Mott MacDonald has produced a position paper exploring the possibility of creating a new energy system which optimises the use of renewable energy. The paper was published by the International Energy Agency’s implementing agreement on Renewable Energy Technology Deployment (IEA-RETD).
The paper opens up the debate on the future of renewable energy and states that it is technically possible to optimise renewable energy in a way which is stable and affordable. This can be achieved by replacing our current energy system with a new architecture based on renewable energy supplies, interconnected systems, smart demand and storage solutions. The benefits of the new system could include a reduced risk of climate change and an increased level of global security. However, one of the greatest challenges facing the implementation of the system remains gaining the necessary buy-in from leaders and opinion formers for the redirection of the energy strategy.
Guy Doyle, Mott MacDonald’s chief economist, said: “This report has been in development for a long time, but its broad finding still appears reasonable – that the greatest challenge is political and not technical. If political interest can be gained, a renewable energy architecture could be implemented by 2050.”