Text: Einar Kristoffer Sunde
Photography: Caroline Hargreaves, and Einar Kristoffer Sunde
Innovation has brought us to a sustainability crisis –now it is time for innovation to solve it
Every year, the additional energy usage of China equals the total annual energy usage of the UK. The planet will be saved by innovations and developments in the way we source energy, not by saving a little energy here and there. The European Commission this summer stated an action plan of how the EU can source at least 20% of its energy consumption from renewables by 2020. This figure is now at about 15% in the EU. In the UK, it is a measly 5%, one of the worst in the class. One would think that it is because the UK has access to stable non-renewable energy sources in the future, but the truth is rather the contrary. It is time for the UK to show some ambitions for action and take a part of the responsibility in the Copenhagen Summit in December. Since the last promises in Kyoto, little progress has been made. Not only have the greenhouse gas emissions grown, but the growth rates have grown.
Why we need to take action now
Climatologists' biggest worry is the possibility that global warming could cause a dramatic worsening of the situation for three reasons. The first would be the thawing of carbon-rich peat locked in permafrost. As the peat decomposes when the Arctic warms, it can release trillions of tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere – a potentially much larger number than the direct emissions caused by humans. The second reason is that when the ocean temperature increases, large quantities of methane, stored in deep ocean sediments as hydrate, can be released. As the methane enters the atmosphere, it contributes to still more warming and thus accelerates the breakdown of hydrates in a vicious circle. If any of these scenarios come through, it may push the world over the edge. Finally, as the ice caps melt, the earth is replaced by darker more energy absorbing surfaces.
The UK has many potential areas to source renewable energy from. Wind turbines on the countryside are estimated to have the potential to generate 20% of the electricity needs in the UK. The potential for off-shore wind turbines is estimated to about 50%. A project of floating wind turbines is currently being tested 10 kilometres off the coast of Norway utilising the stronger winds at sea. If successful, floating offshore wind farms could open a practically unlimited energy potential for the UK. Energy from the waves caused by wind can also be harnessed, estimated to have a potential of 20% of UK’s electricity needs alone.
Another alternative that may be especially favourable for the UK is capitalise on the vast amount of energy released when the water levels are reduced from high tide. The water can be trapped at high tide and sent through turbines to convert static energy to electric energy. For example, the scheme proposed for the Severn Estuary would have around 8000 megawatts of installed generating capacity and could supply 6% of UK electricity requirements. The total UK tidal barrage potential is around 20% of UK electricity requirements.
Recent noteworthy innovations
Most of the notable developments have come in green technology rather than renewable energy. If we shall trust history to predict the future, the innovations are likely to come in small steps at the time. Energy saving has now become a top priority in engineering. Many little things, some just plain common sense, can lead to vast energy savings. The future homes will have south facing windows to capture heat and have see-through solar panels used as windows. In apartments there will be hybrid lifts that convert kinetic energy to electric energy when the lift breaks. In Cambridge, a new solution is being developed to reduce the energy usage of air conditioners and refrigerators –the biggest energy consumers in the home. The new so-called magnetic refrigerators subject alloys to a magnetic field that causes them to cool down with a 40% lower energy usage. Another significant development is being worked on in Oxford. Light-emitting diodes can produce the same light as incandescent or even compact fluorescent lighting for only a tiny fraction of the energy. However, the light they produce is pale and cool, which means people are reluctant to use them. Developing phosphorescent screens that convert blue-tinged LED light into the warm white light we are used to from conventional bulbs might be the answer. Worldwide adoption of LEDs could cut global energy consumption for lighting in half, the company says.
A major problem with renewable energy sources is that few of them can supply constant and reliable energy due to constraints of the energy sources such as wind or solar energy. A new generation of intelligent fridges could help smooth out fluctuations in the grid - by talking to each other. A London-based company has developed technology that lets fridges use supply and demand data from the grid to anticipate power surpluses or deficits and schedule when to turn on or off, thus avoiding sudden spikes in demand when supply is low. The company estimates the technology could reduce the UK's CO2 emissions by 2 million tonnes per year. A rather fascinating innovation has come from a US company which has developed floor tiles made out of a piezoelectric material which generate electricity when deformed. It claims that 100 square metres of tiles installed in a busy area such as a train station could generate 18,250 kilowatt-hours per year.
A prize beyond the dreams of avarice
The market for energy is enormous. At present the world consumes around 15 terawatts of power. That translates to a business of about $6 trillion a year. It is expected to at least the double of that by 2050. The increase in oil price coupled with new policy schemes such as Cap-And-Trade, will give economic incentives to find solutions. It will not be solved by altruism. The boom of the 1980s was based on
The Alternative Energy Academy
On a closing note, let me write a few words about the how I am involved in alternative energy. Together with three peers from my university I have founded the Alternative Energy Academy. We will help schools run more sustainably and create an education programme that is linked with the tangible solutions that will be implemented at the schools. In this way we believe we not only will reduce CO2 emissions today but foster future innovators. Check out our website to find out more about what we do and how you can get involved!
Einar Kristoffer Sunde is Norwegian and is a final year BS.c. Economics student at City University London. He is a founding partner of Alternative Energy Academy, a non-profit that works on improving the awareness of sustainable issues. For more information about the AEA, see their website here. Einar has previously worked in finance and in consulting. He has also been the vice president of Business Development at AIESEC City.