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  • © 2021

New Challenges and Solutions for Renewable Energy

Japan, East Asia and Northern Europe

Palgrave Macmillan
  • Identifies second stage challenges and opportunities for expanding renewable energy into a mainstay of electricity generation that can replace fossil fuels and nuclear power
  • Highlights solutions that include expanding grids regionally and internationally, building flexible smart grids that offer better demand management, and policies that promote the expansion of storage assets
  • Enables consumers to choose power companies based not only on price, but also on method of generation

Part of the book series: International Political Economy Series (IPES)

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Table of contents (15 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xxxi
  2. Introduction

    • Paul Midford
    Pages 1-20
  3. New Challenges and Opportunities in East Asia

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 181-181
    2. Solar PV in Singapore in the Absence of Subsidies

      • Gautam Jindal, Jacqueline Tao, Anton Finenko
      Pages 225-245
    3. Renewable Energy Policy in Vietnam

      • Nam Hoai Nguyen, Binh Van Doan, Huyen Van Bui, Quyen Le Luu
      Pages 247-277
  4. New Challenges and Opportunities in Norden

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 279-279
    2. Why Norway as a Green Battery for Europe Is Still to Happen, and Probably Will Not

      • Espen Moe, Susanne Therese Hansen, Eirik Hovland Kjær
      Pages 281-317
    3. Beyond Wind: New Challenges to the Expansion of Renewables in Denmark

      • Luis Boscán, Brooks A. Kaiser, Lars Ravn-Jonsen
      Pages 319-348
    4. Renewable Energy in Finland: From a Production-Centric to a Consumption-Centric System

      • Sarah Kilpeläinen, Pami Aalto, Juha Kiviluoma
      Pages 349-376
    5. Conclusions

      • Espen Moe
      Pages 377-400
  5. Back Matter

    Pages 401-412

About this book

This book identifies second stage challenges and opportunities for expanding renewable energy into a mainstay of electricity generation that can replace fossil fuels and nuclear power, comparing Japan with several countries in East Asia and Northern Europe. Environmentally sustainable renewable energy technologies have now overtaken fossil fuel and nuclear technologies in terms of total global investment, and the costs of these technologies and related ones (e.g. storage batteries) are rapidly falling. Yet renewable energy use varies greatly from country to country. Major second stage obstacles to replacing fossil and nuclear-fueled electricity generation include the lack of electricity grid capacity and storage assets. Opportunities and solutions include expanding grids regionally and internationally, building flexible smart grids that offer better demand management, and policies that promote the expansion of storage assets, especially grid batteries and hydrogen. In addition, two keyfactors – electricity market restructuring through unbundling transmission from electricity generating companies; and electricity market liberalization, especially for retail customers – allow consumers to choose power companies based not only on price, but also on method of generation, especially fossil or nuclear generation versus renewable energy.

Editors and Affiliations

  • Department of Sociology and Political Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway

    Paul Midford, Espen Moe

About the editors

Paul Midford is Professor of Political Science and Director of the NTNU Japan Program, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).


Espen Moe is Professor of Political Science and Chair of the NTNU Japan Council at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

Softcover Book USD 139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access