There seems to be a "Merry-go-round" scenario in the world today, where efforts to reduce the CO 2 (Green House Gas) emissions in one country or region, are being countered by an increase in CO 2 emissions elsewhere. While developed nations strive to reduce the CO 2 emissions, semi-developed and developing nations, on the contrary, increase their emissions in an effort to attain a developed nation status. This paper will unravel how policies that govern CO 2 emissions have been lost in translation and how they are being re-defined by several actors in the world today, in order to suit their interests, gains and protect their investments. It will also advocate for its adaption of an international legislature that would guide CO 2 emissions monitored by one governing body or institute in both developed and developing nations. This issue can be resolved by engaging the developing countries to cut their CO 2 emissions as they strive to achieve development or alleviate poverty while ensuring that the developed nations are not increasing the CO 2 emissions. However, this legislature should also take into consideration the people, planet and profits (3Ps) as it is being rolled out in order to ensure that a fair business climate exists for the enhancement of green growth using sustainable renewable energies and technologies.

In this paper, a model for predicting the effects of environmental conditions on the performance of photovoltaic panels is developed and analysed. A one-diode model taking into account effects of environmental conditions such as solar irradiance, ambient temperature and wind was developed and simulated in Simulink/Matlab environment. The accuracy of the developed model was confirmed via a comparison of the simulated results with the output characteristics of two polycrystalline photovoltaic (PV) modules from different manufacturers. Effects of various environmental parameters on the cell temperature and output characteristics of PV modules were analysed using the developed model. The results revealed that environmental condition variations have significant effects on the electrical performances of PV modules and should be taken into consideration in PV system design. The developed model could also be useful in the design of optimum cooling systems for photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) systems since it takes into consideration the cooling effects of the wind.

As the developed world continues to advance technologically and closes the gap in deficiencies of existing economic, financial and environmentally `green' systems, while consequently improving the socio-economic indices of their respective countries and citizens, a measure of introspection is not amiss in considering the challenges that beset their third world counterpart- Africa. The continent still struggles with issues that relate to energy poverty and overall access, as there are indicators that a large majority still have no access to modern, affordable and reliable energy services. The major constraints are identified as inadequate or unavailable financing, invalid or non-existent policies and largely unstable political environments. The SE4ALL mandate in accordance with the Paris Agreement stipulates the need for effective climate change policy, the imperative for improved energy efficiency and the need for inclusion. A dynamic approach is therefore required to provide energy access to the most vulnerable, especially in the rural and urban slums of sub-Saharan Africa. This paper suggests that blockchain technology is potentially that medium and therefore assesses the current advancements, challenges and its potential application within the regional energy context using the diffusion of innovation theory. The results suggest alternative platforms such as Iota being deployed in the near term, due to a lack of requisite network infrastructure and the financial handicap of the region. However, the emphasis on innovative and disruptive business models for harnessing renewable energy sources towards improved energy efficiency and overall socio-economic development, remains. The key is in the adoption of technology that is tailored specifically, towards a sustainable energy future for sub-Saharan Africa.

The study compared electricity generation systems using the life cycle carbon emission among the studied Kenyan, Rwandan and Tanzanian grids. The article presents the possible grid electricity generation mixes and purchase which can offer the lowest grid carbon emission. The developed inventory workbooks were adopted to account for residue carbon emissions related to the capacity survival lifetime, retired generation capacity, recycling rate and the current power trade planned in the study area. The current installed and operated grid electricity generation systems-process revealed to be a dominant emission factor in the studied grids. The study revealed the carbon reduction potential from the current grid-carbon emission upon the adoption of 100% renewable grid electricity generation mixes in the study area. The specific monitoring of the electricity generation capacity survival and retirement rates recommended for the future electrical science-policy research.

The Rift Valley region of Sub-Saharan Africa represents a promising area for the development of small (<5MW) hydropower resources. This study compiles data from government and UN agency reports to analyze different development outlooks. The study found that there has been a rapid deployment of small hydropower in the last 10 years. From the current total deployed small hydro of 47.5 MW, 16.5MW (35%) were deployed from 1957 to 1984 while the remaining 31 MW (65%) were deployed from 2007 to 2017. While all systems constructed prior to 1985 are grid-connected, one third of the 24 facilities constructed after 2007 are connected to off-grid systems. The study provides an overview of the economic incentives for developing small hydropower systems in Rwanda and the potential contribution of that development to Rwanda's electrification goals.

A Smart home is a residence that integrates highly developed automation systems to provide its occupants with advanced monitoring and control over the functions of the building through internet - connected devices. For a home to stay connected and smart, there is a need for a constant, reliable, and inexpensive source of power, or else the purpose will be defeated. In Africa where a constant supply of electricity is still a challenge, incorporating solar photovoltaic technologies as the power source of smart homes will be a solution to this challenge and also make smart homes poss. This paper focuses on the integration of solar photovoltaic technologies in powering smart homes.

In this paper, we examine existing literature on the way that the number of blades of a wind turbine affects its efficiency and power generation. A wind turbine blade is an important component of a clean energy system because of its ability to capture energy from the wind. The power that a wind turbine extracts from the wind is directly proportional to the swept area of the blades, consequently, the blades have a direct effect on power generation. The number and configuration of the blades is very important because it affects the speed and efficiency of turbine. Unfortunately, as the number of blades increases, so does the slipstream effect. Too few a number of blades results in poor efficiency and thus inadequate performance. Too large a number of blades increases weight and production cost. The correct number of blades is important to fit the generator performance curve to optimize overall turbine performance and efficiency.

Most sub-Saharan African (SSA) nations are governed by traditional economic models of using varied varieties of capital (including human), technological and natural approaches to supply goods and services. This has undoubtedly led to annual economic growth of about 3.2% in several African nations and higher per capita income as some of the major benefits, which have improved the standards of living and social wellbeing but conjointly have led to environmental degradation. In response to the environmental degradation problem, while benchmarking against international policies, this article evaluates approaches to economic development, environmental management, and energy production in the context of climate change. Case studies consider the mine-dependent nations of Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the agriculture-dependent nation of Rwanda. In Zambia and DRC, energy efficiency in the mining and metals industries could increase the electrification rate in Zambia and DRC by up to 50%. Additional industrial utilization of solar or wind energy is key to a stable energy supply, economic development and environmental protection. In Rwanda, population growth and land constraints point to economic growth and agricultural improvements as the key to sustainability and sustainable development. These case studies emphasize resource optimization, energy efficiency, renewable energy deployment, strategies to reduce biodiversity loss and environmental degradation, and the improvement of social wellbeing for both present and future generations to achieve an ecologically enhanced sub-Saharan Africa.

Green information technology systems (Green ITS) are proposed as a strategy to reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions and other environmental impacts while supporting ecological sustainable development. The Green ITS concept combines both Green information technology (IT) and Green information system (IS) applications. The Green ITS concept has the potential to combat the carbon emission problem globally, beyond simply Green IT, because it combines management, organizational, and technology dimensions of climate change mitigation and adaptation, especially if supported by global policy. Examples include life cycle assessment software for measuring GHG emissions, and software for monitoring GHG emissions. Previous studies on environmental burdens such as GHGs, water and air pollution, energy losses and other forms of waste alongside socio-economic dependent variables including renewable resources and climate change policies are reviewed and synthesized. The research analysis conjointly points to the usage of renewable resources such as solar and wind as a critical strategy to scale back GHG emissions and enhance green growth. Empirical evidence shows that developed countries can reduce their carbon emissions while developing countries can utilize carbon emission-free technologies as they aspire to achieve development. The two significant benefits of the Green ITS strategy are first, to provide the environmental benefits of reducing greenhouse emissions and other environmental impacts and second, to enhance global green growth, which supports achievement of ecological sustainable development. Green ITS tools support achievement of the UN SDG 7, 13 and 15, which emphasize clean energy, climate action and ecological sustainable development, respectively. Future research directions include the formulation of a strategy to combat GHGs and design of a system to monitor carbon emissions and other waste remotely.

While agricultural activities are a major drain on water resources in Rwanda, its high population growth continually escalates energy-water-food-land nexus pressures. With 13.03 million inhabitants on a 26,336 km2 area which translates to be 495 inhabitants per km2, Rwanda has the second-highest population density in Africa because of its high annual population growth rate of 2.95%. Access to clean drinking water, energy, and food to meet the demographic needs in Rwanda are fundamental, but this is unlikely to be the case by 2050 due to the anticipated land scarcity. Land stress is endangering energy, water, and food security, and this works against ecological sustainable development. This research analyzed the ecological balance of human activities in Rwanda and how policymakers have increasingly emphasized on energy-water-food nexus sectors separately without integrating land usage and population growth which poses an even more critical situation if left unattended to. The research study recommends the Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM) method as being appropriate to support the transition toward a sustainable economy because it is used to optimize resources, generate focused decisions, actions, investments, and policies that would combat nexus pressures and promote ecological sustainable development.