W
hile most Asian countries have made some commitment to develop the use of renewable energy, the actual contribution of renewables to each individual country's total energy needs varies. Energy hungry Japan, for example, has set a target for renewable energy to account for 3% of total energy use by 2010, while South Korea's target is for renewables to provide 5% of total energy supplies by 2010. Elsewhere in Asia, China is planning for renewable energy sources to account for 5% of electric power generation by 2005, while in Southeast Asia commitments among various countries range from Thailand's growing aims for renewable energy to drive signifcant power generation by 2020 to Malaysia's plan for renewables to generate 5% of electricity supplies in 2005.
Energy Sources Hydro
Today hydroelectric power is the most well developed renewable energy source in Asia. Although most old dams are small in their generating capacity, the trend during the past 50 years has been to build bigger hydroelectric schemes to meet the huge increase in electricity demand from industry and growing populations. China, the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam are among countries that already have drawn up ambitious hydropower development programmes. While power companies and governments often prefer to build medium and large hydroelectric schemes, the rise in importance of renewable energy has given greater focus to the development of mini and micro hydropower schemes. These often are built to serve remote rural communities and typically are part of wider rural electrification programmes designed to supply electricity to villages for the first time.