Designing a renewable energy policy formulation model by considering energy architecture indexes

Iran has unfavorable scores in energy architecture indexes, especially for economic growth and development and environmental sustainability, compared with the world average. The direct effect of renewable energies in both mentioned indexes reinforces the necessity of considering different dimensions of energy architecture indexes for policy making for renewable energies in Iran. Considering the small share of renewable energies in the country's energy portfolio and the consequences of renewable energies on environmental sustainability and economic growth, in this research we try to identify the components of a policy model for the development of renewable energies in Iran that would lead to an increase in energy share with renewable sources as well as an improvement of the energy architectural index, especially in the economic and environmental aspects. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to provide a model for the development of renewable energy development policy with an emphasis on energy architecture indicators.

Design/ methodology/ approach: 

The research method is qualitative-quantitative. The statistical population in the qualitative part is the professors and experts of the renewable energy industry, and in the quantitative part are the managers and experts active in the energy industry. Data collection in the qualitative part is conducted through the results of previous studies and interviews, and in the quantitative part using questionnaires. In the qualitative part, theoretical sampling and in the quantitative part, simple random sampling are used as sampling methods. For data analysis, the analysis method is conducted for the qualitative part, and PLS, MAXQDA, and SPSS softwires and structural equation modeling techniques are used for the quantitative part.

The research resulted in a model for renewable energy policy making, including contexts, processes, and consequences. The components identified for the context include national laws and legal requirements, environmental requirements, international sanctions, the economics of investments, and the international laws and requirements. The components identified for the processes include integrated management and planning, energy security, and social culture and technology development, and the components of consequences include economic development and export development. The results of the quantitative part one of the hypothesis are not confirmed, while the rest of the hypothesis is confirmed.

Limitations & Consequences: 

The performance of the country in energy architecture indexes, in addition to renewable energies, is also influenced by the policies related to non-renewable energies like oil and gas; thus, comprehensive and independent research is required and suggested to future researchers.

Practical Consequences:

 National laws and legal requirements, international sanctions, international laws and requirements, economics of investments, and environmental requirements have a significant relationship with the development of renewable energy policies.Innovation or value of the Article: In this research, a new model is presented for the policy making in the development of renewable energies with an emphasis on energy architecture indicators for the first time, which is highlighting the originality of this article.