The E3A Framework (Energy Availability, Accessibility and Acceptability) is used to assess the energy sector performance of the 34 Indonesian provinces. This illustrates how the E3A framework can be used as a diagnostic tool and to formulate strategies to improve energy sector performance at provincial and national level.

In the last five years, Australia has experienced a rapid deployment of household rooftop PV systems, to the extent that around 1.25 million households (15% of all households) now have rooftop PV systems. Experience from this “social experiment” may provide useful insights for other countries considering similar scenarios. Indonesia has deployed PV systems since the 1970's with a hiatus caused by the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997. Significant deployment of PV systems recommenced after the turn of the century for both off-grid and grid-connected applications, with the grid-connected PV systems being connected to isolated diesel power systems on the smaller islands of the Indonesian archipelago. This paper discusses the nature of the Australian and Indonesian experiences with PV systems from technical, social, economic and policy perspectives, with the intention of providing insights to other countries contemplating similar scenarios. A key recommendation is to adopt a carefully planned and implemented strategy that avoids triggering a divisive cultural contest.

This paper discusses the use of a qualitative assessment tool called the KPDAC (knowledge, persuasion, decision, adoption, confirmation) continuum to understand the process and outcomes of renewable energy technology (RET) acculturation in off-grid villages in Indonesia. The KPDAC continuum can also be used as a tool to design strategy for RET deployment looking at requirements for RET acculturation and how it can be facilitated. The acculturation of RET is used here to describe the process and outcomes of RET deployment in a community, including the extent to which RET acculturates or diffuses into, and becomes part of, the community’s ongoing activities. This paper presents assessments of three off-grid photovoltaic (PV) deployment case studies from Lampung, West Java and Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT, Eastern Indonesia) provinces, using the KPDAC continuum. The assessments indicated that the communities were at different starting points in the KPDAC continuum for RET and required different approaches for RET acculturation to be successful. Facilitators need to understand how acculturation challenges vary with KPDAC continuum starting point and adopt an appropriate approach if RET acculturation is to be successful. Lessons from these project assessments have been used to design a long-term approach to building capacity for RET deployment through educational institutions, undertaken as part of a recently completed Australian Development Research Award (ADRA) research project that was undertaken as a collaborative Australian-Indonesian project. The purpose of capacity building is to create capable agents, who are able to facilitate the RET acculturation process in Indonesia.

Background Renewable energy technology can meet the energy needs of remote communities if local renewable energy resources are available and if it is deployed in a way that meets reasonable community expectations, thus allowing it to diffuse into the local culture in a process that can be called renewable energy technology acculturation. This paper analyzes renewable energy technology acculturation using Dobrov's conceptualization of technology as hardware, software, and orgware; Bourdieu's categories of objectified, embodied, and institutionalized cultural capital; and Rogers' concept of diffusion of innovations. Methods Using qualitative enquiries, this study combines literature research, field research, and in-depth interviews to understand the extent to which renewable energy technology diffuses into and is assimilated by remote communities. It uses a combination of concepts developed by Dobrov, Bourdieu, and Rogers that we call the KPDAC (knowledge, persuasion, decision, adoption, confirmation) model of acculturation. A case study of the acculturation of a photovoltaic-wind-diesel hybrid power system installed in the village of Oeledo in eastern Indonesia is used to illustrate the practical application of the KPDAC model. Results Results indicated that from a cultural perspective, despite long-term sustainability challenges, the hybrid power system has been successfully integrated into Oeledo village life. Conclusions Combining the concepts of Dobrov, Bourdieu, and Rogers proved to be useful in understanding the requirements for successful renewable energy technology acculturation in the remote Indonesian community of Oeledo. This has relevance for the analysis and design of similar projects elsewhere in Indonesia and in other countries that have similar characteristics.

ABSTRACTThis paper is concerned with evaluating techniques to forecast plausible future scenarios in wind power production for up to 48 h ahead, where the term scenario refers to a coherent chronological prediction including the timing, rapidity and size of large changes. Such predictions are of great interest in power systems with high regional wind penetration where a large rapid change in wind power may pose a threat to power system security. Numerous studies have evaluated wind power forecasting methods on ex post statistical measures of forecast accuracy such as root mean square error. Other work has assessed the forecast value by simulating automated decision making for bidding wind generation into particular electricity markets, and in some cases, the ex ante value of a perfect forecast has been assessed. The future, however, will always be uncertain, and decision making always takes place in an ex ante context. This paper discusses how numerical weather prediction (NWP) systems forecasts are produced, with a particular focus on uncertainty and how forecasters might visually present plausible future scenarios for wind power to electricity industry decision makers. It is difficult to quantify the ex ante value of visual wind power forecast information to the complex decision‐making process involved. Consequently, this paper explores qualitative assessments of ex ante value by proposing six desirable attributes for the techniques and the presentation of NWP forecasts to decision makers. It uses these attributes to assess four such methodologies, which include NWP ensemble methods and the recently introduced NWP spatial field approach. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This paper describes an interdisciplinary research project to investigate the sustainability of off-grid Photovoltaic Energy Service (PVES) delivery in Indonesia. The paper describes results from the preliminary fieldwork undertaken in late 2002 and early 2003, more substantive fieldwork was carried out in 2005. The general objective of this research project is to understand how PVES can contribute to improving the life of rural Indonesian communities having no access to the electricity grid. It adopts an interdisciplinary approach that combines social and engineering perspectives to address sustainability issues. The I3A (Implementation, Accessibility, Availability, Acceptability) Sustainable PVES Delivery framework was developed to assess sustainability and was used to assess three off-grid PVES case studies in Lampung, West Java and Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) provinces. The overall objectives of the I3A framework are to acknowledge the interests of stakeholders, maximize equity, assure PVES continuity and institutionalize PVES by utilizing and enhancing pre-existing community resources to leave host communities with the capacity to meet evolving needs. A key conclusion is that, to be sustainable and equitable, off-grid PVES projects should be implemented in an institutional framework that provides sound project management and addresses PVES accessibility (financial, institutional and technological), availability (technical quality and continuity) and acceptability (social and ecological).

ABSTRACT Wind power forecasting for projection times of 0–48 h can have a particular value in facilitating the integration of wind power into power systems. Accurate observations of the wind speed received by wind turbines are important inputs for some of the most useful methods for making such forecasts. In particular, they are used to derive power curves relating wind speeds to wind power production. By using power curve modeling, this paper compares two types of wind speed observations typically available at wind farms: the wind speed and wind direction measurements at the nacelles of the wind turbines and those at one or more on‐site meteorological masts (met masts). For the three Australian wind farms studied in this project, the results favor the nacelle‐based observations despite the inherent interference from the nacelle and the blades and despite calibration corrections to the met mast observations. This trend was found to be stronger for wind farm sites with more complex terrain. In addition, a numerical weather prediction (NWP) system was used to show that, for the wind farms studied, smaller single time‐series forecast errors can be achieved with the average wind speed from the nacelle‐based observations. This suggests that the nacelle‐average observations are more representative of the wind behavior predicted by an NWP system than the met mast observations. Also, when using an NWP system to predict wind farm power production, it suggests the use of a wind farm power curve based on nacelle‐average observations instead of met mast observations. Further, it suggests that historical and real‐time nacelle‐average observations should be calculated for large wind farms and used in wind power forecasting. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This paper has three main parts. The first discusses the concept of cultural capital and its relationship to the hardware-software-orgware concept of renewable energy technology. The second presents a case study of a hybrid photovoltaic-wind-diesel system that was deployed by the E7; then E8 and now Global Sustainable Electricity Partnership, in the village of Oeledo, Rote Island, Indonesia. The third analyses the case study focusing on the transmission of the objectified, embodied and institutionalized cultural capital (hardware, software and orgware) of the hybrid system from the E7 to the Oeledo community. Findings from the fieldwork suggested that for off-grid communities with no prior knowledge of renewable energy technology, all stakeholders should jointly invest in both time and resources, with a focus on orgware and software, to ensure a successful renewable energy project.

This paper explores wind power integration issues for the South Australian (SA) region of the Australian National Electricity Market (NEM) by assessing the interaction of regional wind generation, electricity demand and spot prices over 2 recent years of market operation. SA's wind energy penetration has recently surpassed 20% and it has only a limited interconnection with other regions of the NEM. As such, it represents an interesting example of high wind penetration in a gross wholesale pool market electricity industry. Our findings suggest that while electricity demand continues to have the greatest influence on spot prices in SA, wind generation levels have become a significant secondary influence, and there is an inverse relationship between wind generation and price. No clear relationship between wind generation and demand has been identified although some periods of extremely high demand may coincide with lower wind generation. Periods of high wind output are associated with generally lower market prices, and also appear to contribute to extreme negative price events. The results highlight the importance of electricity market and renewable policy design in facilitating economically efficient high wind penetrations.

To achieve higher renewable energy (RE) shares than the low levels typically found in present energy supply systems will require additional integration efforts starting now and continuing over the longer term. These include improved understanding of the RE resource characteristics and availability, investments in enabling infrastructure and research, development and demonstrations (RD&D), modifications to institutional and governance frameworks, innovative thinking, attention to social aspects, markets and planning, and capacity building in anticipation of RE growth.

The high cost of household electricity in New South Wales (NSW) is discussed. Factors such as high distribution costs as well as regulatory failures are found responsible for the high cost of power. The concept of a 'smart grid' to improve power delivery is examined.

This paper reports on the design and outcomes of an Australian Development Research Award (ADRA) project conducted in 2008-2011 by Australian and Indonesian researchers. Early outcomes of this interdisciplinary research project were reported in the ISESAP08 Conference (Retnanestri et al 2008a). Many institutions have actively promoted and installed RE systems in Indonesia since the 1970s. In addition to 4.2 GW of large hydro, by 2009 more than 1.9 GW of geothermal, solar photovoltaic (PV), biomass, mini and micro hydro, and wind power systems had been installed in Indonesia, a 46% increase from 2005 (the baseline data year for this project). Moreover, in 2010, the Government of Indonesia (GOI) announced its 25/25 vision: a 25% RE target by 2025 (EBTKE 2010). Despite this progress, more than 80 million Indonesians remained without electricity in 2009. This research project focused on the Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) province in Eastern Indonesia, which has a low electrification ratio as well as low Human Development Indices (HDI) and a high poverty level. By 2010 more than 1.7 MWp of PV power, 270 kW of micro hydro, 175 kW of wind power and 13 biogas digesters had been installed in off-grid areas of NTT. However, many of these projects failed and many other communities still lack basic electricity supply. Improved RE project design and capacity building are required for RE to contribute to sustainable energy provision in Indonesia. The aims of this three-year project were to identify and disseminate ways to use renewable energy (RE) resources to facilitate sustainable development for communities in rural Indonesia without access to electricity grids. Project activities designed for capacity building included a series of seminars, workshops, study tours and fieldwork. This paper reports on the outcomes of study tours in Java and a workshop in Kupang, the capital city of NTT province. The study tours involved staff and students from various engineering background and visited photovoltaic, micro hydro, geothermal, bio energy installations, factories and research agencies in Jakarta and the provinces of West Java, Central Java and Jogjakarta. Seminars were held in Jogjakarta in 2009 and 2010 to report the outcomes. The objective of the study tours and seminars was to develop a model for RE capacity building for educational institutions to facilitate RE acculturation. The KPDAC continuum (Knowledge, Persuasion, Decision, Adoption and Confirmation ‐ see Retnanestri 2007) was used as a methodology to understand the RE acculturation process and design capacity building activities. The objectives of the workshop in Kupang were to assess past practices and promote a more sustainable approach to RE projects in NTT province. The workshop used the I3A methodology (Implementation that achieves RE Accessibility, Availability and Acceptability ‐ see Retnanestri et al 2008b). Diversified groups of workshop participants used the 21-step I3A process to analyse the renewable energy situation in NTT and develop recommendations for stakeholders in NTT and the Government of Indonesia.

From farm to table, multidisciplinary research is needed to improve the economic benefit of food production in the developing world.

In many parts of the developing world where an electricity grid remains out of reach for the foreseeable future, Photovoltaic-based Energy Conversion Systems (PVEC) can help fulfill rural energy needs [1] by providing people with electricity for basic services and amenities [2]. Despite the massive number of PVEC installations and the considerable support and initiatives provided by donors and the government, to date the Indonesian PVEC market remains below its technical potential, which is projected to be 900 MWp [3]. For PVEC to be sustainable in off-grid applications in Indonesia, it is imperative that PVEC is delivered to rural Indonesian communities in an institutional framework that accommodates the interests of all stakeholders. A holistic approach to project design and implementation of off-grid PVEC is also required for PVEC to contribute to sustainable rural development. Further, if the benefits of PVEC to facilitate sustainable rural development is to be maximized, PVEC needs to be an integral part of national strategies for sustainable development, poverty reduction and other development plans and targets [4]. This paper describes a study of the sustainability of off-grid PVEC applications in Indonesia that is currently underway and a postcript describes how this work has recently been extended to Disaster Risk Management (DRM) in the wake of the December 2004 Tsunami Disaster.

The Pacific Islands Forum Developing States have specific socio-economic and environmental characteristics associated with their small and remote communities that make PV technologies highly promising yet also challenging to implement within their broader electricity industry arrangements. PV lighting systems in the Kingdom of Tonga have been installed in the remoter islands by government programs with overseas donor financial support and only limited private sector involvement in decision-making. Despite on-going technical and management training, PV users have often experienced low service quality over the longer term, largely due to poor maintenance. The influx of new high-tech PV equipment to remote areas has also created environmental challenges in managing the use and disposal of hazardous materials. Meanwhile, the demographics and needs of these isolated communities continue to change from factors such as migration to urban centres or other countries. There have been challenges in establishing and maintaining appropriate PV payment arrangements. Furthermore, the frequent policy and institutional changes associated with migration of trained technicians, changes in elected town officers and absence of formal regulatory roles and functions has disrupted project governance. Last but not least, the reliance of remote communities on unstable sources of income such as remittances, tourism and agriculture has often led to significant financial arrears and enforced revenue collection for the PV systems. This highlights the importance of structuring the PV industry and associated regulatory and incentive arrangements to improve return on investment and therefore attract appropriate private and community sector involvement. Regulatory functions require greater engagement from key stakeholders and better performance incentives for both PV end users, and those with the skills and responsibility to ensure ongoing delivery of energy services.