Blog – Full Width

  1. Home
  2. Blog – Full Width
July 24, 2014
by

Wind Energy

Wind energy offers signifi cant potential for near-term (2020) and long-term (2050) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions. A number of different wind energy technologies are available across a range of applications, but the primary use of wind energy of relevance to climate change mitigation is to generate electricity from larger, grid-connected wind turbines, deployed either on- or offshore. Focusing on these technologies, the wind power capacity installed by the end of 2009 was capable of meeting roughly 1.8% of worldwide electricity demand, and that contribution could grow to in excess of 20% by 2050 if ambitious efforts are made to reduce GHG emissions and to address the other impediments to increased wind energy deployment. Onshore wind energy is already being deployed at a rapid pace in many countries,
and no insurmountable technical barriers exist that preclude increased levels of wind energy penetration into electricity supply systems. Moreover, though average wind speeds vary considerably by location, ample technical potential exists in most regions of the world to enable signifi cant wind energy deployment. In some areas with good wind resources, the cost of wind energy is already competitive with current energy market prices, even without considering relative environmental impacts. Nonetheless, in most regions of the world, policy measures are still required to ensure rapid deployment. Continued advances in on- and offshore wind energy technology are expected, however, further reducing the cost of wind energy and improving wind energy’s GHG emissions reduction potential.

[gview file=”https://info.aea-al.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Ch7-Wind-Energy.pdf” save=”1″]

July 22, 2014
by

Ocean Energy

Ocean energy offers the potential for long-term carbon emissions reduction but is unlikely to make a significant short term contribution before 2020 due to its nascent stage of development. In 2009, additionally installed ocean capacity was less than 10 MW worldwide, yielding a cumulative installed capacity of approximately 300 MW by the end of 2009. All ocean energy technologies, except tidal barrages, are conceptual, undergoing research and development (R&D), or are in the pre-commercial prototype and demonstration stage. The performance of ocean energy technologies is anticipated to improve steadily over time as experience is gained and new technologies are able to access poorer quality resources. Whether these technical advances lead to sufficient associated cost reductions to enable broad-scale deployment of ocean energy is the most critical uncertainty in assessing the future role of ocean energy in mitigating climate change. Though technical potential is not anticipated to be a primary global barrier to ocean energy deployment, resource characteristics will require that local communities in the future select among multiple available ocean technologies to suit local resource conditions.

[gview file=”https://info.aea-al.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Ch6-Ocean-Energy.pdf” save=”1″]

July 22, 2014
by

Hydropower

Hydropower offers signifi cant potential for carbon emissions reductions. The installed capacity of hydropower by the end of 2008 contributed 16% of worldwide electricity supply, and hydropower remains the largest source of renewable energy in the electricity sector. On a global basis, the technical potential for hydropower is unlikely to constrain further deployment in the near to medium term. Hydropower is technically mature, is often economically competitive with current market energy prices and is already being deployed at a rapid pace. Situated at the crossroads of two major issues for development, water and energy, hydro reservoirs can often deliver services beyond electricity supply. The signifi cant increase in hydropower capacity over the last 10 years is anticipated in many scenarios to continue in the near term (2020) and medium term (2030), with various environmental and social concerns representing perhaps the largest challenges to continued deployment if not carefully managed.

[gview file=”https://info.aea-al.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Ch5-Hydropower.pdf” save=”1″]

July 22, 2014
by

Geothermal Energy

Geothermal energy has the potential to provide long-term, secure base-load energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions. Accessible geothermal energy from the Earth’s interior supplies heat for direct use and to generate electric energy. Climate change is not expected to have any major impacts on the effectiveness of geothermal energy utilization, but the widespread deployment of geothermal energy could play a meaningful role in mitigating climate change. In electricity applications, the commercialization and use of engineered (or enhanced) geothermal systems (EGS) may play a central role in establishing the size of the contribution of geothermal energy to long-term GHG emissions reductions.

[gview file=”https://info.aea-al.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Ch4-Geothermal-Energy.pdf” save=”1″]

July 22, 2014
by

Direct Solar Energy

Solar energy is abundant and offers signifi cant potential for near-term (2020) and long-term (2050) climate change mitigation.There are a wide variety of solar technologies of varying maturities that can, in most regions of the world, contribute to a suite of energy services. Even though solar energy generation still only represents a small fraction of total energy consumption, markets for solar technologies are growing rapidly. Much of the desirability of solar technology is its inherently smaller environmental burden and the opportunity it offers for positive social impacts. The cost of solar technologies has been reduced signifi cantly over the past 30 years and technical advances and supportive public policies continue to offer the potential for additional cost reductions. Potential deployment scenarios range widely—from a marginal role of direct solar energy in 2050 to one of the major sources of energy supply. The actual deployment achieved will depend on the degree of continued innovation, cost reductions and supportive public policies.

[gview file=”https://info.aea-al.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Ch3-Direct-Solar-Energy.pdf” save=”1″]

July 22, 2014
by

Bioenergy

Bioenergy is embedded in complex ways in global biomass systems for food, fodder and fi bre production and for forest products; in wastes and residue management; and in the everyday living of the developing countries’ poor. Bioenergy includes different sets of technologies for applications in various sectors.

[gview file=”https://info.aea-al.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Ch2-Bioenergy.pdf” save=”1″]