ABSTRACT
The renewable energies are the second largest source of energy after coal, but ahead of nuclear, natural gas, and oil. The renewable energy technologies such as biomass energy, solar, wind, and geothermal energy have the unlimited amount of primary energy resources. They can provide sustainable energy access, climate-friendly agriculture, environmental, and socio-economic benefits for the farmers in the rural communities. The integration of renewable energy systems such as solar and wind can provide a sustainable energy source for water pumps, crushing grain, and other activities in the rural life and sustainable agricultural activities of these regions. Geothermal power can provide a significant source of heat energy. Bioenergy crops such as corn, sugarcane, switchgrass, and other plant biomass can produce alcohol, biofuels, biogas, methane, oils, and hydrogen. There are significant opportunities in the application of renewable energy technologies for the socio-economic development in the agricultural production of rural areas. However, further technological improvement is needed to upgrade their equipment to obtain the maximum energy use efficiency (e.g., cold stores, irrigation pumps) to install renewable energy system to run intensive operations and provide the energy for high energy intensity activities such as irrigation systems, packaging and processing equipment, water heating, and sterilization. Through government and private energy incentives, the farmers can increase their energy self-sufficiency through energy use efficiency, and thus the renewable energy will lower their energy bills and costs, strengthen the food supply chain, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and provide clean agricultural products.
