Integrated technological paradigm-based soft paths towards sustainable development of small hydropower

Jiuping Xu and Ting Ni

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2017, vol. 70, issue C, 623-634

Abstract: While small hydropower is seen as a feasible dynamic renewable energy, mature technologies and substantially undeveloped potential have restricted its full development. Reducing water and electricity shortages to strengthen or optimize the water-energy nexus by utilizing the near 100GW potential of small hydropower is a key research area. This paper develops soft path solutions for small hydropower sustainable development based on a technological paradigm study. A small hydropower development study was conducted using an improved data analysis system which analyzed the interconnectedness between sustainability, renewability and management trends. Timeline and cluster visualization identified that while construction technologies were mature, management development was lagging behind, but that small hydro-based hybrid renewable power systems would be promising trajectories in the future. These findings mirrored the stagnant developments in small hydropower as a competitive renewable energy and the neglect of its potential as a sustainable future power source development. Through the establishment of a small hydropower technological paradigm, soft paths towards economic, social and environmental sustainability were identified. Instruments of technological transformation, renewable policy support and mechanism innovation are recommended for the sustainable development of small hydropower.

Keywords: Small hydropower; Technological paradigm; Soft paths; Development trends; Sustainability recommendation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032116307821
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:rensus:v:70:y:2017:i:c:p:623-634

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/600126/bibliographic
http://www.elsevier. ... 600126/bibliographic

DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2016.11.021

Access Statistics for this article

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews is currently edited by L. Kazmerski

More articles in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().