Opportunities for renewable energy sources in mountain areas and the Alps case

Nesrine Faraj, Valentina Maruzzo, Iacopo Benesperi, Antoine Bousquet (), Anna Lushnikova (), Marcello Baricco, Francesca Brunetti, Christophe Menezo (), Christine Lartigau-Dagron () and Nadia Barbero ()
Additional contact information
Nesrine Faraj: UNITO - Università degli studi di Torino = University of Turin
Valentina Maruzzo: UNITO - Università degli studi di Torino = University of Turin
Iacopo Benesperi: UNITO - Università degli studi di Torino = University of Turin
Antoine Bousquet: IPREM - Institut des sciences analytiques et de physico-chimie pour l'environnement et les materiaux - UPPA - Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour - INC-CNRS - Institut de Chimie - CNRS Chimie - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Anna Lushnikova: LOCIE - LabOratoire proCédés énergIe bâtimEnt - USMB [Université de Savoie] [Université de Chambéry] - Université Savoie Mont Blanc - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Marcello Baricco: UNITO - Università degli studi di Torino = University of Turin
Francesca Brunetti: Università degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata [Roma, Italia] = University of Rome Tor Vergata [Rome, Italy] = Université de Rome Tor Vergata [Rome, Italie]
Christophe Menezo: LOCIE - LabOratoire proCédés énergIe bâtimEnt - USMB [Université de Savoie] [Université de Chambéry] - Université Savoie Mont Blanc - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Christine Lartigau-Dagron: IPREM - Institut des sciences analytiques et de physico-chimie pour l'environnement et les materiaux - UPPA - Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour - INC-CNRS - Institut de Chimie - CNRS Chimie - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Nadia Barbero: UNITO - Università degli studi di Torino = University of Turin

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Abstract: The transition to renewable energy sources is critical for addressing climate change and achieving sustainable development, especially in environmentally sensitive regions such as mountain areas. Mountains are extremely heterogeneous: they show unique features in terms of climate, topography and biodiversity, which makes them and their local populations more vulnerable to the negative effects of climate change and energy poverty. This review explores the specific challenges and opportunities associated with the implementation of renewable energies in mountain areas, with a particular focus on the Alps. It addresses the issue of energy poverty – a situation in which a household is not able to afford or is lacking access to essential energy services – and it provides a focus on the effects of climate change on mountain areas. This review also discusses the advantages and disadvantages in the potential use of various kinds of renewable energy sources in mountainous regions, including solar, wind, hydropower, and biomass; especially in the context of the Alps' unique environmental and socio-economic conditions. Despite the promising availability of these resources, some of them have not been extensively applied yet in this area, such as wind and solar power. Biomass and hydropower, on the other hand, have been largely exploited. Finally, an overview of the available energy storage systems is given, along with some practical examples of simulation or implementation of plants, highlighting the crucial role of storage and integration technologies in enhancing the reliability and efficiency of renewable energy systems in mountainous terrains.

Keywords: Alpine region; Climate change; Energy poverty; Mountain areas; Renewable energies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-05156785v1
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Published in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2025, 223, pp.115983. ⟨10.1016/j.rser.2025.115983⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05156785

DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2025.115983

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