طرح های تولید انرژی تجدید پذیر یکپارچه در سطح کلان برای توسعه پایدار

The production of renewable clean energy is a prime necessity for the sustainable future existence of our planet. However, because of the resource-intensive nature, and other challenges associated with these new generation renewable energy sources, novel industrial frameworks need to be co-developed. Integrated renewable energy production schemes with foundations on resource sharing, carbon neutrality, energy-efficient design, source reduction, green processing plan, anthropogenic use of waste resources for the production green energy along with the production of raw material for allied food and chemical industries is imperative for the sustainable development of this sector especially in an emission-constrained future industrial scenario. To attain these objectives, the scope of hybrid renewable production systems and integrated renewable energy industrial ecology is briefly described. Further, the principles of Integrated Renewable Energy Park (IREP) approach, an example for macro-level energy production, and its benefits and global applications are also explored.

The production of renewable clean energy is a prime necessity for the sustainable future existence of our planet (IPCC Climate Change, 2007 and Lund, 2007). Renewable energies represent a cornerstone to steer our energy system in the direction of sustainability and generating electricity, heat or biofuels from renewable energy sources has become a high priority in the energy policy strategies at national level as well as at a global scale (Resch et al., 2008). However, there are many practical challenges associated with large scale deployment of renewable energy production. Renewable energy technologies are often recognized as less competitive than traditional electric energy conversion systems. Obstacles with renewable electric energy conversion systems are often referred to the intermittency of the energy sources and the relatively high initial capital cost (Skoglund et al., 2010). Moreover, renewable energy production systems can be highly resource-intensive because of the less-dense energy content nature of new generation energy systems compared to energy-dense fossil fuels. Wind and solar energies are infinite from a resource standpoint; however, the available land from which to harvest them is finite. Similarly, the land required to grow any biomass feedstock for biofuel to meet a large demand is also finite (Subhadra, 2010a). Similarly, water – another finite natural resource – consumption represents a major challenge for future energy production (Subhadra and Edwards,, Subhadra, 2010b, Subhadra, and Gerbens-Leenes et al., 2009). Thus, the primary constraint in future energy scenarios is not energy sources as such but rather the land and water required to harvest or grow or process them. This constraint on natural resources becomes particularly important in the wake of another global challenge. There is greater need for more agricultural land for providing ‘dietary energy’ for the planet's growing population (Sachs et al., 2010 and Godfray et al., 2010). However, the productive agricultural land on our planet is decreasing due to extreme climate and unpredicted weather attributed mainly to increasing greenhouse gas (GHG)-emissions (IFPRI, 2009). Moreover, the agricultural lands which are already in use might need more natural resources such as irrigation water for the same level of production which brings additional constraints on available water resources.

There is no doubt that renewable energy production is the energy landscape for future sustainable development. For example, recent analyses and results of the design of a 100% renewable energy system by the year 2050 revealed that numerous positive socio-economic benefits (e.g. employment generation, earning on exports and health externalities) can be derived from large scale renewable energy deployment (Mathiesen et al., 2011). However, because of the resource-intensive nature, and other challenges associated with these new generation renewable energy sources, novel industrial frameworks need to be co-developed. Integrated renewable energy production systems with foundations on waste minimization resource sharing, carbon neutrality, energy-efficient design, source reduction, green processing plan, anthropogenic use of waste resources for the production green energy along with the production of raw material for allied food and chemical industries is also imperative for the sustainable development of this sector especially in an emission-constrained future industrial scenario. The annual renewable energy, comprising solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass, investment has increased fourfold to reach 120 billion in 2008, which are largely independent from each other. A strategic macro-level production plan to integrate these industries together with allied food and chemical industries in the form of IREP-like frameworks will have far reaching economic as well as environmental benefits. Further, policy initiatives for synergistic development of integrated industrial production schemes can bring many sustainable deliverables to society.