THE 3 rd INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCES OF STUDENTS AND YOUNG RESEARCHERS dedicated to the 99
th
anniversary of the National Leader of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev
469
Therefore, the progress of those countries towards carbon free energy
sources is challenged by a shortage of competence in the field and regulatory
framework, and small amount of capital investments.
Although, Azerbaijan has great wind and solar energy sources and
excellent prospects for geothermal energy, hydropower and biomass, the
country has yet to realize its tremendous RE and energy efficiency
capabilities. In recent years the government has prepared several
legislations for more sustainable energy exploitation which are currently
awaiting approval. Azerbaijan’s environmental strategy is based on
protection of existing ecology while making the country’s energy prospect,
and effective usage of natural resources to meet the current and future
energy demand. Even though the country's climate is conducive to all forms
of RESs, solar energy has the greatest potential. With the country ‘s annual
number of sunshine hours ranging between
2400
and
3200
, more than
23000 𝑊
energy can be produced by the solar power, which is quite high in
comparison to other countries. Hence, its solar irradiance is estimated to be
around
1500 𝑘𝑊ℎ/𝑚
-
2000 𝑘𝑊ℎ/𝑚
(Sustainable
development
–
Azerbaijan energy profile – Analysis - IEA, 2022). The central river valleys
and northern regions possess the foremost available energy resources.
Kazakhstan has enormous and untapped potential from solar, wind,
hydro and biomass, however, currently fossil fuels make up the major part of
the country’s power generation. The dominant energy source is the coal-fired
plants comprising
64.7 %
of overall energy generation which gives rise to
greenhouse gas emissions and undesirable effects on human health and the
nature (Karatayev and Clarke, 2014). Social, financial and institutional
impediments are the primary reasons for the renewable energy resources
not to be captured and deployed in a sustainable way in Kazakhstan. Wind
and solar appear to be the main focus of renewable energy sector in the
country. The steppe geography of the country makes it suitable for the
application of wind power with a considerable potential of
760 𝐺𝑊
which is
economically producible. The average wind speed within the borders of the
country is
4 − 6 𝑚/𝑠
(in some regions reaching to
27 − 36 𝑚/𝑠
at altitude of
15 𝑚
) which is totally adequate for the energy generation, with the Caspian
Sea, central and northern parts having the most capacity.
One of the priorities in sustainable exploitation of renewable energy
resource is to minimize greenhouse gas emissions, thereby, increasing its
share in ultimate energy consumption. Uzbekistan is another country which
takes crucial steps in this direction. Despite its large solar energy potential,
the country lacks industrial-scale solar power plants. The substantial RES
potential in Uzbekistan might help the country to establish a green,
ecologically friendly economy. The overall RES potential of the country is
117 984 𝑀𝑡𝑜𝑒
, with a technical potential of
179.3 𝑀𝑡𝑜𝑒
. Solar energy makes