large wind farms, solar panels on rooftops,
bio-gas plants Germany is changing because of its
energy transition but what does energy transition really mean
why is it so important now and and where're the opportunities and challenges
we need energy in all areas of life
for transportation, and as heat and electricity
today we get most of our energy from fossil fuels
but there are many arguments against the use of fossil fuels
Two of the most important factors: since the beginning of industrialization
we burn more and more fossil fuels, releasing large amounts of carbon
dioxide
this increases the greenhouse effect which is causing the earth to heat up
rapidly
we've induced man-made climate change which dramatically changes our planet's
natural processes
and creates a number problems fossil fuels are finite
especially the amount available, oil our main energy resource,
is decreasing rapidly there is still some oil left
but exploitation is becoming increasingly expensive
unsafe and dangerous for the environment
both factors
are exacerbated by rapid economic development
in emerging countries the result: accelerated climate change
and increasing resource scarcity.
To curb this trend, a massive shift in energy policy
is essential Nuclear power
is no solution: the catastrophe in Fukushima
has shown this once again
Germany's energy transition involves two main changes
first a shift to renewable energy instead of fossil fuel
second a decrease in energy use
through design, technology and energy efficiency measures
let's take a closer look at these issues renewable energy sources
this means the extraction energy from materials that are not finite
or the regenerate themselves this can happen in large plants
but also on a small scale in private households close to the consumer
wind turbines have rotors which are moved by the power of the wind
a generator then creates electricity
similar to wind power in hydroelectric power stations
kinetic energy drives a generator which produces electricity
wave and tidal power plants use the natural movement of
the sea There're two major forms of solar energy
solar collectors heat transmission medium with the sun's energy
on a small scale this includes hot water heaters
for individual households on a large scale
concentrated solar power plants produce electricity
solar photovoltaic cells convert the sun's rays directly into electricity
the system's are often installed on rooftops geothermal energy
can also be absorbed by collectors just a few meters below the earth's surface
the increased temperature can be high enough to supply the heating for private
households
in regions with high underground temperatures
electricity can also be generated in this way
biomass from animal and vegetable substances
like organic waste from agriculture and households or specially grown
energy crops can generate electricity or be converted into fuel
the fermentation of these substances produces methane gas
which is transformed into electricity and heat in cogeneration plants
ethanol and biodiesel fuels can be produced with special energy crops
solid biomass is burned in order to generate heat for electricity
when burned, plants only release the amount of CO2 they have absorbed during
their growth
thus the carbon balance is neutral
from the energy source to the consumer
energy runs through various conversion processes
in each of these steps energy is lost
to increase energy efficiency means to minimize these losses
or in other words to win as much in net energy as possible
from the original energy source Many losses in industry and households can be
avoided
in electricity production and in many industries a great amount of heat is
released as a byproduct
heat and power cogeneration uses this energy to keep the surrounding community
Old appliances with high power demand
can be exchanged for more efficient ones this decreases power consumption
and lowers costs for the consumer
just as important as increasing efficiency is the reduction of overall
consumption
Our way of life uses too much energy We need to conserve
The energy transition is a very complex challenge
One of the difficulties: the use of renewable energy can have negative
ecological consequences occasionally the interests of nature conservation
conflict with production of green power
wind and hydroelectric power plants
may damage the habitats of birds and fish For the cultivation of energy crops
rainforest are cleared This destroys valuable ecosystems
and important natural carbon sinks and increase in CO2 emissions
energy crops are often grown on fields the previously grew food crops
this increases world food prices Residents in the vicinity of many power plants
often complain about unsightly buildings and noise
At times, state funding practices have been criticized: subsidies can hinder a
complete restructuring
and favor a few large energy producers Businesses and households
often cannot afford the upfront cost of buying more efficient equipment
and sometimes it's very difficult for us to change our habits
The reliable and constant supply of green electricity
is a major technical challenge. Two points are particularly challenging
the structure power grids and the storage of power
in Germany for example energy production and consumption are located in different regions
the largest supplier of renewable electricity - wind power plants -
are mostly located in the north due to good climate conditions
much of the country's energy-intensive industry, however, is located in the south
Currently the power grid lacks the capability to transport enough energy
from north to south
As a result energy often has to be bought from other sources
even though enough energy is actually produced In addition,
renewable energy sources are heavily dependent on the weather:
Their output fluctuates. In times when power plants achieve a high performance
for example when there's a strong wind, there's a lack of sufficient storage
capacity for the energy surplus
pumped storage stations are our way to store some electrical energy
but these storage facilities take a lot of space
and a certain geography. At this time
a well-engineered storage technology that could be implemented nationwide
doesn't exist. A technical solution might be so-called "smart grid"
These intelligent power grids observe production
storage and consumption of energy in a large integrated system
Depending on the demand for energy at a certain time, they can fine-tune
energy production and moderate consumption. They balance fluctuations
between energy supply and demand
and integrate the many new decentralized producers
into the power grid. Thus the energy supply becomes more efficient and more
reliable
we see energy transition is inevitable
the change to renewable energy definitely poses many challenges
but these are much smaller and easier to deal with than the consequences of
continued reliance on fossil fuels and the energy transition
also offers enormous opportunities: the exploration and development of this new
economic sector
is creating many new jobs we also reduce our dependence on oil and gas imports
With its energy transition Germany as well as other countries
can play a leading role in developing new technologies
and can make an important contribution to shaping a sustainable future