Papers by Adewale Adesanya
Electricity
The development of 100% renewable electricity (RE) systems play a pivotal role in ensuring climat... more The development of 100% renewable electricity (RE) systems play a pivotal role in ensuring climate stability. Many municipalities blessed with wealth, an educated and progressive citizenry, and large RE resources, have already reached 100% RE generation. Impoverished municipalities in unwelcoming environments both politically and climatically (e.g., northern latitudes with long, dark winter conditions) appear to be incapable of transitioning to renewables. This study challenges that widespread assumption by conducting a detailed technical and economic analysis for three representative municipalities in the Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Each municipality is simulated with their own hourly electricity demand and climate profiles using an electrical supply system based on local wind, solar, hydropower, and battery storage. Sensitivities are run on all economic and technical variables. Results show that transition to 100% RE is technically feasible and economically viable. In all...
AFFORDABLE HEATING FROM WIND AND HYDRO RESOURCES IN DURNESS An Assessment of a Community Owned Project Final Report Energy and Environmental Management in Developing Countries
Impact Assessment of Nigerian Private Sector Investment on Captive Power Generation from Solar PV-Diesel Hybrid System
Promoting Policies for Renewable Electrification
Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, 2020
Global distribution of forest classes and leaf biomass for use as alternative foods to minimize malnutrition
World Food Policy, 2021
Due to the ready availability of tree leaves in many geographies, the alternative food of leaf co... more Due to the ready availability of tree leaves in many geographies, the alternative food of leaf concentrate currently has the potential to alleviate hunger in over 800 million people. It is therefore potentially highly impactful to determine the edibility of leaf concentrates, which are in the same regions as the world's most undernourished populations. Unfortunately, the toxicity of leaf concentrate for most common tree leaf types has not been screened and the cost of doing so demands a prioritization. This preliminary study explores this potential solution to world hunger by finding the forest classes most likely to offer proximate access to the world's hungry, thus providing the basis for a prioritized list of leaf types to screen for toxicity. Specifically, this study describes a novel methodology for mapping available green leaf biomass and corresponding forest classes (e.g., tropical moist deciduous forest), and their spatial relationship to the global distribution of p...
Sustainability, 2021
The cost of energy in the Western Upper Peninsula (WUP), a rural and northern part of the state o... more The cost of energy in the Western Upper Peninsula (WUP), a rural and northern part of the state of Michigan, is among the highest in the United States. This situation has resulted in hardship for WUP residents due to exorbitant electricity bills. While interest in renewable electricity (RE) has increased in the region, the unanswered questions are what factors would make WUP residents more or less supportive of a transition to 100% RE, and how does the support for a 100% RE transition differ between counties in the WUP? This research analyzed factors that would make residents more or less supportive of a 100% RE transition in the WUP. This research investigated public perceptions through a quantitative residents’ survey (N = 347). Using logistic regression, the results show that residents’ likelihood to participate in a municipality-led initiative that will reduce their consumption by 5% is statistically significant to their probability of support for wind energy development at p &l...
Sustainability, 2021
Moving toward a sustainable global society requires substantial change in both social and technol... more Moving toward a sustainable global society requires substantial change in both social and technological systems. This sustainability is dependent not only on addressing the environmental impacts of current social and technological systems, but also on addressing the social, economic and political harms that continue to be perpetuated through systematic forms of oppression and the exclusion of Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities. To adequately identify and address these harms, we argue that scientists, practitioners, and communities need a transdisciplinary framework that integrates multiple types of knowledge, in particular, Indigenous and experiential knowledge. Indigenous knowledge systems embrace relationality and reciprocity rather than extraction and oppression, and experiential knowledge grounds transition priorities in lived experiences rather than expert assessments. Here, we demonstrate how an Indigenous, experiential, and community-based participator...
The Social Science Journal, 2020
Energy Research & Social Science, 2020
This paper examines five communities in the United States (U.S.) that have transitioned to 100% u... more This paper examines five communities in the United States (U.S.) that have transitioned to 100% use of renewable resources for electricity. The paper describes and compares social, political and economic similarities and differences among these communities to improve understanding of the factors that support successful renewable energy (RE) transitions. The analysis builds on Geels' multi-level perspective theory in assessing sustainable energy transitions and the energy transition process based on these five case studies. Main variables of interest considered for 100% renewable energy transition in these municipalities are renewable energy resource availability (solar, wind and hydro), utility ownership, partisanship of municipal leadership, population size, and supporting energy legislation at state level renewable portfolio standard (RPS). Findings from this paper show that utility ownership appears to play a critical role in the transition process, as most of the municipalities have municipally owned utilities. State RPS programs are also prominent among all the states in which these the municipalities are located, indicating the importance of state legislation. Further, RE resource availability may not be required, as possibilities for hybridization of energy technologies are evident in the studied places. The most common pathway typology in these 100% RE transitions is reconfiguration. This typology results from technological innovations fuelled by development in RE technologies and stakeholder advocacy. Identified drivers from this research provide helpful parameters of consideration for energy transitions in other places in the U.S. and beyond.
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2019
It is well established that lack of both electric supply capacity and reliability weaken the Nige... more It is well established that lack of both electric supply capacity and reliability weaken the Nigerian economy. Recently, the reduction in solar photovoltaic (PV) costs along with the technical potential to couple PV to hybrid battery and diesel generators provides Nigerian businesses with an opportunity to reduce operating costs while defecting from the grid. This study investigates the potential of using off-grid hybrid energy systems for private industries within and near Lagos state currently with relatively high daily electricity demands that are met with supply through captive diesel generation. The results based on simulations of six industry sector load profiles developed from surveys found solar PV and diesel hybrid energy systems are economically viable for a wide array of industries in the Nigerian private sector including real estate, education, banking, automobile, hospitality and production. Five of the six sectors had discounted payback times for the systems under a year and ROIs >100%. The results established that the levelized cost of electricity is lower for every sector analysed with inclusion of solar PV, lower still with coupling of batteries and more reliable than the current grid-provided electricity. Nigeria as a whole will also benefit from widespread adoption of solar hybrid systems, as it will assist the balance of trade by reducing refined petroleum imports. In conclusion, the results of this study make it clear that every scale of Nigerian businesses could increase profitability with the use of solar hybrid systems. Highlights • Nigerian private sector does not need to rely on expensive diesel fuel for energy needs • Using batteries in hybrid solar photovoltaic (PV) + diesel systems reduces LCOE • Solar PV adoption is economically viable, offering ROIs >100% for five subsectors • Results show high ROI and low discount payback for all-good indicators for lenders • Security of solar PV infrastructure and increase awareness are key to investment
Energy Policy, 2019
This research examines the impact of Nigerian private sector investment in captive power generati... more This research examines the impact of Nigerian private sector investment in captive power generation from solar photovoltaic (PV) and diesel generator (DG) hybrid energy systems. The study assesses the economic viability of solar PV-DG hybrid systems among Nigerian private companies using levelized cost of energy (LCOE) and analyzes policies that can facilitate solar PV investment as a bottom-up approach to Nigeria's energy development. Forty (40) private companies across Nigeria were surveyed to examine potential the fuel savings that hybrid of PV and DG can achieve. Out of the surveyed companies, three cases representing different load factors were selected and modelled in HOMER Pro to obtain LCOE for each case study. The research findings indicate that electricity generation deficiencies for Nigerian business consumers can be addressed with available renewable energy solar resources. A savings between € 0.002 and 0.009/kWh was achieved from the three-case study. Adequate policy to support investment is both necessary and possible for achieving increased solar PV adoption for highly willing Nigerian private sector.
December 2020. The first and the last chapters of the dissertation provide an introduction and co... more December 2020. The first and the last chapters of the dissertation provide an introduction and conclusion, respectively, and the middle four chapters are research work either published or under review for publication. The majority (3 out of 4) of the research work in this dissertation was created as a product of collaboration with other researchers. Chapter two: Research was conducted by gathering, reviewing, and analyzing data of five municipalities in the U.S. that have achieved their goals of 100% renewable electricity (RE). The chapter serves as the foundation on which others are built. As the lead author of this research, my contributions include research idea conceptualization, data collection and analysis, and preparing the initial drafts of all the sections of the paper. Further, I was responsible for identifying the appropriate journal for submission and also acted as the correspondence for the publication. This chapter is published in Energy Research and Social Science (ERSS). Chapter three focuses on a technical pre-feasibility study of 100% renewably sourced electricity in the Western Upper Peninsula (WUP), Michigan, U.S. The feasibility targets the possibility of achieving 100% RE by the year 2030. As the lead author, the contributions that I made to this research include idea conceptualization, data sourcing, development and receipt of the memorandum of understanding with external stakeholders for data access, data collection, and preparation of paper draft. System modelling and simulations, result analysis, final manuscript was shared with co-authors. I was also responsible for identifying and submitting the research paper to an appropriate journal. I also serve as the correspondence for this paper. The research is under review in Renewable Energy and is co-authored by Joshua Pearce and Nelson Sommerfeldt. Chapter four adapts an existing survey questionnaire of Long Island residents regarding perception of non-residential solar to investigate public perceptions and social acceptance of 100% renewable electricity in the WUP. The research involves quantitative analysis of opinions provided via survey response on the potential for a renewable energy transition in the WUP. Unlike chapters two and three, this research is solely authored. Work done includes idea conceptualization, survey design, survey distribution, data collection, analysis, and writing. This research was submitted to Sustainability and has been accepted for publication. The research was partially funded with a grant award from Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC) of Michigan Technological University (MTU). Chapter five is a review of existing and future policies to promote renewable electrification. In this paper, which is co-authored, my contribution includes structuring of research ideas and preparation of the initial draft of the paper. Research idea conceptualization and final draft of manuscript was jointly shared with co-author. The work viii
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Papers by Adewale Adesanya