Responses to increasing energy demands

Despite the uncertainties about the future, the challenge facing the world is to meet the rising energy demand linked with further economic growth while moving towards a low-carbon economy
Business as usual
1. If we do nothing, forecasts suggest that between now and 2030:
  1. Global primary energy demand will rise by 53%, leading to a 55% increase in global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions
    1. Fossil fuels will remain the dominant source of energy worldwide
  2. As the demand for electricity rises, emissions from electricity generation will account for 44% of global energy-related emissions by 2030
  3. Coal will provide the largest incremental source of power generation, with the majority of this increase likely to be in China (55%)
  4. Over 70% of the increase in global primary energy demand will come from developing countries, reflecting rapid economic and population growth
Multi-energy solution
1. One controversial component of this future mix may be nuclear energy
2. Nuclear power is clean but has poor perception
3. There are other sources of renewable energy; hydro power has been harnessed for over a century now
4. Solar power is increasingly used to power heating and air conditioning in homes, especially in the Mediterranean
  1. Large -scale generation is already occurring in Spain, Germany, Canada and the USA
  2. There are plans to take advantage of the cloudless skies of the Sahara
5. A rich fuel mix is necessary to ensure energy security and to maintain an affordable supply for both individuals and industry
6. A multi-energy solution involves meeting future energy demands from a mixture of renewable, recyclable and non-renewable sources
7. In the UK, landfill gas now contributes to electricity generation
8. Nuclear power's second chance?
  1. Attitudes to nuclear power are shifting in response to climate change and fears over the security of fossil fuel supplies
  2. China and India are building several reactors and intend to increase their nuclear generating capacity in the next 15 years
  3. The USA has experienced a rush of applications to build new reactors, and in the UK there is now government support for a new generation of nuclear power plants
  4. By 2008, some 439 nuclear reactors in 31 countries were supplying 15% of the world's electricity, about 370 gigawatts a year
  5. It is estimated that by 2030 this output will increase to 520 gigawatts
  6. A big advantage of nuclear energy is that it does not produce greenhouse emissions, although there are some emissions associated with plant construction and uranium mining
  7. Uranium is relatively cheap and easy to mine, and most commentators think that reserves are plentiful and will last for up to 150 years
  8. Because it is used in small quantities uranium is also cost-effective to transport
  9. There are many problems associated with nuclear power, highlighted by the 1986 incident at Chernobyl
  10. Modern power stations are designed to be safe, using 'passive safety' systems that operate automatically
  11. While new designs are safe, they still generate toxic waste in the form of radioactive materials, which have to be transported and stored
  12. This is difficult to manage, politically as well as technically
  13. Nuclear plants are also expensive - they can cost several billion pounds to design and build
  14. The future of nuclear energy will depend on many factors, including successful waste management, improved economics and convincing the public that nuclear energy is safe
9. Wind power
  1. Wind generation produces about 1% of the global electricity supply
  2. Large-scale wind farms are connected to electricity grids, while individual turbines can provide electricity in isolated locations
  3. In windpumps or mills, wind energy is used directly as mechanical energy for pumping water or grinding grain
  4. Wind energy is plentiful, renewable, widely distributed and clean, and it can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by replacing fossil fuels as a source of electricity
  5. Fluctuations in wind speeds seldom create problems when wind power is used to supply a low proportion of total demand
  6. Wind farms have met with local opposition
  7. Some people believe they are unsightly, make a droning noise and pose danger to bird
  8. There is no one source of energy that ticks all the boxes for meeting rising energy demand without increasing emissions, but wind power must come close in terms of costs and sustainability
  9. On the down side, it is claimed that much of the UK would be covered by wind farms if they were to completely replace fossil fuels as generators of electricity
Energy Conservation
1. Individuals and organisations that are direct consumers of energy may want to reduce consumption for a number of reasons - to reduce costs, to reduce harmful emissions, or to promote energy security on a regional or national scale
2. Energy conservation has been high on the political agenda of the EU in recent years
3. Countries have targets to reduce their carbon emissions and cut their energy requirements by increasing the efficiency with which energy is consumed
  1. For example, the UK is working towards a zero energy building standard for all new housing by 2016
4. The energy conservation response to increasing energy demands is based on decreasing the amount of energy used

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Responses to increasing energy demands

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	Created by Jodie Goodacre over 11 years ago