Clean Energy Technologies for Economic Development at Global and Community Scales

Jill Engel-Cox

Research output: NRELPresentation

Abstract

Energy systems in communities across the world are undergoing fundamental transformations. Electricity and heat production is becoming cleaner and more distributed, driven by declining energy prices and higher technology efficiencies, as well as a desire to reduce environmental impact. The technologies that produce clean energy, such as solar photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, and lithium ion batteries for vehicles and storage, depend less on global fuel costs and more on costs for technology, manufacturing, and local resources. Therefore, innovations in manufacturing, systems integration, operations, and policies can reduce clean energy costs across all the links in the energy supply chain. The advanced and cleaner energy systems being deployed have resulted in communities gaining a greater role in creating and using energy from local resources, as well as increasing their participation in the value chain from research, manufacturing, and deployment. The clean energy trends are expected to continue and perhaps grow through expansion of clean energy technologies for industrial and transportation sectors, although there are many possible future scenarios due to the diversity of resources and societal objectives in different communities, countries, and regions. This presentation will summarize the status and potential futures of key clean energy technologies and their manufacturing and deployment, with discussion of opportunities for sustainable communities.
Original languageAmerican English
Number of pages38
StatePublished - 2019

Publication series

NamePresented at the Center for Coevolutionary Research for Sustainable Communities Symposium, 1 February 2019, Fukuoka, Japan

NREL Publication Number

  • NREL/PR-6A50-73119

Keywords

  • analysis
  • clean energy
  • deployment
  • global fuel costs
  • innovation
  • lithium ion batteries
  • manufacturing
  • photovoltaics
  • PV
  • solar
  • wind turbines

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