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Observing the renewable energy transition from a European perspective
Switzerland’s Energy Transition Plans (Without Nuclear!)
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When you think of Switzerland, what comes to mind? Is it the majestic Alps, the pristine ski slopes, or perhaps, indulging in a warm, gooey fondue after a day on the pistes? 🏔️🧀 But Switzerland is not just about postcard-perfect landscapes and delicious cheese; it’s a nation synonymous with innovation. From the indispensable Swiss Army Knife to the ingenious Velcro, the Swiss knack for inventiveness knows no bounds.
But today, we’re interested in a different kind of innovation – Switzerland’s energy transition. It’s a journey as Swiss as it gets, intertwining the country’s commitment to precision, efficiency, and environmental stewardship, all the while maintaining that high quality of life the Swiss are known for. And while fondue might not directly fuel Switzerland’s green future, the spirit of sustainability certainly melts into every aspect of this transition.
Join me as we explore how Switzerland is reshaping its electricity mix from nuclear to solar power, transforming its buildings, transport, industry and agriculture and leading with cutting-edge Swiss technologies to pave the way. So buckle up, or should I say, fasten your ski bindings, as we embark on this exciting journey. Welcome to ‘Engineering with Rosie’, reporting right from the heart of Switzerland!
Bookmarks:
00:00 Intro
00:35 Switzerland’s journey for energy transition
01:19 Motivation and context
02:15 Where do the emissions come from?
03:10 Electricity
03:51 Solar
05:38 Hydro
06:57 Increase in hydropower storage capacity
08:19 Buildings
09:30 Transport
09:58 Industry
10:41 Agriculture
11:41 Carbon capture & storage (CCS) and negative emissions
13:01 Direct air capture (DAC)
13:45 Legal action
15:27 Outro
How China is winning the Green Energy Race
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China’s perceived march towards global domination appears to be ruffling some feathers here in the Western world. Their version of the industrial revolution has lifted hundreds of millions out of abject poverty, but it is still held up by some as the greatest modern sin against humanity and our climate. So, how accurate is that allegation?
Heating Cities with Sand and Water
[polarnightenergy.fi] – Corporate site
[pv-magazine.com] – Polar Night Energy to build 1 MW sand-based heat storage battery in Finland
[wikipedia.org] – Thermal energy storage
Rijnstate Elst Hospital has Electrolyser & Hydrogen Storage
Rijnstate Elst is a new hospital in the east of the Netherlands. Interesting are its energy parameters: 60% self-sufficiency, 2,300 m2 solar panels that can feed a locally-installed 100 kW electrolyser from the Spanish H2B2 Electrolysis Technologies and 200 kg hydrogen storage.
[source] – Rijnstate electrolysers and 30 bar low pressure hydrogen storage tanks
[nl.wikipedia.org] – Rijnstate
[rijnstate.nl] – Duurzaamheid in Rijnstate Elst
[allesoverwaterstof.nl] – Rijnstate hospital provides sustainable care with new innovations and a hydrogen energy system
[Google Maps] – Location
100% wind and solar is coming!
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100% electrification from renewables like wind, solar, geothermal and hydro power, backed up with interconnections and energy storage is now just around the corner, and already the cheapest option available. But there are still bumps in the road. Can we overcome them in time?
Solid Carbon Energy Storage
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Energy storage is a huge sector, and growing at a rapid pace – largely due to the mass rollout of renewable energy. Lithium-ion batteries have a part to play in all of this, but they come with their own set of problems, including cost and the use of rare earth materials. This is why I am so interested in thermal batteries – using heat to store energy instead of chemical bonds. Antora energy have an incredible new way of doing this with solid carbon blocks and thermo-photovoltaic panels. So, I got in contact with them!
Cascading Heat Pumps
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Where I live in New England in the winter it can get as low as -13 F (-25 C). During summer heatwaves, it can reach over 100 F (40 C). Many of our houses and homes weren’t built for that, and in the United States, we aren’t exactly known for quality insulation. So how do we deal with heating and cooling our homes? Well, some of you may already know I’m crazy about heat pumps, but I came across a local company, called Flooid, that opened my eyes to the potential of cascading heat pumps. The constant refrain that heat pumps can’t work in the cold isn’t true anymore anyway, but this tech takes it to another level.
Rare Metals War and Energy Transition & Digitization
Dutch video, English language.
In the Tegenlicht special ‘The Rare Metals War’, Guillaume Pitron warns about the dark side of the energy transition and digitalization. Pitron is a French journalist and author of the book The Rare Metals War: the dark side of clean energy and digital technologies. Rare metals are essential for the production of electric vehicles, fighter jets, wind turbines and solar panels, as well as our smartphones, computers, tablets and other everyday devices. But most people actually know very little about how they are extracted, or the environmental and geopolitical costs of doing so.
Breaking away from fossil fuels threatens to create a new dependency. China is currently by far the largest player in the battle for the raw materials of the future. Europe and the United States are largely dependent on the supply and processing of these raw materials from China. And that is dangerous, because just like oil and gas, raw materials can be used as a political weapon. The first signs of this are already visible, with the Brabant company ASML playing a leading role. To gain this geopolitical advantage, China has had to sacrifice a large part of its environment, because mining and refining these raw materials is anything but clean. Can Europe do things differently and can this dependence still be reduced? Guillaume Pitron presents several solutions in this Tegenlicht.
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