International Policies for Renewable Energy

The relevant key issues and condition which in uence any individual country and its speci c policy for promoting energy conservation and deployment of renewable energy technologies are determined by resources, targets, and constraints
the resources of renewable energies and their technical and economic exploitable potentials are one important issue. These conditions and the sources of renewable energies differ in a wide range between continents, countries and even on a regional scale inside individual countries. Even if the resources for a certain region or country are favorable, there often exist diverse constraints which can limit the use and the level of exploitation of the resources of renewable energies.
The limitations can result from the constraints, such as missing infrastructure or lack of nancial
resources for projects. Policy targets are the most relevant issues and always re ect the general attitude of governments or policy makers towards the promotion of renewable or conventional energy systems. In general these key factors are identical in each regional, national or international context but their magnitude may vary signi cantly on a regional, national and international scale. There are many ways to support renewable energies with special policies depending on technology, resources and policy targets. After all, there exist too many to discuss all of them within the scope of this handbook. For a speci c and detailed research on policies, the newly released “Global Renewable Energy Policies and Measures Database” [1] provides information for more than 100 countries worldwide with respect to policy types, technologies, and renewable energy targets. Examples for policy targets are de ned in the Kyoto-protocol
or in the “White Book” of the European Union as multinational agreements, as well as several national goals and action plans to increase the level of energy supply using renewable energies or to reach a certain level of renewable energy supply within a certain time scale.