Renewable energies – Potential resource for rural development

Associate Professor, Doctor Trương Mạnh Tiến, Director of the Poverty and Environment Project made the statement in his research on energy in rural areas.

Rural residents’ consumption of energies is increasing, to serve their demands of illumination, cooking, and entertainment.

Furthermore, they also need renewable energies for drying agricultural products, irrigating cultivated lands, and other agricultural activities.

Việt Nam is endowed with great potential of renewable energies, especially hydro power, solar, wind, and bio-gas. These environmentally friendly energies are easily exploited and used to serve a sustainable and green agriculture.

Hydro-energy is mainly exploited in northern and central regions which are close to the borders with Laos and China. About 80 billion kWh of hydro-electricity can be produced per year in total.

With an over-3,000-km coastline, thousands of islands, and mountains covering 70% of the country’s area, Việt Nam is rich in wind energy which can be used to generate electricity. This source of energy can also power pumping systems in salt-making localities.

Finally, the country also has an abundance of solar energy, especially in central and southern regions. The mean heat radiation is measured at around 5 kWh/m2 per day in most of provinces. Low-voltage solar panels are very useful for poor households to meet their daily consumption of electricity. 

By Hương Giang