SHP) potentials. However, many of these potentials have yet to be fully used, and more than two-thirds of its rural population lacks access to electricity. The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of SHP stations in improving rural welfare in the southern highlands of Tanzania. It further explores the history, cost-effective analysis and threats to the sustainability of SHP as one of the renewable energy sources.

The study uses a qualitative research design to explore respondents’ views on the role of SHP stations in facilitating rural electrification and welfare improvement. Primary data were gathered using semi-structured interviews with the 27 key informants and beneficiaries of SHP stations from the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. In addition, the study used documentary research to complement the information from the field survey.

The findings found that SHP stations enhance rural electrification and welfare by providing electricity in remote areas with sparse populations. They operate as standalone off-grids, often by church communities and individuals. However, the sustainability of SHP stations is hampered by challenges such as climate change impacts, high capital investment costs, heavy siltation of small reservoirs, skilled manpower shortages, limited local manufacturing capabilities and infrastructural issues.

The study contributes to the ongoing debate on renewable energy supply and uses, focusing on how SHP stations could contribute to sustainable rural electrification and achieve the 2030 United Nations agenda for sustainable development, which, among other things, aims to safeguard access to sustainable and modern energy and alleviate energy poverty.

One of the main strategic targets in the national power development plan of Vietnam is to give priority to hydropower. However, there is evidence that the most “at risk” in Vietnamese society have, to date, broadly failed to benefit from hydropower development but rather have become more vulnerable. This paper aims to broaden the perspective of decision makers (government agencies, investors and banks) in the hydropower industry regarding the environmental and social impacts of unrestrained development and the critical need to not only reduce disaster risk for communities but also provide a sustainable model for Vietnam’s energy demand.

This position paper presents a critique of public policy in Vietnam related to hydropower industry, undertaken alongside an analysis of socio-economic community resilience and disaster risk reduction literature.

Small hydropower investment must be delayed until measures are put in place to ensure that multi-stakeholder risk is a central component of the investment dialogue. Current pricing policies are not aligned with the hydropower development management, and this erects barriers to environmentally and socially conscious decision-making.

This paper suggests that the development of small hydropower projects must be curtailed until new measures are put in place. This has practical implications for investors, policy makers and residents of affected areas. The authors argue for a significant shift in government strategy toward building resilience as opposed to growth and profit at any cost.

Conscious of Vietnam’s energy demands and development goals, this paper investigates the context of increasing disaster risk and ecological pressures, as well as social injustice relating to the hydropower industry. This kind of analysis can support future efforts to reduce disaster risk and the vulnerability of marginalized groups in Vietnam.

The authors present a comprehensive review of Vietnamese hydropower from a disaster resilience perspective and provide analysis that will be useful in further research in this emerging area.

This paper aims to focus on the contribution of segregated renewable energy (RE) sources such as solar, wind, bagasse, biomass, small hydropower (SHP) and waste to heat in driving sustainable industrial production in India.

This study uses non-linear modelling techniques such as quantile regression and the non-linear Granger causality test to explore the interplay between segregated RE generation and industrial production in India.

The study findings support the role of segregated RE sources generation, especially SHP and bagasse, on industrial production in India. This paper finds unidirectional non-linear Granger causality running from segregated RE sources to industrial production. Bidirectional non-linear Granger causality has been established from biomass, waste-heat to index of industrial production and vice versa, supporting an asymmetric feedback hypothesis.

The study findings will aid the energy policymaker in framing policies for RE sources, especially bagasse-based and SHP generation for the sustainable industrial growth of India.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first studies to explore the role of segregated RE sources generation to drive sustainable industrial growth in India using non-linear techniques.

Greenko, a renewable power generating company investing in biomass, small and medium hydro power and wind power projects, had projected to achieve 1GW (Giga Watt = 1000 Mega Watt) of installed capacity by March 2015. The company had been financing its projects with debt from Indian banks and financial institutions on a project finance basis and it had to now decide whether to refinance the project finance debt with an international bond issue of USD 550 million. The case provides an opportunity to discuss the public policy and financing aspects of renewable energy in India.

This paper aims to investigate, with the view to determine the effectiveness of blueprints that are designed to boost hydroelectricity use, the unit root properties of hydroelectricity consumption in 50 countries for the period from 1965 to 2012.

A newly proposed non-linear unit root test is used for the purpose of estimations.

The results show that 26 countries (which are mostly developing countries) or 52 per cent of the total sample have unit roots in their hydroelectricity consumption series.

The policy implication of these results is that policies associated with the enhancement of hydroelectric power use are likely to be effective in several cases, especially in the developing countries.

The main contribution of this paper is that we estimate the non-stationarity of hydroelectricity series within a non-linearity framework. Failure to use a non-linearity method in the presence of non-linear data-generation processes will create biased inferences and wrong policy implications.

The study aims to identify the severe socioeconomic, environmental, and ecological impacts caused by the construction of mega and large hydro-power plants in Uttarakhand, India. In addition to identifying the attributes, the study creates an integrated index that will assist in the development of sustainable hydro-power.

The methodology used for this impact identification was based on extensive literature review, focused expert discussions and further validation through a primary survey among the stakeholders in the hydropower sector. The sustainability index (SI) was estimated using the fuzzy logic theory.

The study area SI shows that few projects are in extreme zones, and through suggestive measures, few project sites can be made viable for long-term sustainable project site. A Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol–based conceptual model is also proposed for mitigation of impacts.

Hydropower plays an essential role in access to cleaner and cheaper sources of energy; it defines the usage of water resources toward inflation-free green energy and holds spectacular operational flexibility. Despite the significant advantages associated with hydroelectric power projects, there are adverse side effects as well. The water-based power sector industry contributes to any nation through both economic and environmental ways. Although one-third of the power business in India is carried out through water-based hydropower projects, recent trends in water-based hydropower projects show significant socioeconomic and environmental impacts that create a debate about the sustainability of these projects.

This paper seeks to review the state of desertification in Nigeria, historical trends and past national efforts as well as ongoing programs for combating the fast-spreading desert conditions in the arid zones of the country.

The approach has been carried out through a comprehensive review analysis and detailed assessment on several methods of approach which includes archival materials as well as published government documents, field observation and learned background information of the working and funding dynamics of the program to combat desertification.

The findings of this paper reveal that the failure of the past government effort in combating desertification in Nigeria is a result of the policies and the programs not having been designed to adequately tackle the problem of drought and desertification and of the phenomena being treated as sectoral issues rather than an integrated whole.

This paper has practical implication for anyone interested in sustainable management of drought and desertification in the arid and semi arid zones of the world.

The paper has articulated success and failure of the government programs in combating the twin environmental problems of drought and desertification in Nigeria and also shows that government could significantly combat desertification through sustainable management of its projects/programs if adequate resources are employed.

This paper aims to explore Turkey’s current energy status with a on renewable energy sources (RES) cooperation mechanisms, within the framework of RES Directive 2009/28/EC. The study uses the SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis for drawing results about perspectives of RES cooperation between Turkey and European Union (EU) Member States. In particular, the SWOT analysis provides a clearer view of expanding RES in Turkey, as well as the level of utilization and potential of cooperation mechanisms and renewable energy in the country.

The approach followed incorporates desktop analysis, stakeholders’ mapping and involvement, key factors’ identification and results analysis and validation. The adopted approach is based on research conducted within the context of the “Bringing Europe and Third countries closer together through renewable Energies (BETTER)” (project number: IEE/11/845/SI2.616378) project, co-financed by the Intelligent Energy Europe Programme.

Based on the SWOT analysis conducted for Turkey, there are huge opportunities for RES deployment and cooperation in the country, because of its large unexploited RES potential. Turkey is a country with strategic importance, e.g. regarding energy security. Substantial savings can occur for the EU28 Member States through this cooperation, whereas Turkey will also benefit through income and investments, as well as technology transfers and further synergies associated with the cooperation. For the above potentials to be reached, nevertheless, national policies for RES development would have to be strengthened substantially, and non-economic barriers mitigated.

The potential of Turkey to utilise cooperation mechanisms provides opportunities for RES exporting between the country and EU countries. An analysis of these opportunities for cooperation will allow drawing clearer conclusions on cooperation potentials and business cases for Turkey.

The authors formulate India’s energy targets in light of pushing for renewable energy sources and reducing the dependence on imported coal. Share of imported coal in electricity generation has been approximately 10 per cent in recent years. While investments in renewables have grown in recent years as seen in installed capacities, coal-fired electricity generation has grown because of rising demand for electricity. The purpose of this study is to find a planner solution when high global coal prices force greater investments in renewable energies.

The authors use real options approach where global coal prices are the stochastic variable. They present an optimal stopping problem and solving the problem backward, the revenues from continuing with the current energy generation mix and those from replacing imported coal with wind and solar is compared for each period.

The “trigger price” for global coal prices when it is optimal for the social planner to invest in additional wind and solar capacities is found. Trigger prices is the threshold when investment must be undertaken whatever be the future evolution of coal prices; this gives the problem a value of waiting. India cannot afford to wait to invest if faced with strict short-term goals.

The work evaluates India’s domestic targets and its Paris Agreement goals in light of using more of wind and sun and replacing imported coal. Various data sources (government reports, research articles) are consulted to predict shares of electricity from various sources in future and the authors find the operating costs and the investment costs associated with switching to renewables.