Sustainable Energy in Latin America and the Caribbean: Potential for the Future
The ICSU ROLAC science plan on sustainable energy responds to this need by addressing research, development, and innovation issues regarding renewable energy resources in Latin America and the Caribbean. The document starts with an overview of the global and regional energy situation, stressing the risks of maintaining the present structure of the world energy matrix with high dependence on fossil fuels. The subsequent analysis of the different renewable energy sources shows that biomass, solar, and wind energy are promising for centralized or distributed energy production in LAC countries. These, together with small scale hydropower plants are also important for small and isolated communities, located in off-grid regions.
The successful implementation of the science plan for sustainable energy practices and technologies needs to be supported by three main pillars:
1.) Research on specific scientific and technological issues that can contribute to the adaptation of state of the art technologies to local and regional scenarios.
2). Capacity building, at institutional and individual levels, by means of joint research programs.
3). Design and implementation of public policies based on scientific information to create the enabling environment necessary for the full and sustainable implementation of sustainable energy practices and technologies.
The RD&I priorities analyzed include biomass productivity, solar energy assessment, wind resource estimation, as well as related processes, such as energy carriers, and standards and certification. The science plan also proposes several activities that may contribute to institutional and individual capacity building, and offers advice regarding the development of sound and sustainable public policies on renewable energy sources in the LAC region.
