How to avoid the perfect storm: The role of energy and photovoltaics
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MRS Energy and Sustainability page 1 of 9 doi:10.1557/mre.2020.36
PERSPECTIVE How to avoid the perfect storm: The role of energy and photovoltaics
Maurizio Fermeglia , Vanni Lughi , and Alessandro Massi Pavan , Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Trieste, Piazzale Europa 1, 34127 Trieste, Italy Address all correspondence to Maurizio Fermeglia at maurizio.fermeglia@ units.it (Received 30 May 2020; accepted 31 August 2020)
ABSTRACT Energy, water, and food shortages, along with irreversible environmental damage and climate changes, are bound to happen within a decade if the current course of action is maintained, preparing the “perfect storm” – a chain of interrelated events that could lead to major stress on the global system. Energy plays a central role in the complex balance between humankind and the planet: poor strategies for the energy system will lead to disaster; but immediate, radical action can still mitigate what will otherwise be an unprecedented crisis. Reduction of the carbon intensity at the level of primary energy demand is one of the most impactful strategies. Current actions toward this goal, however, including the Nationally Determined Contributions (i.e., the climate actions pledged by the countries that ratified the Paris Agreements), are far from being adequate, and a much stronger effort is required. In this perspective, we draw inspiration from a visionary scientist of the past century, who pioneered the idea of a society powered by solar energy, and show, by a critical presentation of energy and carbon emission data, how this vision is now coming true. We focus our attention in particular to photovoltaics and analyze the factors that make it one of the key energy sources for the short and for the long term: economical convenience, the opening of very large markets, and the push by key players of the energy system. Keywords: environment; photovoltaic; sustainability
Introduction
DISCUSSION POINTS • The coronavirus has become a global health threat triggering the WHO to declare it a global pandemic. Strong investments are announced to revamp the economy and one of the top priorities in using them should be renewable energy: global warming is the next big emergency and we must be prepared for it. • Renewables are of paramount importance in the energy market, but this is not sufficient to avoid the climate change emergency. A new impulse is necessary for limiting the temperature rise below the 1.5° limit indicated by IPCC. • Extending electrification to all energy users is a key strategy for decarbonization of the energy system at the planetary level. Transport is a key sector for limiting CO2 emissions. Hybrid and electric vehicles are here to stay. Transition to electric cars is not a technological issue anymore; the matter is involving the public opinion.
The new strategies for human society will have to consider an increasing demand of energy. In view of the growth of the world population and the improved living conditions, the best criteria for converting energy with m
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