Moving away from coal and towards clean power is critical to mitigating the worst impacts of climate change and meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement. While the world is better placed than ever has been to take real action, much work is ahead. Four industry experts weighed in with their thoughts.
The energy transition will require new types of thinking and collaboration. These experts share a breadth of options as leaders drive new solutions for the shift.
The challenge: Traditionally, diverse end-use sectors such as buildings and industry operate separately, meaning we miss out on opportunities to recapture excess energy and apply it where it is needed. To accelerate the energy transition, we must optimize energy use and integrate renewables cost-effectively. This requires an energy system that is flexible, intelligent, and integrated.
The solution: Energy system integration is not a set of specific technologies, but rather a concept for how several technologies can work together across siloes, so we use resources more efficiently. This includes using district energy as thermal storage for balancing electricity systems to decarbonize heating and cooling. It also involves creating circular systems. Excess heat given off from cooling equipment in supermarkets and data centers can be used in nearby homes and buildings. Finally, it also involves using digital tools to gather performance data, and match demand and supply across sectors to coordinate improvements.
For the heating and cooling sector, energy system integration is a necessary step to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We have a big opportunity to cut consumption here, as heating and cooling make up roughly 50% of the total final energy consumption in Europe. In Denmark for example, energy system integration could halve the cost of their emission reduction goals. The technology we need already exists – be it district heating, heat pumps, building automation or heat recovery. New awareness for the potential of this approach can lead to the collaborations needed to put these solutions into place-Jürgen Fischer, President, Danfoss Climate Solutions