Resource Library

Energy economics

Top importance

State of the Environment(HTML) This site provides a summarization of environmental concerns in Vietnam in 2001 by UNEP.

Best Practice(PDF) a renewable analysis in Vietnam including biogas, biomass, solar water heater, dryer, air heating, cooker, wind, mini hydro, biogas fertilizer based on peat and biological waste.

CBA(PDF) The cost-benefit analysis as well as impact indicators developed by intermediate technology consultants, UK. It analyses Small Island UK in many perspectives including economic-social- environmental- technology impact assessment.

Further perspectives

Can renewable energy meet East Asia's energy demands?(PDF) This paper includes a number of graphs and statistical figures that help to better understand the complexities of this question. It also includes energy outlook and estimation that only four alternative power sources--wind, solar thermal, solar PV and tide energy--will reduce their capital cost substantially.

Hydroponics(HTML) examines the hidden of conventional energy resource, which are not factored in economic formulation. The web concludes that this costs pass along to society at large, rather than to the direct consumer of the energy, thus making conventional energy sources appear more economical.


Development perspectives

Top importance


Energy for Sustainable Development: A Presentation by Mohammed T. El-Ashry(PDF) Mohammed El-Ashry, CEO and Chairman of the Global Environment Facility, argues that the use of clean energy is key for achieving self reliance, poverty and hunger alleviation, local economic development, good education, gender equality, health, reduction in the death rate, and sustainability in regards to global warming.  El-Ashry discusses the ways in which clean energy can in rural areas as well by raising incomes and improving health and  providing power for irrigation pumping systems, drying crops, and lighting for schools, homes and hospitals. The presentation ends with policy recommendations.

Demonstration of Community-based Solar Energy for Sustainable Development(PDF) This paper examines some of the important issues regarding the applications of solar for the purpose in developing rural communities.  The paper discusses the range of applications for solar energy including low-tech harvesting of solar heat energy as well as photovoltaic electrification opportunities.  The paper examines a rural electrification project in India as a case study and discusses the institutional structure employed to implement the project.

Further perspectives

National Sustainable Agriculture service information(HTML) ATTRA is a sustainable agricultural-organic practice.

Hydro electric power(HTML) This site gives a brief history of hydro electric generation and development.

International river network(HTML) This is good source on the issue of water conflict all over the world, including Southeast Asia and especially Son La Dam in Vietnam.

Southeast Asian River Network(HTML) This is a resource for understanding conflict over irrigation dam construction and resource management in Southeast Asian.regions.


Alternative energy technologies


Top importance

Geothermal Site 1 and Geothermal Site 2(HTML) These two sites from the World Bank Group provide a very accessible resource for exploring the range of applications of geothermal technologies on a variety of scales.  The ‘Assessment’ page provides a comprehensive set of factors to consider when assessing the viability of a geothermal project including economics, the environment, politics, and social implication.  The ‘Applications’ site provides a set of a case studies, including several in Asia, that demonstrate the feasibility of different geothermal applications in a variety of settings.

Small Hydroelectric Plants(PDF) This paper discusses small hydroelectric plant assessment. The paper provides methods to calculate the energy potential of the stream including variables such as the amount of water flow, the height (head), and the efficiency of the turbine.

Alternative Energy Vietnam: Pico hydro(HTML) This webblog elaborates the Vietnamese’s current renewable situation. It is estimated that 120,000 Pico hydro are currently installed. The most popular model is 300 Watt, 1 meter height head, Chinese imported, costing about $20.

Alternative Energy Vietnam: Wind (HTML) The webblog stated that Vietnamese government has recently received funds of over U.S. 51 million dollars for a 50.4 megawatt wind power plant in the central Vietnam province of Binh Dinh. The donor is The Danish International Development Agency.

International Small Hydro Atlas (HTML) This international database facilitates the development of new small hydro projects of more than 50 kW and less than 10MW installed capacity. It provides data for potential and developed sites, GIS searching capabilities, country profiles, international contacts for small hydro, and more.

Further perspectives

The union of concerned scientists(HTML) This website examines alternative renewable energy sources. The site includes renewable energy basics explaining how they work, what they cost, environmental and site issues, agriculture and energy issues, and end with what we can do.

ESI (HTML) This website told the situation and a successful example of micro hydro electric generator in Africa. It restated that hydropower is a very clean source of energy. It does not consume, but only uses, water, and after use the water is available for other purposes.

Renewable energy(HTML) This is a very extensive website. It includes lots of web links to biofuel, biomass, combined heat and power, fuel cell, geothermal, hydrogen energy, landfill gas, ocean thermal energy conversion, PV, small hydro, solar cooking, solar thermal, waste to energy, wave and tidal , and wind.

Alliant Energy
(HTML) This is a class room style site designed especially for kids. Its emphasis is largely on the merits of energy conservation.

Our planet
(HTML) This provides a report in renewable energy. Very thorough and highly recommended.

Canadian renewable(HTML) is restricted only for renewable energy in Canada.

Pacific hydro limited(HTML) provides a basic knowledge and a classroom style for water power and wind energy.


Regulatory and policy resources

Top Importance

Integrated Resource Planning in the Context of China’s Electricity Generation(PDF) Without government intervention, the resource choices made by vertically integrated utilities and by unconstrained markets have generally not protected the environmental and societal values affected by the electric sector or by the broader energy sector. Decisions to build and to buy have emphasized the lowest price. Such decisions have rarely been made in a context that compared the real costs of all technically feasible alternatives on a basis that included environmental impacts and the value of other societal goals. As the importance of wise electricity policy to the wellbeing of nations becomes increasingly clear, the principles of integrated resources planning (IRP) become uniquely important.

Clean Energy Blueprint(HTML) This site questions the current American energy policy and concludes that increasing renewable energy sources to 20 percent is possible by 2020. However various measures such as tax credits, tax incentives, net metering, combined heat and power regimes, R&D, improved efficiency standards, enhanced building codes, and greater industrial energy efficiency measures must be put in place.

Practical Action(HTML)
Practical Action is an organization that aims to demonstrate and advocate the sustainable use of technology to reduce poverty in developing countries.

Further perspectives

The Colorado governor’s office of energy management & conservation(HTML) is an example of state advocacy in renewable energy. What is interesting is that it includes hog waste to energy, and potential energy source for other places too.

Government of South Australia , Department of Transport, Energy, and Infrastructure(HTML) Good source for sustainable practice.


Additional Perspectives

facts-about-solar-energy.com (HTML) Research about advantages and disadvantages of solar power.

Wikipedia(HTML) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Beyond the biological needs of humanity, energy is an essential component of the goods and services of technologically advanced societies. This energy allows us, in general, to live under diverse climatic conditions, in great numbers and often in comfort. Level of dependence of human societies on external energy sources differs, as does the climate, comfort and output of each society.

Sustainable Energy Ireland(HTML) During the 1960's and 1970's people began to fear that the main source of energy, the fossil fuels, would run out. Fossil fuels are finite or non-renewable and once they are used they cannot be replaced. In recent years, people realised that there was enough fossil fuels to last for several hundred years. A greater problem was the damage that was being done to our atmosphere. This has led to interest in renewable energy sources that do very little damage to the environment.

Miscellaneous(HTML) Resource on renewable energy . Lots of links

Several WWF projects in the Study Area:

Other Projects, Reports and Data
  • Brief Description of the A Vuong Watershed Project, Quang Nam - The project is a winner of the International ReSource Award for Sustainable Watershed Management 2003. Its main aim is to ensure the sustainable management of the region's forest and rivers by the indigenous population. In doing so, equal consideration will be given to economic, social and ecological factors.
  • ADB has conducted a study for the proposed dam construction
  • UN report: Infrastructure Development Threatens Water Supplies To Billions In Asia
Links