This is a unique book written by one of the leading scholars in the field. It uses detailed case studies to analyze the successes, failures and challenges of renewable energy initiatives in developing and emerging countries.Incorporating the insights and perspectives of researchers who come from the respective countries covered, the study compares some of the most exciting success stories, including: China's meteoric rise from near zero use of renewable energy to being the world leader in solar thermal, solar photovoltaic and wind energy; Brazil's success in becoming the world s top ethanol producer and exporter; and India's pioneering use of a hedge plant to produce biodiesel and its use of animal and human wastes for rural electrification. The book also describes Indonesia s disastrous palm oil program which cut down its forests and excavated its peat bogs. It concludes that good leadership is the largest factor in success, but that it is also critical to include public participation, training, transparency, environmental consideration, fair labor practices, protection against exploitation and enforcement.This book is designed to be helpful to other countries seeking to initiate renewable energy programs. It will appeal to local administrators and policymakers, field personnel from UN agencies and NGOs, and renewable energy funders, as well as to academic researchers.