Graeme wrote:If that island can do it, so can the rest of the world.
The United States Energy Information Agency estimates that 11 percent of the world's total energy comes from renewable sources, a number they project will grow modestly to 15 percent by 2040. They also estimate that 21 percent of the world's electricity came from renewable energy in 2011, and they expect that to grow to 25 percent by 2040. These percentage changes must be viewed in the context of worldwide growth in energy consumption. According to the United States Energy Information Agency:
...world energy consumption will grow by 56% between 2010 and 2040, from 524 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu) to 820 quadrillion Btu. Most of this growth will come from non-OECD (non-Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries, where demand is driven by strong economic growth. Renewable energy and nuclear power are the world's fastest-growing energy sources, each increasing 2.5% per year. However, fossil fuels continue to supply nearly 80% of world energy use through 2040. Natural gas is the fastest-growing fossil fuel, as global supplies of tight gas, shale gas, and coalbed methane increase.
Imagine if a similar technological development and commercialization process were applied to solar energy. Just as the smart phone has transformed the way we live, a renewable energy breakthrough could alter the future of the planet. It will take such a breakthrough, along with many other policy-driven incentives, to alter the trend lines projected by the Energy Information Agency. Hastening the transition to a renewable energy economy is a difficult but feasible task.
Britain could generate all its electricity from renewable sources by 2050 if politicians grasp the nettle, according to a Loughborough University expert on wind energy.
Simon Watson, Professor of Wind Energy, says it is possible for wind, solar and water power to take over from nuclear, coal and gas within 36 years.
“There is no reason at all why we can’t be generating 100 per cent of our electricity needs from renewables by 2050,” said Professor Watson.
“But it’s down to political will and the social acceptability of it. Also, the fossil fuel lobby is very strong.
“Thirty six years is not a long time to complete the changeover, but think back to where we were in 1990 and how much renewable generation we had then.
“There was some small scale hydro, and renewables were at about two per cent of all electricity generated. Now it’s 15 per cent and it’s accelerating.”
Professor Watson was speaking ahead of his Inaugural Lecture* at the university on Wednesday, October 8 when he will look at some of the main challenges facing wind energy.
Wind power is at the forefront of the drive towards renewable energy at a time when there is increasing demand for carbon-free energy generation to combat climate change caused by CO2 emissions.
There have been several instances in recent months when wind energy has accounted for all, or nearly all, electricity demand in South Australia. Last Tuesday, however, set a new benchmark – the combination of wind energy and rooftop solar provided more than 100 per cent of the state’s electricity needs, for a whole working day between 9.30am and 6pm.
The data comes from Hugh Saddler, at consultants Pitt & Sherry, and is part of his monthly overview of electricity market, emissions and pricing trends in Australia.
Saddler notes there were several periods in South Australia from Saturday September 27, and over the following days, when wind generation was greater than total state NEM demand. (South Australia has nearly half the country’s wind capacity with around 1.5GW of wind energy).
It occurred briefly on Saturday afternoon, for much of Sunday, and again, most strikingly, between about 9.30am and 6.00pm on Tuesday, September 30, a normal working day.
In reality, renewables contributed well over 100 per cent because they were generating and consuming their own electricity from rooftop solar – the state has 550MW of rooftop solar, with nearly one in four houses with rooftop modules.
That meant that “true” demand by consumers on that day, i.e. the amount of electricity being used by consumers, including rooftop solar, was in fact considerably higher than NEM demand — up to 20 per cent according to the Australian Photovoltaic Institute — because of the contribution of rooftop PV to total electricity supply.
Here are the two key graphs. The first shows wind generation (blueish line) exceeds total demand (green line) at several points, but particularly for large periods on September 30, the Tuesday.
Although "renewable" energy is growing faster than ever before, it is neither carbon neutral, "clean" nor sustainable. We need to transform into low-energy societies that meet human - not corporate - needs.
(wind turbines') intermittenticy will restrict their practical use to twenty percent of grid power
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