Want to Save Energy? Electrify Everything!
Electrification is the most efficient way to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050, but is it possible?
As the world strives for sustainability, we've explored alternative energy sources, such as hydrogen power and wind energy, and committed to international agreements, including the Kigali Amendment and Paris Agreement. Despite these efforts, staying on course to reach the target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050 remains a challenge.
It's clear that achieving this goal will require decades of concerted effort. Looking ahead, we must prioritize efficiency, and one of the most effective methods moving forward will be electrification.
If you are unfamiliar with the term electrification, it refers to replacing current technologies and processes that are run by fossil fuels with electrically-powered equivalents. The most classic example is replacing a gas-powered vehicle with an electric-powered vehicle, but it’s not limited to transportation.
Generally, electric technologies are more efficient than fossil-fuel processes, so electrification has the potential to reduce final energy demand. In other words, as electricity demand increases, energy demand decreases. Therefore, the goal is to electrify our energy system as much as possible.
“As more energy end uses become electrified, the share of electricity in total final energy consumption increases in the Net Zero Emissions by 2050 (NZE) Scenario from 20% in 2022 to over 27% in 2030,” according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
This is a strong start, but is it enough? Let’s take a closer look at the transport, building and industrial sectors, and how they can each be electrified.
Transport
In the transport sector, while the amount of consumers purchasing electric vehicles (EV) does not overpower the sales of gas-powered vehicles, EV growth is steadily increasing.
According to Sustainability by Numbers, EVs are around four times as efficient as petrol. Only 20 percent of energy is converted to motion in a petrol car, whereas in EVs, 80 percent of energy is converted to motion.
This doesn’t stop at cars, but translates across the entire transport sector. In fact, rail is fully electrified, while buses are 80 percent electrified and short-haul aviation is electrified.
One of the big challenges for electric-powered vehicles is the inability to travel long distances, though this can change. However, at the moment, hydrogen is required to power long-haul aviation and buses that travel longer distances.
Buildings
Following transport, buildings have strong capabilities of converting to electrification, but it may be a more difficult transition. The promising areas here include heating, air conditioning, water and steam.
In newly-built households, heat pumps are the most common heating technology implemented, according to the IEA. There was also an 11 percent increase in the global sales of heat pumps from 2021 to 2022, with Europe, Japan and the United States achieving the highest growth in sales. In addition to space heating, cooking and lighting are also closer to being completely electrified.
Industrial
The industrial sector has the least potential for a transition to electrification, but it is still possible. This largely depends on the products being manufactured and the temperatures needed for production.
Starting with lower-temperature heat segments, such as food, beverages, paper and light, electrification technologies are being implemented. This also applies to lower-temperature processes in other industries, such as chemical. In these industries, fossil fuels may be replaced with electric boilers, which are around 20 percent more efficient.
In high-temperature heat segments, typically the iron and steel industries, electrification can be achieved by utilizing industrial heat pumps, electric arc furnaces and ore electrolysis.
If you have an optimistic viewpoint on a clean energy future, consider reading the book “Electrify” by Saul Griffith. Griffith discusses an action plan for fighting climate change centered around electrification, which he states can also create up to 25 million jobs.
Overall, there are numerous strategies spanning various sectors to facilitate the transition to electrification and reduce energy demand. While this can be successful, it's evident that this transition may require more time than initially anticipated. Additionally, given the challenges surrounding the adoption of EVs, it's apparent that improvements are needed to encourage individuals to integrate these and other electric technologies into their lifestyles. Electrification has strong potential, but it can't act alone to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Best,
Ariana for the Don’t Count Us Out Yet Team