While emissions from fossil fuel combustion and industrial processes account for nearly 85% of the world’s CO2 emissions, electrifying uses is a priority for achieving carbon neutrality, in parallel with energy efficiency measures and efforts to reduce energy consumption. Think Smartgrids publishes a manifesto for a new “electrical revolution” for decarbonization. A true revolution is indeed necessary to accomplish a transformation of unprecedented scope and speed of our energy systems.
The authors point out that even with strong measures of energy efficiency and consumption reduction, electricity production will have to increase significantly in the coming decades, by deploying decarbonized production means, whether nuclear or renewable. While the national low-carbon strategy (SNBC) calls for a 40% reduction in France’s final energy consumption over the next 30 years, the French grid operators RTE and Enedis are counting on a growth of at least 30% in national electricity consumption by 2050. The electrification of energy uses will primarily concern the three main greenhouse gas emitting sectors, i.e. transport (approximately 30% of emissions), buildings (23%) and industry (25%).
The coordination of this electrification and the deployment of renewable energies also implies the widespread use of new energy and digital technologies for finer management and optimization of electricity flows, which must guarantee the “flexibility” necessary for the proper functioning and resilience of the electrical system.
The recommendations detailed in the document include:
- The massive deployment of heat pumps to decarbonize buildings in particular;
- The electrification of thermal processes and other fossil fuel processes in industry;
- The development of the charging control of electric vehicles to ensure their good integration into the electrical network and an ambitious strategy concerning the durability and the recycling of batteries;
- The development and deployment of digital tools to modulate in real time the production and consumption of electricity, and thus guarantee the future balance of the network;
- Standardization and interoperability of tools and data formats
- The need for R&D and R&I, as well as better coordination between academic and industrial stakeholders, in order to make progress on flexibility and power electronics, both of which are essential to the success of the electrification challenge.
- The need for investments, on the one hand to support innovation and research, and on the other hand to support the development and necessary adaptation of the electricity network, which is the backbone of the energy transition.
For Think Smartgrids, investing in new digital solutions to enable flexible management of the electricity production, consumption and storage, as well as of the electricity grids themselves, will be essential to achieve the energy transition and guarantee the resilience of electricity networks. This electrical revolution aimed at decarbonizing our energy mix will be associated with multiple positive externalities, such as job creation in our industries, reduced energy expenses for households and businesses, and greater energy independence for France.
The document was written under the direction of the Think Smartgrids Scientific Council, chaired by Nourédine Hadjsaid (Grenoble Alpes University).
The authors: Olivier DEVAUX, Marc PETIT, Christophe CROCOMBETTE, Michel BENA, Georges KARINIOTAKIS, Stéphane ROBIN, Pierre MALLET.