New Energy Goes Beyond Electricity

Defying sceptics, higher shares of variable renewable energy (VRE) are being successfully integrated into electricity systems across the globe, without affecting grid stability. Penetration reached significant levels in many regions in 2017.

June 3, 2018 (Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21ST Century)

“…[T]he global energy transition is only fully underway for the power sector; for other sectors it has barely begun…The heating and cooling and transport sectors, which together account for about 80% of global total final energy demand, are lagging behind…[but the] share of renewables in final energy consumption continues to grow globally with some technologies growing very rapidly [according to the 2018 Global Status Update from REN21]…Despite impressive uptake in [variable renewable energy (VRE)] sources such as PV and wind, growth in renewables had difficulty keeping up with rapidly rising demand. In addition, in some countries traditional biomass use has fallen, which, although a positive development, is slowing down the growth of the total renewable energy share globally. Because of this, many countries have seen the share of renewable energy in their total final demand fall since 2010…

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…Integrating high shares of VRE into the power system requires a conceptual shift: policy makers and planners are increasingly looking beyond the confines of a single grid, a single country, a single city or a single sector and are integrating both supply- and demand-side solutions across sectors and across borders…China, for example, is specifically encouraging the electrification of heating, manufacturing and transport in parts of the country where large renewable power capacity exists, as it helps to reduce curtailment (the powering down of generation to maintain the balance between supply and demand)…The European Union (EU) is providing funding to support the construction of four major transmission lines across Europe, enabling surpluses in one area to be used or stored in another. Having this flexibility will reduce costs and allow for greater shares of VRE in the total mix…” click here for more

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