The full impact of the outbreak is difficult to predict and underpins the importance of sustainable solutions
Transitioning to a sustainable energy regime will be one of the major challenges for mankind as this shift can only be enabled by behavioural change, technological innovation and promotion of clean and green energy. Power is a vital commodity that goes through a wide range of flows and transformations that are pivotal for the existence of human life. Increasingly extensive and efficient utilisation of energy has played a critical role in the evolution of societies, especially in the post-Industrial Revolution era. Consequently, world demand for energy is experiencing a rapid growth and is projected to increase by 50 per cent by 2050. However, the global energy scenario also faces challenges like depletion of fossil fuel reserves, lack of access to refined energy resources, volatile prices, increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy insecurity. Use of energy has evolved through the course of history and there have been two major transitions. The first one was a shift from wood and biomass to coal during the 18th century and the second one was the 20th-century transition from coal to oil and gas. The current shift is, however, much more vibrant and is manifested as sustainable energy transition. This shift has four vital dimensions: Decarbonisation, decreased use, decentralisation and digitisation.
Decarbonisation is led by solutions like renewable and low-carbon technologies, electric mobility, carbon capture and storage, and hydrogen and fuel cells. Decreased use through energy conservation and management (ECM) is critical to sustainability. ECM is a widely established and techno-economically viable strategy across all major power consuming sectors. Decentralised energy systems are becoming popular around the world to help cost-effective and efficient supplies of power. Digitisation is also an important aspect of future energy systems as it helps improve productivity, accessibility, cost-effectiveness, and overall sustainability.
ECM is one of the most promising dimensions of sustainable energy transition. In terms of application and benefits, ECM measures have a huge scope and offer a wide range of benefits not only at the individual and societal levels but also at global scales. By reducing energy consumption, ECM results in economic gain and offers a competitive edge to industrial and commercial activities. It is regarded as a better solution to address energy deficit than developing new energy projects, and thus helps in achieving greater national energy security.
Further, considering at every step of the energy chain — which encompasses stages of production, transformation, transmission and distribution, and end use — each unit of power saved is found to be more cost effective and beneficial than the produced one. Another important global contribution of ECM is reduction in environmental emissions as a result of curtailed energy use.
In the global context, studies show that besides industries and the transport sector, buildings account for 36 per cent of the world’s total energy use and around 40 per cent of the GHG emissions. Hence, compared to other sectors such as transport, industry and agriculture, the building sector has the greatest potential for reducing energy consumption and GHG emissions. With the commercially available and viable solutions, energy demand in existing as well as new buildings can be cut by 30 per cent to 80 per cent. The ongoing pandemic has added another critical dimension and the energy sector is also experiencing supply cuts, disrupted trade flows, mounting debts and bankruptcies. The full and long-term impact of the outbreak is difficult to predict and underpins the importance of sustainable energy solutions.
(The writer is former Executive Director, GAIL. The views expressed are personal.)
