Opportunities for renewable energy sources in mountain areas and the Alps case

The transition to renewable energy sources is critical for addressing climate change and achieving sustainable development, especially in environmentally sensitive regions such as mountain areas. Mountains are extremely heterogeneous: they show unique features in terms of climate, topography and biodiversity, which makes them and their local populations more vulnerable to the negative effects of climate change and energy poverty. This review explores the specific challenges and opportunities associated with the implementation of renewable energies in mountain areas, with a particular focus on the Alps. It addresses the issue of energy poverty – a situation in which a household is not able to afford or is lacking access to essential energy services – and it provides a focus on the effects of climate change on mountain areas. This review also discusses the advantages and disadvantages in the potential use of various kinds of renewable energy sources in mountainous regions, including solar, wind, hydropower, and biomass; especially in the context of the Alps’ unique environmental and socio-economic conditions. Despite the promising availability of these resources, some of them have not been extensively applied yet in this area, such as wind and solar power. Biomass and hydropower, on the other hand, have been largely exploited. Finally, an overview of the available energy storage systems is given, along with some practical examples of simulation or implementation of plants, highlighting the crucial role of storage and integration technologies in enhancing the reliability and efficiency of renewable energy systems in mountainous terrains.