Author Archives: @paul4innovating

How can we mobilize innovation capability for the energy transition?

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Image credit: Miguel Bruna @mbrunacr

To mobilize our innovation capabilities and capacities for the energy system, they do have a compelling need to be purposefully marshalled for the future energy demands and the carbon-free world that is being demanded, and supportive of the commitments within the Paris climate accord.

We need to pursue, nurture, and see beyond as our three points of delivering change within the Energy transition. The combination of all three gives us the potential to navigate the energy transition we need. This energy system needs to move from today’s reliance of fossil fuels and antiquated infrastructure into one based on clean, sustainable and renewable energy sources, delivered through a highly distributed infrastructure, designed for the final consumer of the energy. Continue reading →

Themes for Decarbonizing, My Agenda Setting Post

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Is deep decarbonization possible? The level of investments will be substantial and require enormous changes to the energy system we have in place today.

Taking a higher-level of decarbonization, I have summarized the critical aspects we need to consider when we discuss this area. I have put them in blocks of bullet points here in this opening decarbonization post. I am planning to delve into each of these in later posts. Continue reading →

There is a need for innovation within the energy transition.

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The significant shifts we are undergoing in the energy transitions today are allowing real innovation opportunities when you survey the innovation landscape. The challenge is spotting and seizing these opportunities.

There is a clear realization that there is significant complexity in all the energy transitions going on. Still, it is the researchers, engineers, and entrepreneurs that can see the possibilities and ‘energize’ the innovative solutions are the ones that hold the future in their hands.

If innovation is given its appropriate place within the energy transition, the pace of innovation and energy transition will scale up and accelerate to meet the needs of a world rapidly wanting to decarbonize. The world is demanding a change in our energy supplies and rapid decarbonization.

It will be the organizations that have innovation central to their thinking and access to the financial and resource capital that will be in a very healthy position to capitalize on this demand for making change. Continue reading →

Within the Energy Transition, the hunt is on for strong spillover potentials

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Visual image IEA

Recently the IEA published an important document called “Energy Technology Perspective- Special Report on Clean Energy Innovation,” which has set about establishing technology families and their potential footprint in the low-carbon value chain.

They have grouped possible technology innovations into six families at present:

  1. Electrochemistry: modular cells for converting electrical energy into chemical energy and vice versa), this is explored more in this post
  2. CO2 capture where the processes to separate CO2 from industrial and power sector emissions or found in the air
  3. Heating and cooling exploring efficient and flexible designs for electrification
  4. Catalysis that generate more efficient industrial processes for converting biomass and CO2 to products
  5. Finding lightweight materials and their integration into wind energy and vehicles
  6. The digital integration between data and communication to make energy systems more flexible and efficient

Continue reading →

Show me the Electrolyzer to deliver Hydrogen and Decarbonize our Energy System

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There are an awful lot of different Electrolyzers already in the market. The different parts of the industry will need to come together and establish some standards and common definitions and measurements to allow the focus to return to technology, resolving the basics of the Electrolyzer and bring it into a robust Industrial solution on a higher level of automation and scale.

I have referred to several technical documents offered by the Hydrogen Council, the Hydrogen Europe, and specifically, a white paper by Dr. Philipp Lettenmeir of Siemens called “Efficiency- Electrolysis,” written in January 2019.

So, getting into the different choices of Electrolyzer first, drawing from the different papers. Continue reading →

A sharp acceleration towards Clean Energy is required.

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Today the International Energy Agency (IRA) released a long-awaited update on where innovation needs to be in the energy transition we are undergoing.

At their own admission, it has been three years since they (IEA) released its last Energy Technology Perspective (ETP) report. Although they argue they have been reflecting on the critical technology challenges, it is way overdue.

In this new report, “Energy Technology perspective: Special Report on Clean Energy Innovation” released today, 2nd July 2020, they have developed some improved modeling tools to bring a higher capacity to answer key technology questions in greater detail. This is good news.

IEA will further follow up later this year with a flagship ETP 2020 publication later in the year to keep a tighter and more consistent focus on the role and need of innovation to accelerate clean energy transitions.

They, the IEA are planning an IEA Clean Energy Transitions Summit really soon to convene ministers and CEO’s to the aim of driving economic development by this more robust focus on clean, resilient, and inclusive energy systems. Continue reading →

The spark of innovation to connect the energy transition

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There is a real urgency that we transform our energy systems.

Where can innovation help within the Energy Transition to rapidly advance it?

The opening answer is everywhere within the energy system. Technological and systemic innovation is critical to the end-user sectors of transport, industry, and buildings and replacing and upgrading much of the overall system design and operation to generate increased electrification.

We need to digitalize our grid services, provide new concepts for the grid and local storage, provide improved smart charging for electric vehicles, add different ways of building into the energy system the idea of mini-grids.

Each day there seems some level of innovation development, but my aim here is not to list these or where they need to go in future but to take a broader view of where and how innovation can help in general terms within the energy transition. We all need a sense of bearing or a compass that shows us the way. Our job is is “spark” and ignite innovation within the Energy Transition. To give innovation more resources and support. Continue reading →

The Energy Transition we all need to undertake

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Sources FT Guide: The Energy Transition https://www.ft.com/reports/energy-transition-guide

 

 

 

 

 

 

In recent months I have become totally “wrapped up” in the energy transition occurring across the world. The whole transformation we are undertaking is not just for our energy sake; it is for more for our climate sake and having a sustainable future.

Energy is one of the critical drivers of our well-being, providing one of the essentials to survive and thrive. We need water, food, air, shelter, and sleep, and our source of energy underpins all of these as the energy transition in its solutions are aimed at cleaning up our climate and environment before it is too late and give us more energy to power the next growth cycle.

Continue reading →

The Size and Vulnerability of the Fossil Fuel System Disruption

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Image credit: Harvard Business Review

If there is one report you have to read in the absolute disruption we are undergoing in the Energy Transition, it is one just released by Carbon Tracker entitled “Decline and Fall: The Size & Vulnerability of the Fossil Fuel System.

It stops you in your track at the enormity of the changes that will occur in the Energy System in the coming years. What we are witnessing today is only the tip of the Energy Transition iceberg. Continue reading →

We all need to think differently about our connecting Work Spaces

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In recent weeks I have been thinking about our business environment differently. The past few months have forced the majority of us to work in different ways. We have become in a very short time “remote workers.” in necessity and need.

Yet for many “newbies” in remote working, who have been working from home in these last few months, are now facing the decision of when and if they can return to their old normal of their office. It is a difficult decision and one that needs careful consideration and clarification of “how safe is this and what will have changed in my old working environment?”

Going back to the business office is undergoing such a radical shift due to the pandemic and all of what it has forced us to do; social distancing, being in lockdown, minimizing physical contact. The environment we work in is not simply a physical one, it has become a psychological one to manage as well.

During this week I was listening to one of a series of discussions or webinars about the massive changes being undergoing in a new reality in our business buildings. These helpful discussions instigated by Comfy called “thinking beyond workplace re-entry” was timely, and very relevant to trigger my thinking a little more. Continue reading →