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Energy Research Directions and Issues for Developing Countries

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Energy Research Directions and Issues for Developing Countries The Intern ational Development Research Centre is a public corporation created by the Parliament of Canada in 1970 to support research designed to adapt science and technology to the needs of developing countries . CANADA The Centre's activity is concentrated in fi ve sectors: agriculture , food and nutrition sciences; health sciences; in fo rmation sc iences: social sci­ ences: and communications. IDRC is fin anced solely by the Parliament of Canada: it s policies . however, are set by an internati onal Board of Governors. The Centre's headquarters arc in Ottawa, Canada. Regional offices are located in Africa. Asia, Latin America. and the Middle East. The United Nations Uni ve rsity is an organ of the United Nations estab­ li shed by the Gene ral Assembly in 1972 to be an intern ational commu­ nity of scholars engaged in research , advanced training, and the di ssem­ ination of kn owl edge related to the pressing global problems of human survival. development. and welfa re. Its activities foc us mai nl y on peace and conflict resolution. development in a changin g world . and sc ience and techn ology in relation to human welfa re . The Uni versity operates th rough a worldwide network of research and postgraduate training centres. with it s pl anning and coordinating headquarters in Tokyo. Japan. 10 Internati onal Development Research Centre and United Nati ons Uni versi ty 1986 Postal Address: P.O . Box 8500. Ottawa. Ont. , Canada KI G 3H9 IDRC. Ottawa CA Energy Research Group United Nations Un iversit y, Tokyo JP IDRC-250e Energy research : di recti ons and issues fo r developing countries. Ottawa, Ont., IDRC. 1986. 184 p. : ill. / Resean .. h/ . /energy sources/ , /energy demand/ , /energy resources/ , /energy conservati on/. /developing countries/ - /fuels/, /technology/, /renewable energy sources/ . /environmental effects/ , /organi zation of research/ . UDC: 620.9 .001 .5 ISBN: 0-88936-479-6 A microfi che edition is availabl e. II existe egalement u11 e edition franraise de cette publication. ERRATUM Table 4, page 54 The values given in columns 3, 7, and 8 are in tonnes not ki 1ograms. IDRC-250e Energy Research Directions and Issues for Developing Countries Energy Research Group This book was part of a project funded by the International Development Research Centre, Ottawa, Canada, and the United Nations Universit_v, Tokyo, Japan. The views expressed are those <!!" the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the funding agencies. Mention of proprietary names does not constitute endorsement of the product and is given only for information. The Energy Research Group Ashok V. Desai Djibril Fall Jose Goldemberg Jose Fernando Isaza Ali Kettani Ho Tak Kim Mohan Munasinghe Frederick Owino Amulya Reddy Carlos E. Suarez Zhu Yajie Abstract The final report of the Energy Research Group surveys energy research and suggests priorities for developing countries. The report is based on three premises: energy research must be related to research on the entire economy and society; energy sources must be studied in the context of demand for them; and energy saving is as important as energy production. The report begins by examining the environment for research in developing countries and the role played by governments, research institutions, p1.:iducers, and international funding agencies. Various approaches to energy demand management and conservation are outlined and illustrated with examples of opportunities for certain common types of equipment. The Group goes on to pinpoint research priorities for various energy sources - liquid, gaseous, and solid - as well as thermal energy, motive power, and electricity. Of the many pervasive environmental effects of energy production and use, the report focuses most closely on three environmental issues related to energy: deforestation and desertification, the greenhouse effect, and acid rain. The general conclusions of the report are summarized in three final chapters. Resume Le rapport officicl du Groupe de rechcrche sur l 'energie fait un bilan de la rec he re he en cc domaine et propose des priorites pour les pays en developpement. Trois premisses sont d'abord posees : la recherche energetique doit etre liee a des recherches economiques ct sociales globales, les sources energctiques doivent etre etudiees dans le contexte de la demande d'energic, enfin, l'cconomie d'energie est aussi importante que la production d'cncrgie. Dans sa premiere partic, le rapport examine l'environnement de la recherche dans Jes pays en dcveloppement et le role que joucnt les gouvernements, les instituts de recherche, les productcurs et les agenccs internationales de financemcnt. On y aborde differentes methodcs de gcstion de la demande d'cnergie et de l'economie d'energie, des exemples servant a illustrer Jes avantages de certains cquipements communement utilises. Le Groupe va jusqu'a definir des priorites de recherche pour certaines sources d'ener­ gic - liquidcs, gazeuses ct solides - de meme que pour l'energie thermale, la force mo trice ct l 'electricite. Parmi les nombrcux effets negatifs de la production et de I' utilisa­ tion de l'energie sur l'cnvironnemcnt, le rapport retient plus particulierement trois pro­ blemes environncmentaux : le dcboisement et la desertification, l'cffet de serre ct les pluics acides. Les trois dcmiers chapitrcs du rapport resument lcs conclusions generalcs du Groupe. Res um en El informe final de! Grupo de lnvestigaciones Energeticas examina las investigaciones sobre energia y sugiere prioridades para los paises en desarrollo. El informe esta basado en tres premisas: las investigaciones energeticas deben estar relacionadas con las investigacio­ nes sobre todos los aspectos de la economfa y de la sociedad; las fuentes de energia deben esmdiarse dentro de! contexto de su demanda; y el ahorro de energia tiene tanta importancia como la producci6n de energia El informe comienza analizando las condiciones imperantes para la realizaci6n de investigaciones en los paises en vias de desarrollo y el papel de los gobiemos, instituciones de investigaci6n, productores y agencias intemacionales que otorgan fondos. Se esbozan varios enfoques relativos a la gesti6n de la demanda de energia y a la conservaci6n de energia, ilustrados con ejemplos de las oportunidades existentes para ciertos tipos de equipos. El Grupo continua seflalando prioridades de investigaciones para varias fuentes de energia - Iiquidas, gaseosas y s6lidas - asi como energia termica, fuerza motriz y electricidad. Entre los muchos efectos ambientales globales de la producci6n y uso de energia, el informe hace enfasis sobre todo en tres problemas ambientales relacionados con la energia: la despoblaci6n forestal y el avance de los desiertos; el efecto de invemadero; y las lluvias acidas. Las conclusiones generales del informe se resumen en tres capftulos finales. Contents Preface v11 Acknowledgments 1x Chapter I . Introduction Basic Premises 2 Coverage 3 Structure 4 Chapter 2. The Approach of the Group 6 Points of Departure 7 Nonnative Assumptions 9 The Great Uncertainties I I Chapter 3. Research and its Environment I4 Governments I 5 Producers 22 Research Institutions 30 International Funding Agencies 34 Chapter 4. Demand Analysis and Management 39 Aggregate Demand 4 I Demand at the Micro Level 46 Demand-based Policies 48 Agriculture 53 Industry 60 Transport 63 Households 68 Chapter 5. Energy Conservation 75 Motors 76 Internal Combustion Engines 78 External Combustion Engines 79 Brayton Cycle Engines 80 Boilers 81 Solid-fuel Stoves 83 Chapter 6. Liquid Fuels 86 Oil 88 Alcohols 93 Chapter 7. Gaseous Fuels 96 Natural Gas 97 Biogas 99 Producer Gas I 00 Hydrogen 102 v Chapter 8. Solid Fuels l 05 Coal 107 Charcoal 111 Biomass 113 Chapter 9. Other Thermal Sources 117 Geothermal Energy I 17 Solar Thermal Energy 118 Chapter IO. Electricity 121 Power Sector Organization, Management, and Policy 121 Optimizing Investment Planning, Pricing, and Operations 123 Solar Photovoltaic Systems 125 Solar Thermal Electricity 127 Wind Generation 127 Chapter 11. Motive Power Sources 129 Wind Energy 130 Human Energy 131 Chapter 12. Environmental Effects 133 Deforestation and Desertification 135 The Greenhouse Effect 137 Acid Rain 141 Chapter 13. Prerequisites 145 Informed User 145 Long-range Knowledge Accumulation 146 Informed Director 147 Finance 147 Chapter 14. Uses 148 Structural Relationships 149 Interfuel Substitution 149 Energy Conservation 149 Chapter 15. Resources 151 Market-sensitive Resources 152 Cost-sensitive Resources 152 References 154 Appendix 1: Members of the Energy Research Group 167 Appendix 2: Authors and Review Papers Commissioned by the Energy Research Group 170 Appendix 3: Referees of the Energy Research Group's Final Report and Commissioned Papers 173 Author Index 175 Subject Index 179 VI Preface In 1981, the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) carried out a preliminary study of the energy problems of developing countries and the response of donor agencies to those problems. Among other things, this exercise was aimed at exploring new directions that IDRC itself might take in supporting energy­ related research. The study revealed that, although many developing countries and donor agencies were actively involved in energy research, much of that research tended to be poorly conceived and weakly coordinated. Moreover, the research was often of limited relevance to the needs of developing countries. Specifically, one of the impressions gathered in the Centre's study was that the research concentrated on "hardware" rather than on the social and economic viability of the relevant technology. To be sure, there was some work on energy planning, but this was largely in the form of technical assistance with little local input. Another impression was that a large proportion of foreign aid for energy research was used in developed countries and, even when used in developing countries, it was under the direct control of expatriates. Finally, there was an impression that the global allocation and the overall purpose of aid funds for energy research were unknown. As a result, donor efforts were poorly coordinated and research choices were largely ad hoc.
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