GREENPEACE ON 97% NEW ENERGY

Europe: Running on empty
Rikki Stancich, 5 August 2010 (CSP Today)

"…Greenpeace and the Institute of Technical Thermodynamics of the German Aerospace Center (DLR), have developed a blueprint for the EU energy supply that demonstrates how Europe could phase out nuclear power and massively reduce CO2-emissions.The scenario comes close to a fossil fuels phase-out by aiming for a 80% CO2 emissions reduction [and 97% New Energy] by 2050…"

[Frauke Thies, EU energy policy advisor, Greenpeace:] "Politically, we have built up the fossil fuels industry though subsidies and public support. As long as these industries continue ‘business as usual’, renewable energies will be placed at a disadvantage. At present, the electricity transmission system favors fossil fuels – it suits the profile of the conventional [nuclear and fossil fuel] power stations but not of, say, wind turbines…Renewable energy would be [workable and] cheaper if given the same advantages…[T]hey already are cheaper if you consider the external costs."

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[Frauke Thies, EU energy policy advisor, Greenpeace:] "[Decentralized power generation would be about 60% of the plan.] It is difficult to distinguish with the wind farms in terms of where decentralized energy generation ends and utility-scale begins…[and the] operation of the grid would change, rather than the grid itself. Smart technologies will be needed to make the grid capable of balancing renewables. The grids would be made smarter through adding communications technology and, at the transmission level, HVDC. A few new HVDC lines would be required and an upgrade of existing AC lines would be needed."

[Frauke Thies, EU energy policy advisor, Greenpeace:] "[In the ‘Vehicle-to-grid’ concept, cars with batteries can be charged during times when there is surplus renewable generation and then discharged to supply peaking.]…[A] car owner could program the car to be ready for 8am the next morning. While sitting in the garage…fully charged…the car battery would be discharged to meet peak demand, then, during the night when electricity demand is low, the battery would recharge, ready for the next morning…[The supergrid concept of inter-connecting grids so that fluctuating power in one region would balance power generation in another region is] very complimentary. Grid to car/car to grid reduces fluctuation on the distribution level and makes it easier on the high grid voltage level…"

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[Frauke Thies, EU energy policy advisor, Greenpeace:] "The current report considers land capacity but doesn’t present a breakdown of where technology is installed – this would be subject to political and technical decisions…For the technology investment costs and operational costs, the Energy [R]evolution investment requirement is €3.8 trillion through to 2050, compared with around €1.85 trillion more than in the ‘business as usual’ scenario…[T]he Energy [R]evolution…saves €2.65 trillion in fuel costs. So overall, the Energy [R]evolution will save some €800 billion until 2050, compared with business as usual."

[Frauke Thies, EU energy policy advisor, Greenpeace:] "[These numbers do] not include the grid upgrade cost, which is estimated at around €200billion, assuming balancing through transmission without storage or demand-side management. Even when you include the grid cost, it is cheaper than the ‘business as usual’ scenario…[I]n the first couple of years, electricity would be slightly more expensive…[In 2035] there is a significant shift and renewable energy becomes substantially cheaper…Households would be paying around 1.2 cents/Kwh (roughly €1 per week) more than under business as usual…Around 2050, renewable energies will have saved households around 2.8 cents/Kwh."