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Chapter 15 - Energy Supply Systems

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 September 2012

Global Energy Assessment Writing Team
By
Robert N. Schock ,
Ralph Sims ,
Stan Bull ,
Hans Larsen ,
Vladimir Likhachev ,
Koji Nagano ,
Hans Nilsson ,
Seppo Vuori ,
Kurt Yeager  and
Li Zhou
...Show all authors
Robert N. Schock
Affiliation:
World Energy Council, UK and Center for Global Security Research
Ralph Sims
Affiliation:
Massey University
Stan Bull
Affiliation:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Hans Larsen
Affiliation:
Technical University
Vladimir Likhachev
Affiliation:
Russian Academy of Sciences
Koji Nagano
Affiliation:
Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry
Hans Nilsson
Affiliation:
FourFact
Seppo Vuori
Affiliation:
VTT Technical Research Centre
Kurt Yeager
Affiliation:
Electric Power Research Institute and Galvin Electricity Initiative
Li Zhou
Affiliation:
Tsinghua University
Xiliang Zhang
Affiliation:
Tsinghua University
John Weyant
Affiliation:
Stanford University
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Summary

Executive Summary

A sustainable future depends on more efficient use of the Earth's abundant energy resources in order to meet the rapidly increasing demand for energy services as well as to provide broader access to everyone. In 2005 the overall efficiency of the energy system from primary energy to useful energy was only about 34%. Owing to diverse geographic inequities in both sources and people, supply cannot always meet the demand where needed. Energy pathways from source through conversion, transmission, storage, and distribution to end-users are complicated and presently consist of numerous discrete pathways that differ widely for each energy source and carrier. These include solid fuels, liquid fuels, gaseous fuels (including hydrogen), electricity and heat. Aging equipment, congested networks, and extreme demands complicate this picture in many countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Development of new infrastructure in both non-OECD and OECD countries will lock-in future dependence on conventional or non-conventional energy sources. This chapter aims to assist decision-makers by providing up-todate knowledge on the full range of energy pathways, their management, and operation. Energy systems to achieve a sustainable future should be made much more flexible in order to deal with societal needs and the probable deployment of technologies not yet commercially available (such as smart appliances, electric vehicles, fuel cells, and carbon capture and storage). Technology and policy solutions are available for supporting more energy for sustainable development, but in order to meet the transition necessary to avoid unacceptable events such as social unrest and/or climate change driven temperature rise, they should be put in place rapidly, and done in concert with each other.

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Type
Chapter
Information
Global Energy Assessment
Toward a Sustainable Future
 , pp. 1131 - 1172
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2012

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