Low-cost renewable electricity as the key driver of the global energy transition towards sustainability

By D. Bogdanov, M. Ram, A. Aghahosseini, Ashish Gulagi, Ayobami Solomon Oyewo, Michael Child, Upeksha Caldera, Kristina Sadovskaia, J. Farfán, Larissa de Souza Noel Simas Barbosa and 4 more. Energy, 2021

784 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Abstract Climate change threats and the necessity to achieve global Sustainable Development Goals demand unprecedented economic and social shifts around the world, including a fundamental transformation of the global energy system. An energy transition is underway in most regions, predominantly in the power sector. This research highlights the technical feasibility and economic viability of 100% renewable energy systems including the power, heat, transport and desalination sectors. It presents a technology-rich, multi-sectoral, multi-regional and cost-optimal global energy transition pathway for 145 regional energy systems sectionalised into nine major regions of the world. This 1.5°C target compatible scenario with rapid direct and indirect electrification via Power-to-X processes and massive defossilisation indicates substantial benefits: 50% energy savings, universal access to fresh water and low-cost energy supply. It also provides an energy transition pathway that could lead from the current fossil-based system to an affordable, efficient, sustainable and secure energy future for the world.

Subfields: Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Energy Engineering and Power Technology, Water Science and Technology

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/452f22761fff32e5ec854c7d3de0d5ab9ebe5cc2

How researchers see this paper

The researchers whose trusted networks rank it highest, strongest advocate first. Every researcher gets a different order.

In Electrical and Electronic Engineering

In Energy Engineering and Power Technology

In Water Science and Technology

Mark Z. Jacobson

Citations in the corpus

On the History and Future of 100% Renewable Energy Systems Research (2022, methodology): “[14], [138], and comparable results have been found for the leading 20 economies [235].”
Job creation during a climate compliant global energy transition across the power, heat, transport, and desalination sectors by 2050 (2022, methodology): “…designed policy instruments and investment strategies, such as long-term supporting schemes (e.g. feed-in tariffs or portfolio standards) and a global approach towards climate protection (e.g. carbon tax or cap and trade systems) in order to leverage existing opportunities from renewables [33,34].”