EROI analysis provides valuable insights into the overall energy dynamics of a system and helps assess the viability of energy transitions.
Wide-boundary EROI offers a more realistic assessment of the true energy dynamics and sustainability of different energy sources and transitions.
Deep dives
The Importance of Energy Return on Investment (EROI)
EROI, or Energy Return on Investment, is a ratio that measures the amount of energy input required to produce a certain amount of energy output. It is essential for understanding the efficiency and feasibility of different energy systems. A higher EROI indicates a more efficient and sustainable energy system, while a lower EROI implies higher energy costs and potential limitations. EROI analysis provides valuable insights into the overall energy dynamics of a system and helps assess the viability of energy transitions.
The Impact of Transition to Renewable Energies on EROI
A research paper titled 'Dynamic EROI of the Global Energy System in future scenarios of transition to renewable energies' explores the EROI implications of transitioning to renewable energy sources. The paper examines different scenarios, including green growth, that aim for 100% renewable energy in the future. The analysis reveals that a rapid transition to renewables results in a decline in the EROI of the global energy system. The EROI drops significantly before stabilizing at a lower level. This decline highlights the challenge of maintaining energy efficiency and net energy availability during the transition.
The Need for Wide-Boundary Analysis in EROI
The paper emphasizes the importance of wide-boundary analysis when assessing EROI. Wide-boundary EROI considers the entire energy system, including factors like transportation, distribution, and backup storage, providing a more accurate and comprehensive picture of energy efficiency. By accounting for the broader impacts and costs associated with the entire system, wide-boundary EROI offers a more realistic assessment of the true energy dynamics and sustainability of different energy sources and transitions.
The Potential Limitations of Green Growth Scenarios
The research paper raises important questions about the feasibility and implications of green growth scenarios that aim for 100% renewable energy. The analysis shows that achieving such ambitious targets may result in a significant decline in the EROI of the global energy system. This decline has implications for energy availability, environmental impacts, and societal resilience. The findings suggest the need for careful considerations and examination of alternative energy pathways that address both environmental and biophysical constraints while maintaining energy efficiency.
On this episode, global systems researcher Iñigo Capellán Pérez joins Nate to discuss net energy analysis, and its use as a tool in analyzing the feasibility of an entire system. While net energy analysis is complex and polarized, some form of it will be necessary to guide society into a resource-constrained future. The energy outlook of a technology changes when scaled up to meet the needs of a larger society. Many models and EROI analyses that fail to take a system-wide view and only look at a single technology use case, only reflect the partial net energy story. When looking at the huge scale-up needed for ‘solutions’ such as Green Growth and Net Zero Transitions, do the hopes for renewable technologies hold up the lifestyles we’ve come to expect over the last century of fossil surplus? Do our policymakers and leaders have the full picture to make competent decisions? How can we best use these tools to make creative responses to guide us through a Great Simplification?
About Iñigo Capellán Pérez:
Iñigo is an Industrial Engineer currently doing research with The Group of Energy, Economy and Systems Dynamics (GEEDS) of the University of Valladolid. He holds a Master degree in Electric Energy and Sustainable Development and a PhD in Economics with his dissertation on "Development and Application of Environmental Integrated Assessment Modelling towards Sustainability" at the University of the Basque Country. His research interests focus on the analysis and modeling of the energy-economy-environment systems, the transition to renewable energies in the context of the depletion of fossil fuels and climate mitigation and the technical and social transformations towards sustainability.