Will energy in the future be 100% renewable?

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Greetings dear friends of Project Hope. This seemingly simple question hides many technical and economic details that make it difficult to answer, but last year we have seen some encouraging news in the field of renewable energy development that make us consider that it is possible.

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The progress of several projects promises an encouraging future for renewable energy. Image credit: pxhere.com.

The transition to a clean energy model is already underway, perhaps we are accelerating this process too late, but it is still necessary to advance in the decarbonization of our energy generation systems to avoid the worst scenarios of climate change. The historic Paris Climate Agreement, which aims to limit global temperature rise to below 2°C, seems to have had a positive effect on many nations to accelerate change in their energy model.

And while in some cases there have been some small increases in the use of renewable energy, in other cases there have been significant increases, such as Australia, which last year announced that it had surpassed 70% renewable energy generation and was on track to exceed 90% generation by 2030.

The only possibility against climate change

We are aware that human beings are responsible for causing rapid global warming, the consequences of which we know can be catastrophic, due to our dependence on an energy system based on the burning of fossil fuels.

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Our current energy production scheme is responsible for global warming. Image credit: pxhere.com.

We must also accept that it is not a matter of turning the wheel and becoming dependent on other so-called clean technologies, such as nuclear energy, which, although it offers a solution to climate change, hides another terrible environmental impact. Nor is it about prolonging the life of the current system by disguising the emissions produced by burning oil and gas with technologies that offer carbon sequestration and storage.

Our only possibility is the complete replacement of the conventional generation system by the use of renewable energies together with a more conscious and efficient use of energy. That is why we are now asking ourselves with more emphasis the same question we asked decades ago.

Is a 100% renewable electricity generation system feasible?

Perhaps a few years ago the cost of generating energy using renewable sources made it doubtful whether this was possible. But today we can say that there are enough examples to affirm that a 100% renewable system is possible. But the key lies in the combination of the different types of technologies available (solar, wind, hydro and geothermal) and the use of innovative battery systems for storage, so that the electricity system can always be supplied with what is needed.


The key will be to combine different technologies to always maintain supply. Image credit: pixabay.com.

And on the economic front, according to a report by the consulting firm Lazard, by 2050 the lowest cost energy sources are certain to be renewables, especially wind and photovoltaics, technologies that are already reaching industrial maturity. In its latest annual analysis of the levelized cost of energy, it shows that the cost of renewable energy continues to decline and that certain technologies, such as utility-scale wind and photovoltaics, remain competitive with conventional generation systems.

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Levelized cost of energy comparison. Source: Image by @emiliomoron with data taken from Lazard estimates.

Reality is surpassing our expectations, and with increasingly stringent environmental regulations on polluting technologies, the costs of conventionally produced electricity are sure to increase in the future.

On the other hand, studies by Stanford University offer a vision of the steps that 143 countries can take to achieve 100% clean and renewable energy generation by 2050, providing low-cost solutions for incorporating renewable energy into the grid, and even project that the transition to clean energy could reduce global energy needs by more than 50% and create 28 million jobs associated with renewable technologies, while reducing environmental and climate costs by 90% compared to continuing with the current system.

The above data leads us to believe that renewable technologies will be the best option for the replacement of our electricity generation capacity, resulting in the future the most economical, environmentally and socially responsible option to preserve life on our planet; so we can undoubtedly dream today of a future where 100% of the energy produced will be renewable.


Thanks for coming by to read friends, I hope you liked the information. See you next time.




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14 comments
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I also felt as if we were moving in a very good direction, also when it comes to minimizing plastic garbage and so. But, to be honest, then came COVID, and I feel like the world (including myself) has somehow forgotten about the climate, and now everything is about wearing masks (that cause A LOT of waste) and about vaccines, and somehow, we have forgotten about the climate challenge in a way...

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Agreed but COVID did have positive impact on the climate if you observe . Less vehicles , less pollution . Air pollution decreased a lot in this period but now it is picking up again .

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Greetings friends, certainly the pandemic seems to have put us on pause regarding our environmental concerns, since the most important issue became to avoid contagions, but really the last two years have been very good for clean technologies, several countries in full pandemic managed to overcome their generation goals and have advanced in several projects and agreements, I believe that after this there will be greater awareness and more interest in preserving the environment.

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It is possible only if the politicians are willing to do so . If they succumb to the lobbying by industrialists then we will fail . More pressure from environmentalists will have an effect .

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That's right my friend, this is not the time to succumb to the interests of a few powerful people, I really believe that the pressure of environmentalists and industrialists of these technologies will pay off soon.

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It is feasible, but not with the current power-grid system. We need a more flexible system where we can share power over a larger region. It blows somewhere on the earth at any given time, there is sun somewhere on earth at any given time and do we learn how to harvest the waves efficently, we have a great power source.

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Certainly there are many things to be done in terms of the distribution network, but if it is possible to do it, there are already many successful examples where various technologies are combined to supply the necessary energy. And there is certainly a lot of potential in harnessing the energy from wave motion, there are many alternatives to exploit.

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I think so simply because we are already seeing technological advancements growing at a rapid rate and the improvements in the energy sector... From the look of things, it might not be too far into the future before we get there

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Very much agree, we currently have these technologies developed enough to think that we can become dependent on them, I don't think we are far away from getting there either. Thanks for commenting.

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I believe that companies are becoming more and more humanized, clean and renewable energy mechanisms.

Well, this is the only way we can save the planet and stop producing so much toxic waste.

In addition, large investors have realized that this is the opportunity they have to implement an innovative solution.

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That's right my friend, there are also large investors who have set their eyes on these technologies and have bet big on their development, it is certainly a great opportunity.

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Hello friend, excellent publication, it is always good to read you. It seems to me a great idea, it would be great and ideal that this could happen all over the world, it seems to me that we humans are responsible for so much pollution and that the planet is getting worse every day, we have all contributed a grain of sand for that to happen. And it would be great to educate people about it. Greetings!

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Hi @franyeligonzalez, it is always good to receive your comments. No doubt the planet needs this, luckily we are moving in that direction, and the education of people is also important to maintain the changes over time. Greetings!

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