Electricity is the blood of our societies. However, the power sector is responsible for more than 40% of worldwide
CO
2 emissions.
That's why climate policies focus on the electricity industry. According to the
Paris Agreement, complete decarbonisation of the power sector has to be achieved
within 30 years. 20 years would be better. But even 30 years is less than the intended operational life
of a large power plant running on fossil fuels.
So, what is under construction today...
In most countries, renewable energy based on wind and solar will play a crucial role in decarbonisation.
Because the wind and solar resources are fluctuating, the output is variable and, hence,
we talk about variable renewable energy sources (
vRES).
Integrating large amounts of vRES in power systems is something like transforming a car into an airplane.
And, because we can't stop the system, the operation has to be performed while riding on a highway.
Sounds like a challenge? It is.
This website illustrates major technical challenges during the transformation process
and describes the fundamental principles how to tackle them. No doubt: it's absolutely doable.
Note: I acknowledge that the transformation of the economical, legal and regulative frameworks may be even more challenging.
But if you do not to restrict yourself in complex matters you easily get lost. I am an expert in electrical engineering...
Each of the following sections addresses a particular set of questions:
