Renewables 24/7

Publication - 4 February, 2010
Smart grid or super grid, decentralised or centralised renewable power plants? The discussion about the future of our power supply is running hot, and hi- tech visions are everywhere.

Executive summary: The solar and wind markets have continued to grow despite the economic crisis. So as more and more renewable power generation comes online a question arises. How do we transport and integrate renewable energy sources into existing power grids? Will the lights go out if the wind is not blowing and the sun is not shining? Do we still need coal or nuclear power to provide base-load and back-up for wind and solar power?

Climate friendly infrastructure is needed in all countries. The time to build up our ‘climate friendly infrastructure’ – comprising networked smart grids and district heating pipelines – is now! The window of opportunity is available for industrialised countries as well as developing countries. While the industrialised nations in North America, Europe and Australia have to reinforce their 40- and 50-year old grids, developing countries – especially China and India – are in the process of building theirs for the first time.

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Num. pages: 76

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