Economic Geography Research

Economic Geography Research

Economic Analysis of Renewable Energy Development and Utilization in the Agricultural Sector of Kurdistan Province

Document Type : Articles extracted from Thesis

Authors
yasin tashan 1
Badsar mohamad 2
heydar gholizadeh 2
majid namdari 3
omid karami 4
1 PhD. Student of agricultural development, University of Zanjan, Iran.
2 Associate professor, Department of Extension, Communication and Rural Development, University of Zanjan, Iran
3 Assistant professor, Department of Plant production and genetics, University of Zanjan, Iran.
4 Postdoctoral Student, Department of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University, United States of America.
10.30470/jegr.2024.2023887.1156
Abstract
Energy is an indispensable component of modern society and civic life, playing a fundamental role in the industrial economy. However, the extensive use of fossil fuels has led to a significant increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, resulting in adverse climate change impacts. The agricultural sector, being one of the largest contributors to GHG emissions, holds particular importance in addressing this issue. One of the most effective strategies to mitigate GHG emissions is transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. Given the significance of this transition, this study aims to conduct an economic analysis of the development and utilization of renewable energy in the agricultural sector of Kurdistan Province. The research participants consisted of experts from Kurdistan Province, selected through the snowball sampling method. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews, which continued until theoretical saturation was achieved (after 15 interviews). The collected data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis in MAXQDA software. The findings revealed that economic factors had the most significant influence on the development and use of renewable energy, accounting for 42.86% of the impact. Within this category, 10 key indicators were identified, including high initial costs, low farmer income, and other economic challenges. Additionally, the study identified economic obstacles to renewable energy development, including 10 indicators related to the national energy sector and 14 indicators specific to the provincial energy sector. Finally, the study proposed economic solutions for promoting renewable energy in the agricultural sector, encompassing 8 core strategies. These include financial support, investment in education and awareness campaigns, reallocating subsidies from fossil fuels to renewable energy, implementing incentive-based and regulatory economic policies, expanding specialized financial and credit institutions, providing equipment-based facilities, and establishing renewable energy networks with financial participation from farmers.
Keywords
Economic Factors
Renewable Energies
Agriculture
Kurdistan Province
Afsharzadeh, N., Papzan, A., Ashjaee, M., Delangizan, S., Van Passel, S., & Azadi, H. (2016). Renewable energy development in rural areas of Iran. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 65, 743-755. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2016.07.042
Arasteh Taleshmekaiil, M. R., Khatibi, S. M. R., Mohemsaz, M., Azimi, M. H., & Sadeghpour, A. (2021). Investigating the effective factors of renewable energy development in tehran metropolis. Mathematical Problems in Engineering, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/6636955
Arto, I., Capellán-Pérez, I., Lago, R., Bueno, G., & Bermejo, R. J. E. f. S. D. (2016). The energy requirements of a developed world. 33, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esd.2016.04.001
Badsar, M., & Karami, R. (2021). Understanding farmers’ response to renewable energy: an application of Protection Motivation Theory. Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology, (5)23, 987-1000. DOR: 20.1001.1.16807073.2021.23.5.12.3
Barragan-Escandon, A., Jara-Nieves, D., Romero-Fajardoc, I., Zalamea-Leónesteban, E. F., & Serrano-Guerrero, X. (2022). Barriers to renewable energy expansion: Ecuador as a case study. Energy Strategy Reviews, 43, 100903. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esr.2022.100903
Čábelková, I., Strielkowski, W., Firsova, I., & Korovushkina, M. (2020). Public acceptance of renewable energy sources: A case study from the Czech Republic. Energies, 13(7), 1742. https://doi.org/10.3390/en13071742
Chen, H., & Wang, L. (2017). Chapter 9 - Coproducts Generated from Biomass Conversion Processes. In H. Chen & L. Wang (Eds.), Technologies for Biochemical Conversion of Biomass (pp. 219-264). Oxford: Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-802417-1.00009-0
Corrocher, N., & Mancusi, M. L. (2021). International collaborations in green energy technologies: What is the role of distance in environmental policy stringency? Energy Policy, 156, 112470. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2021.112470
Delponte, I., & Schenone, C. (2020). RES Implementation in Urban Areas: An Updated Overview. Sustainability, 12(1), 382. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12010382
Duarte, R., García-Riazuelo, Á., Sáez, L. A., & Sarasa, C. (2022). Analysing citizens’ perceptions of renewable energies in rural areas: A case study on wind farms in Spain. Energy Reports, 8, 12822-12831. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2022.09.173
E.I.A. (2023). u.s. information energy administration. Retrieved from https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/what-is-energy/
Ghouchani, M., Taji, M., Cheheltani, A. S., & Chehr, M. S. (2021). Developing a perspective on the use of renewable energy in Iran. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 172, 121049. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2021.121049
Gołasa, P., Wysokiński, M., Bieńkowska-Gołasa, W., Gradziuk, P., Golonko, M., Gradziuk, B., Golonko, M., Gromada, A. (2021). Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Agriculture, with Particular Emphasis on Emissions from Energy Used. Energies, 14(13), 3784. https://doi.org/10.3390/en14133784
Gómez-Navarro, T., & Ribó-Pérez, D. (2018). Assessing the obstacles to the participation of renewable energy sources in the electricity market of Colombia. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 90, 131-141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2018.03.015
Governorate, k. (2021). Introduction of Kurdistan province. https://ostan-kd.ir/contact
Harjanne, A., & Korhonen, J. M. J. E. p.(2019). Abandoning the concept of renewable energy. 127, 330-340. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2018.12.029
Holechek, J. L., Geli, H. M., Sawalhah, M. N., & Valdez, R. J. S. (2022). A global assessment: can renewable energy replace fossil fuels by 2050? , 14(8), 4792. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14084792
Höysniemi, S. (2022). Reimagining energy futures: Global energy transition and dependence on Russian energy as issues in the sociotechnical imaginaries of energy security in Finland. Energy Research & Social Science, 93, 102840. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2022.102840
IEA (Writer). (2022). international energy agency. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/what-is-energy/
IPCC. (2022). Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (AR6).2022). https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/
Jensen, H., Pérez Domínguez, I., Fellmann, T., Lirette, P., Hristov, J., & Philippidis, G. J. S. (2019). Economic impacts of a low carbon economy on global agriculture: The bumpy road to Paris. 11(8), 2349. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11082349
K.E.P.D.CO. (2022). Kurdestan electrical power distribution Co. https://kurdelectric.ir/prozhe/.
Kopp, O. (2023). fossil fuel. Encyclopedia Britannica.https://www.britannica.com/science/fossil-fuel, https://www.britannica.com/science/fossil-fuel.
Koyama, K. (2017). A Discussion on Energy Security Threat and Risk Factor. A Japanese Prespective on the International Energy Landscape, 340. https://eneken.ieej.or.jp/data/7518.pdf
Kumar, N., Pal, N. J. E., Development, & Sustainability. (2020). The existence of barriers and proposed recommendations for the development of renewable energy in Indian perspective. 22, 2187-2205. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-018-0284-y
Li, W., Yu, X., Hu, N., Huang, F., Wang, J., & Peng, Q. J. E. R. (2022). Study on the relationship between fossil energy consumption and carbon emission in Sichuan Province. 8, 53-62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2022.01.112
Mahmud, H., & Roy, J. (2021). Barriers to overcome in accelerating renewable energy penetration in Bangladesh. Sustainability, 13(14), 7694. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13147694
Marks-Bielska, R., Bielski, S., Pik, K., & Kurowska, K. J. E. (2020). The importance of renewable energy sources in Poland’s energy mix. 13(18), 4624. https://doi.org/10.3390/en13184624
Martins, F., Felgueiras, C., & Smitková, M. J. E. P. (2018). Fossil fuel energy consumption in European countries. 153, 107-111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2018.10.050
Masukujjaman, M., Alam, S. S., Siwar, C., & Halim, S. A. (2021). Purchase intention of renewable energy technology in rural areas in Bangladesh: Empirical evidence. Renewable Energy, 170, 639-651. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2021.01.125
Mokhtari, F., & Gosili, B. (2019). Analytical Evaluation of Thermal Properties of Traditional Rural Dwellings' External walls Located in Submontane Regions of Mazandaran Province. Journal of Rural Research. 10.22059/jrur.2019.266280.1289
Myong Koh, J. (2018). Green infrastructure financing: Springer. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-71770-8_6
OurWorldinData. (2022) https://ourworldindata.org/
Pascaris, A. S., Schelly, C., & Pearce, J. M. J. A. (2020). A first investigation of agriculture sector perspectives on the opportunities and barriers for agrivoltaics. 10(12), 1885. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10121885
Petrović-Ranđelović, M., Kocić, N., & Stojanović-Ranđelović, B. J. E. o. S. D. (2020). The importance of renewable energy sources for sustainable development. 4(2), 15-24. DOI: 10.5937/ESD2002016P
Rahman, M. M., Khan, I., Field, D. L., Techato, K., & Alameh, K. J. R. E. (2022). Powering agriculture: Present status, future potential, and challenges of renewable energy applications. 188, 731-749. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2022.02.065
Sambodo, M. T., Yuliana, C. I., Hidayat, S., Novandra, R., Handoyo, F. W., Farandy, A. R., . . . Yuniarti, P. I. J. H. (2022). Breaking barriers to low-carbon development in Indonesia: deployment of renewable energy. 8(4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09304
Solangi, Y. A., Longsheng, C., & Shah, S. A. A. (2021). Assessing and overcoming the renewable energy barriers for sustainable development in Pakistan: An integrated AHP and fuzzy TOPSIS approach. Renewable Energy, 173, 209-222. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2021.03.141
Streimikiene, D., Baležentis, T., Volkov, A., Morkūnas, M., Žičkienė, A., & Streimikis, J. J. E. (2021). Barriers and drivers of renewable energy penetration in rural areas. 14(20), 6452. https://doi.org/10.3390/en14206452
Strielkowski, W. (2021). Critical Factors in Renewable Energy Generation. In Encyclopedia. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.02.254
Tavana, A., Javid, A. E., Houshfar, E., Andwari, A. M., Ashjaee, M., Shoaee, S., . . . Marashi, F. (2019). Toward renewable and sustainable energies perspective in Iran. Renewable Energy, 139, 1194-1216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2019.03.022
Tinta, A. A. (2023). Energy substitution in Africa: Cross-regional differentiation effects. Energy, 263, 125585. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2022.125585
UNDP. (2022). The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),. (Sustainable Development Goals). https://www.undp.org/sustainable-development-goals/affordable-and-clean-energy
Wall, W. P., Khalid, B., Urbański, M., & Kot, M. (2021). Factors influencing consumer’s adoption of renewable energy. Energies, 14(17), 5420. https://doi.org/10.3390/en14175420
Worldbank. (2020). World Bank national accounts data, and OECD National Accounts data files, from World Bank https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG?end=2020&start=200
Economic Geography Research
Volume 5, Issue 17
Autumn 2024
Pages 85-100

  • Receive Date 27 February 2024
  • Revise Date 20 April 2024
  • Accept Date 01 October 2024