The progress of several projects promises an encouraging future for renewable energy. Image credit: pxhere.com.
The transition to a clean energy model is already underway, perhaps we are accelerating this process too late, but it is still necessary to advance in the decarbonization of our energy generation systems to avoid the worst scenarios of climate change. The historic Paris Climate Agreement, which aims to limit global temperature rise to below 2°C, seems to have had a positive effect on many nations to accelerate change in their energy model.
And while in some cases there have been some small increases in the use of renewable energy, in other cases there have been significant increases, such as Australia, which last year announced that it had surpassed 70% renewable energy generation and was on track to exceed 90% generation by 2030.
The only possibility against climate change
We are aware that human beings are responsible for causing rapid global warming, the consequences of which we know can be catastrophic, due to our dependence on an energy system based on the burning of fossil fuels.
Our current energy production scheme is responsible for global warming. Image credit: pxhere.com.
We must also accept that it is not a matter of turning the wheel and becoming dependent on other so-called clean technologies, such as nuclear energy, which, although it offers a solution to climate change, hides another terrible environmental impact. Nor is it about prolonging the life of the current system by disguising the emissions produced by burning oil and gas with technologies that offer carbon sequestration and storage.
Our only possibility is the complete replacement of the conventional generation system by the use of renewable energies together with a more conscious and efficient use of energy. That is why we are now asking ourselves with more emphasis the same question we asked decades ago.
Is a 100% renewable electricity generation system feasible?
Perhaps a few years ago the cost of generating energy using renewable sources made it doubtful whether this was possible. But today we can say that there are enough examples to affirm that a 100% renewable system is possible. But the key lies in the combination of the different types of technologies available (solar, wind, hydro and geothermal) and the use of innovative battery systems for storage, so that the electricity system can always be supplied with what is needed.
The key will be to combine different technologies to always maintain supply. Image credit: pixabay.com.
And on the economic front, according to a report by the consulting firm Lazard, by 2050 the lowest cost energy sources are certain to be renewables, especially wind and photovoltaics, technologies that are already reaching industrial maturity. In its latest annual analysis of the levelized cost of energy, it shows that the cost of renewable energy continues to decline and that certain technologies, such as utility-scale wind and photovoltaics, remain competitive with conventional generation systems.
Levelized cost of energy comparison. Source: Image by 
Reality is surpassing our expectations, and with increasingly stringent environmental regulations on polluting technologies, the costs of conventionally produced electricity are sure to increase in the future.
On the other hand, studies by Stanford University offer a vision of the steps that 143 countries can take to achieve 100% clean and renewable energy generation by 2050, providing low-cost solutions for incorporating renewable energy into the grid, and even project that the transition to clean energy could reduce global energy needs by more than 50% and create 28 million jobs associated with renewable technologies, while reducing environmental and climate costs by 90% compared to continuing with the current system.
The above data leads us to believe that renewable technologies will be the best option for the replacement of our electricity generation capacity, resulting in the future the most economical, environmentally and socially responsible option to preserve life on our planet; so we can undoubtedly dream today of a future where 100% of the energy produced will be renewable.
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