SOLAR 2013: Wednesday Plenary Featuring John Byrne, Eric Martinot, and Kevin Knobloch

SOLAR 2013’s first plenary session was a great success. John Byrne, Eric Martinot, and Kevin Knobloch discussed many concerns and realities of the world we live in under climate change and some promising notions that we can overcome the barriers that are facing renewable energy these days. Eric Wachsman, SOLAR 2013’s Conference Chair and the Director of the University of Maryland Energy Research Center opened the session and introduced the Plenary speakers. By the end of the talk, it was clear that all three speakers believe that policy changes are necessary to plan for the longevity of renewable energy.

John Byrne

John Byrne began the Plenary by addressing the idea that we are still living in the 20^th century mindset, which now needs to transition to a 21^st century mindset that focuses on the long-term sustainability of our society. In order to adapt from the 20^th century to the 21^st century, Byrne made it a point that we need to focus on our energy system since we use 8 times more energy in this century than in the past, with that number only continuing to increase. Byrne’s experience with the University of Delaware as well as on the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) gives him the opportunity to hear many different sides of the story and many different solutions that are out there today to adequately plan for the future. The amount of energy consumption in the world increases on a daily basis, creating much more reliance on fossil fuel sources since those are much more readily available.

Not only is the amount of energy we need increasing, the amount of natural risks and disasters continue to increase. Because of our reliance on fossil fuels, it is scientifically proven that the chemicals in the atmosphere related to fossil fuels is warming the earth, leading to increased and more dangerous natural disasters and sea level rise. To address climate change, risks need to be taken to avoid displacing millions of people around the world. Two ways that Byrne stated that we could do this is by improved efficiency for a successful energy future and grid parity for renewables. In order for these two ideas to come into play though, Byrne’s most important statement was that policy and institutional changes need to occur and quickly to bring us into the 21^st century infrastructure that is needed.

Eric Martinot

After John Byrne’s motivating talk, Eric Martinot took the stage to discuss his REN21 Futures Global Renewable Energy Report. Martinot has quite the interesting background; he spent three years researching about global energy in Beijing, and then due to health problems for the amount of pollution in the air in China, ventured over to Tokyo and has been living there for the past 5 years. Being abroad allowed him the opportunity to ask people globally “What do you see as the future for renewable energy?” Martinot said that there is no “thinking” about the possibility of renewable energy, but the focus is now on the “reality” of renewable energy. In order to focus on the reality though, Martinot seconded Byrne’s point that we need a whole new array of policies in order to further renewable energy. Martinot then shifted his speech to focus on the current renewable energy system and the successes that the field has seen already. Globally, renewable energy has reached to 5% of our energy portfolio. Definitely nowhere near where it needs to be, but at least that’s a start. The renewable energy sector is increasing though on a great level annually. Solar bulk capacity is growing by 55-60% every year while wind bulk capacity is increasing by 25-30% annually.  Not only are renewable energy technology capacities growing faster than fossil fuels, but also amount of money invested globally in renewable energy has exceeded the amount invested in fossil fuels. There are now over 120 countries around the world that have some sort of supportive renewable energy policies. And even though renewable energy and fossil fuels companies don’t tend to “get along,” if oil companies were to work with offshore wind companies, then wind could have the research that deep sea oil drilling has on successful offshore energy extraction techniques. Martinot finalized his speech with a promising note there are success stories out there, and if new policies can be developed, renewable energy could be the wave of the future that we need.

Read his report here.

Kevin Knobloch

Kevin Knobloch works with the Union of Concerned Scientists on the reality of climate change. He engaged the crowd by focusing on the fact that there is a major transition underway in the electricity sector. Renewable energy has now surpassed fossil fuels in new capacity additions on an annual basis. Not only is capacity growing, but renewable energy prices are falling at a much more rapid rate than what was predicted. Solar PV prices alone dropped 35% in 2011 and another 27% in 2012 giving hope for grid parity to happen much sooner. Renewable Energy Standards are also continuing to expand across the country. There are now 29 states plus D.C. that have RES’ and another 8 states that have some sort of renewable energy goals. The Union of Concerned Scientists helped develop the first RES in California, and they continue to help states with these types of policies. With the success of RES’ around the country, the challenges start presenting themselves. Powerful people within the fossil fuel industry want to prevent the growth of RES’. ALEC and Hartland have been campaigning across the country and is specifically targeting RES’ policies and trying to get them repealed. In order to avoid the success of groups like that, Knobloch also mentioned the importance of evolving policies and economics to have a positive effect on the renewable energy sector. Knobloch closed out by presenting successes that the field has already seen. Some of the successes he mentioned were that we have found new ways to write the rules, new financing options, and new fuel economy standards. If we continue along this path, than the renewable energy future can be secured.