What impedes the development of renewable energy technology in Egypt

Worldwide energy assessments now indicate that improving the energy efficiency and sustainability of buildings, appliances, office equipment, factories, and vehicles could free-up more than a trillion dollars per decade. In addition, these improvements would prevent the release of a rash of environmental pollutants. Greater reliance on sustainability offers countries worldwide a means of maintaining economic growth and environmental quality. This study is part of continuing research work carried out by the researchers at the EDRG (Environmental Design Research Group) at the AAST (Arab Academy for Science and Technology) in Alexandria, Egypt on the application of sustainability and renewable energy in Egypt. The work presented in this paper is a preliminary study conducted in the field of renewable energy and more work is being done on it. This paper discusses briefly the energy statistics in Egypt and the challenging need to properly implement the usage of renewable energy. What impedes the wide spread of this technology and what are the ways to promote it? The paper discusses the current state of Egypt’s renewable energy usage and the energy sources already in use in the country. In spite of the Egyptian government apparently is one of the first governments of the developing countries to realize this problem and to sign the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. However, as Egyptian residents, we are very unaware of these efforts. The vast majority of Egyptians may not even understand the meaning of the term ‘renewable energy.’ But, the Global Warming is expected to destroy a big part of the Delta in the next decade with a noticeable percent which will affect the Delta population. So far the Egyptian renewable energy program didn’t achieve its goals in reasonable usage of renewable energies, while Egypt has lots of potentials (Solar, Wind and Biomass resources….).