Energy Transformation towards Sustainability

Manuela Tvaronaciene, Beata Slusarczyk, Manuela Tvaronaciene, Beata Slusarczyk

• Publisher: Elsevier
• Year: 2019
• ISBN:
  9780128176894
• Topic: Commerce
• Subtopic: Industrie de l'énergie

Energy Transformation towards Sustainability explores how researchers, businesses and policymakers can explore and usefully improve energy systems and energy consumption behavior, both to reflect the reality of climate change and related environmental degradation and to adapt to the expanding periphery of renewable energy technologies. It introduces the reader to a suite of potential policy pathways to the necessary transformation in societal energy consumption, usage and behavior. Solutions discussed include energy efficiency, energy security, the role of political leadership, green public policy, and the transition to renewable energy sources.

International contributions address the range and depth of current research from a position of advocacy for 'energy stewardship' as the driver of this transformation. Case studies illustrate the range of various countries to diminish energy use. Finally, policy avenues are covered in depth.

• Reviews the interrelationship between economic growth, energy consumption and climate change
• Uses a wide variety of case studies to support practical implementation across national energy systems
• Highlights a wide spectrum of urgent issues, including threats related to energy use and secure and sustainable development
• Contains contributions that reflect a breadth and depth of scholarship from international backgrounds

Chapter 1

Global energy consumption peculiarities and energy sources

Role of renewables

Manuela Tvaronavičienė ¹ , Juozas Baublys ² , Jurgita Raudeliūnienė ¹ , and Dileta Jatautaitė ^{3 1} Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Vilnius, Lithuania ² Independent expert ³ General Jonas Žemaitis Military Academy of Lithuania, Vilnius, Lithuania

Abstract

Increasing growth of economic activity conditions increases energy consumption. This chapter introduces world energy consumption scenarios. Primary energy consumption tendencies, global energy consumption structure are presented, threats to sustainable energy future are revealed, and the role of renewables explained. In order to get a better understanding of energy, readers are acquainted with energy resources and energy sources. Such resources as electricity energy and heat production are introduced, primarily energy resources, and both nonrenewable (finite) and renewable are discussed. Special attention is paid to renewable resources, such as hydropower, solar and wind energy, sea tides and low tides, and wood and other plants. The chapter provides basic knowledge required to understand the importance of energy transformation toward sustainability.

Keywords

Economic growth; Energy consumption; Energy resources; Energy sources; Role of renewables; Threats

1. Introduction
   1. World energy scenarios
   2. Trends in energy consumption in the EU
   3. Energy resources and energy sources
   4. Chapter summary
2. References
3. Further reading

Introduction

The World Energy Council predicts the pattern of economy growth, and if it happens, the demand for global energy will increase by 45%–60% (optimistic variant) or by 35% (pessimistic variant in comparison with 2010) by 2030. By 2030 in the European Union (EU), the total energy demand is planned to increase by 15%–20%. According to the International Energy Agency, in 2030 the world primary energy resources will increase to approximately 334 million barrels per day in oil equivalent, i.e., ∼1.5 times more than in 2000 when 205 million barrels were consumed. Currently, 41% of the world's primary energy consumption is by the three largest countries (United States, China, and Russia), which possess only 38% of the world's primary energy sources. Although energy resources are diminishing, the demand for them is increasing. In order to reduce the negative impact of production on the environment in the world, more energy-efficient technologies have to be implemented in all areas, and the use of renewable energy sources has to be encouraged.

Increasing energy efficiency is one of the most important directions for sustainable economic development in all states, economic and social structures, ensuring fulfillment of the expectations of human existence.

Limited resources, especially in the future, and their highly uneven geographic distribution, cause a problem of energy security. Ensuring energy security is one of the most important national interests of any state because the national security depends on energy security.

While examining energy security and energy efficiency as interrelated processes, it is necessary to assess global trends in the world and in the EU, the expected shifts by implementing the latest technologies, and global efforts by neutralizing threats of climate change. Decisions should be based on a systematic analysis of potentially possible energy scenarios, covering the diversity of fossil fuels and renewable energy sources, diversification of energy supply and energy availability for consumers at affordable prices.

Modern energy is one of the main means of human survival in the world. Energy policy is an area of economic and political activity of the state, involving all energy sectors related to the existing major resources of the Earth and various types of energy production and use. Economic activity in the energy field is about exploration, production, storage, supply, rational distribution, sale, and distribution of energy materials and products (oil, natural and other gases, coal, fossil fuel, and renewable energy resources).

At present, the world is focusing on shale gas production. It is expected that the gas extracted from shale will significantly reduce natural gas consumption. By 2009, the United States had extracted a large amount of shale gas and consumed 650 billion m³ gas in total, bypassing Russia by more than 40 billion m³.

In 1992, at the United Nations Conference “Environment and Development” a program on environmental protection and international development promotion for the 21st century was endorsed. According to it, the world energy strategy should be based not only on technical and economic criteria but also on comprehensive, cohesive activity of society. The development of long-term energy policies of individual countries has to be based on the modeling of a potential future, from medium- to long-term scenarios, with broad-based insight into the development of potential political, technological, and environmental factors. The most significant feature of current energy supply systems is the dominance of fossil fuel in the global energy balance, and hence, the dependence of many countries on energy imports is increasing. Industrial development, mechanization, and automation of production processes, population growth and increasing mobility, the pursuit of better working conditions and greater expectations of comfort and other factors have contributed to the ever-increasing energy needs.

For several decades, there has been a continuous debate on energy status at various levels, potential future generations' problems due to decreasing storage of traditional fossil fuel resources in the crust of the Earth, the dramatic and reckless and overwhelming effects of the use of major energy sources, and the dramatic ...