ABSTRACT
Establishing viable renewable energy systems is a fundamental requirement of progress towards a sustainable society (UN, 2013; UN-Energy, 2014). Especially if we are to improve energy security and avoid catastrophic climate change, conversion to more renewable, as well as more efficient, systems is crucial. Sadly, it does not follow that the task will be easy. As the International Energy Agency (IEA, 2014) notes, the share of fossil fuels in the global energy mix in 2012 was 81.7 percent – very similar to the percentage of 86.7 in 1973 – and the Agency’s current projections foresee fossil fuels still commanding an 80 percent share in 2040. Commonly noted obstacles to major renewable energy expansion include poor cost competitiveness, inadequate political will, insufficient planning capacity and enforcement, and poor integration with other broad political agendas (UN, 2014).
