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TThis week, the Liberal donor and owner of a coal-fired power plant, Trevor St Baker, proposes, with the help of his government colleagues, to build two new coal-fired plants in Australia at the expense of taxpayers.
However, the big four banks and the big three energy companies are not banned. Indeed, the majority of Australian energy companies are working on a very different future for the country's energy system, propelled by clean, renewable energy.
At least nine studies conducted over the decade have badyzed how Australia can move from an electricity system based on coal and gas pollutants to a system powered by sun, wind and waves .
The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), the body responsible for ensuring that we have energy when we need it, concluded that there is "no fundamental limit to 100% renewable energy. And that current standards for system security and reliability would be maintained. .
These studies show different paths towards 100% renewable energy, but they mean that it can be achieved.
So, how would it work? If our policies and regulations are correct, the electrical system of the future might look like this:
1. Big wind and solar
In the future, the bulk of our electricity will come from the most affordable technologies – wind and solar photovoltaic (PV). In regions where renewable resources are the best, large wind and solar projects connected to transmission lines will generate electricity to power industry, transportation, cities and Australian exports.
Modeling by the University of New South Wales suggests that wind energy could provide up to 70% of Australia's electricity needs, while that of CSIRO and Energy Networks Australia has revealed that wind energy and solar could provide almost all of the production in the future. The UNSW badysis, supported by AEMO's Integrated System Plan, also revealed that many of Australia's best solar and wind sites are in remote areas – renewable energy new investments in transportation to exploit these extraordinary resources.
2. Many different technologies in different places
These solar and wind parks will be spread across the country, sharing their production because on an immense continent the size of Australia, the wind almost always blows somewhere.
The supply gaps will then be filled by a range of renewable energy and storage on demand, such as solar thermal concentration with storage, pumped hydroelectricity, batteries (network and domestic) , sustainable bioenergy, etc.
A study by Andrew Blakers, of the Australian National University, revealed that pumped hydropower could be a sufficient reserve for a network fully powered by wind and solar power.
Hanging … hydropower on the arid continent of Australia? Yes, they identified 22,000 potential sites, mostly off-river reservoirs on hilly terrain or abandoned mine sites, and only 0.1% of these could meet all of Australia's storage needs in a 100% renewable network.
This means that we will move from a baseload energy system paradigm (large thermal generators) and advanced power plants (quick start gas) to a system where our bulk energy is supplied by energies. variable and renewable renewables, and storage fills the gaps.
3. Small, so everyone can benefit
According to CSIRO and Energy Networks Australia, between 30% and 45% of the country's future energy production will be local and owned by customers – in homes, businesses and communities. That means solar panels on every sunny roof and batteries in homes and commercial buildings. In buildings, there will be micro-grids powered by solar energy and batteries. Tenants will join community solar projects and homeowners will need to make properties more energy efficient. When you go to the mall and plug in your electric car, it will be protected by solar panels.
4. Demand is as important as the offer
The future use of electricity will be much more dynamic. When the sun is shining or the wind is blowing hard, smart software sends a signal to the energy users that they turn on their pumps and fill their batteries.
When wind power is low, the batteries are signaled to light up. This is what is called the answer to the request. As revealed in the Alternative Technology Association's 100% Renewable Network Report, this approach provides reliable grid electricity and reduced, win-win energy bills.
We will also need to use energy much more efficiently and more than doubled in productivity. Our homes, buildings, equipment, appliances, transportation and industrial processes all need to become more efficient.
5. Poles and wires – we are going only build them when we need them
Our electricity grid will continue to play a vital role. However, households and businesses will be encouraged to use local network infrastructure through revised tariffs and peer – to – peer energy trading.
And while households will draw less electricity from the grid than they currently do (through energy efficiency or rooftop solar power), electricity demand will increase as we power domestic transportation and industrial processes, ensuring that the network we need is affordable. all.
In some places, however, where it is profitable, the peripheral communities of the network will be slowly withdrawn from the network. As poles and cables become too expensive to maintain for only a few users, these communities will be powered by renewable microarrays and storage.
6. Industry and transport are also renewable, not just in Australia
A way that allows us to emit zero pollution pollution by 2050 requires switching to pollution-free electricity as quickly as possible. The electrification of many equipment running on gas or liquid fuels is a crucial step.
Reducing pollution in our transportation and industry sectors means helping them move from fossil fuels to other sources of energy. As our network becomes cleaner, it will make even more sense to switch from other fuels to electricity. Examples include the pbadage of:
Transforming our transport sector into 100% renewable energy will also require a shift to more active public and active transportation. In the future, heavy transportation, such as our garbage trucks, will likely be powered by renewable hydrogen.
In the industrial sector, we will see the rise of renewable industry areas where heat-intensive industries can access renewable heat from bioenergy, concentrating the production of solar thermal and renewable energy to the environment. hydrogen. These areas will also be the main sites for Australia's renewable export industries – energy-intensive products and renewable hydrogen and ammonia production. Our renewable energy exports will help countries like Japan, South Korea and Indonesia to move towards 100% renewable energy.
7. Resilient to extreme weather conditions
Doing our fair share to reduce pollution will help avoid the worst aspects of climate change, but we can not avoid the warming already started in the system. As such, our future power system will have to deal with more extreme weather events. During these periods, urban and rural areas may become isolated, with sufficient capacity to self-sustain as autonomous networks for at least six to twelve hours. This creates a more robust and reliable electrical system – the Danish grid operator is already doing this to better manage his system.
Such a transition poses technical and engineering problems to be tackled, but with the most intelligent mind, the creation of this energy system of the future is already underway. The biggest question that remains is whether we will do it at the speed required by climate change.
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Nicky Ison (@nickymison), founding director of the Community Power Agency and research badociate at the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology Sydney. This article has been adapted from the Repower Australia plan.
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