Watt Matters: The FORESIGHT energy transition podcast

FORESIGHT Media Group
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Oct 26, 2023 • 57min

Poland’s new green dawn?

Poland's recent election may bring about a more pro-EU, climate-friendly government. The podcast discusses the impact of the election on the country's energy transition and the challenges in forming a new government. The new government should prioritize renewable energy, reducing emissions, and conducting a nuclear project audit. There is optimism for a decentralized energy system driven by individual and industry initiatives. The podcast also touches on the European wind power package, autocracy in Poland, and Coca-Cola's plan to use captured carbon dioxide.
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Oct 12, 2023 • 1h 11min

Getting your money's worth: the cost of renewables

Every year, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) puts together a report, looking at the cost of renewable power production. 2022’s shows that, despite inflation, the cost has dropped.According to the report, the global weighted average levelised cost of electricity from new utility-scale solar, onshore wind, bioenergy and geothermal production fell. Thanks to the rise in fossil fuel prices, this makes the cost argument for renewables more compelling, according to IRENA.However, the picture is complicated, with China a key driver for the drop in solar photovoltaics and onshore wind.To explain more, Michael Taylor, senior analyst for renewable cost status and outlook at IRENA, joins David, Jan and Michaela.Enjoy the show!If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:David Weston: https://twitter.com/DaveW_FORESIGHTKira Taylor: https://twitter.com/KiraTaylor15Michael Taylor: https://twitter.com/mtaylor_nzMichaela Holl: https://twitter.com/CitizenSane1Jan Rosenow: https://twitter.com/janrosenow@WattMattersPod: https://twitter.com/WattMattersPodFORESIGHT Climate & Energy: https://twitter.com/FORESIGHTdkListen and subscribe to Watt Matters wherever you get podcasts. Follow us on Twitter at @WattMattersPod or email us at show@wattmatterspodcast.com. You can also find FORESIGHT Climate & Energy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/foresight-climate-energy/.Illustration: Masha Krasnova-Shabaeva.Show notes via this link: https://foresightdk.com/wm-ep43/.TRY FULL ACCESS TO FORESIGHT CLIMATE & ENERGY FOR €1 A DAYJoin over 100,000 policymakers, energy experts in business, finance, and academia, city leaders, and leading NGOs in having access to FORESIGHT Climate & EnergyGET YOUR 30 DAY TRIAL: www.foresightdk.com/subscribe/. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Sep 26, 2023 • 1h 20min

Indecent proposals

In a special live recording of the podcast, Michael Liebriech, Katharina Umpfenbach and Dennis Hesseling join the team to discuss shifting the energy infrastructure of today into a decarbonised system of tomorrowSufficient and effective physical infrastructure—either electricity cables or gas pipelines—is vital for a successful energy transition. But the planning and building of any new such infrastructure has not received the attention it deserves with most debates focussing on the scaling up of renewable energies or on market rules for power, gas and hydrogen. With the goal of practically eliminating gas from the energy mix and depending on electrons for our power, scaling back the pipelines and extending the cables over the next two decades is a huge undertaking. In this special live podcast—recorded at an event organised by Agora Energiewende, the Regulatory Assistance Project, Energy Cities and FORESIGHT Climate and Energy—we discussed how moving away from fossil fuels is more than just a fuel change. Our guests on the podcast this week are Dennis Hesseling, head of gas, coal and power at the International Energy Agency; Katharina Umpfenbach, head of infrastructure and energy systems at the German energy agency, Dena; and Michael Liebriech, CEO of Liebriech Associates, managing partner of EcoPragma Capital and host of rival energy podcast, “Cleaning Up – Leadership in an Age of Climate Change”.Enjoy the show. If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:David Weston: https://twitter.com/DaveW_FORESIGHTKira Taylor: https://twitter.com/KiraTaylor15Dennis Hesseling: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennishesselingKatharina Umpfenbach: https://twitter.com/UmpfenbachKMichael Libriech: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mliebreich@WattMattersPod: https://twitter.com/WattMattersPodFORESIGHT Climate & Energy: https://twitter.com/FORESIGHTdkListen and subscribe to Watt Matters wherever you get podcasts. Follow us on Twitter at @WattMattersPod or email us at show@wattmatterspodcast.com. You can also find FORESIGHT Climate & Energy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/foresight-climate-energy/.Illustration: Masha Krasnova-Shabaeva.Show notes via this link: https://foresightdk.com/wm-ep42/.TRY FULL ACCESS TO FORESIGHT CLIMATE & ENERGY FOR €1 A DAYJoin over 100,000 policymakers, energy experts in business, finance, and academia, city leaders, and leading NGOs in having access to FORESIGHT Climate & EnergyGET YOUR 30 DAY TRIAL: www.foresightdk.com/subscribe/. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Sep 14, 2023 • 58min

Power to the people: UK’s net zero transition

The energy crisis put a spotlight on energy usage for British consumers as soaring bills dropped through letterboxes across the country. Renewable solutions can help tackle high prices, as well as lower emissions, and companies like Scottish Power are trying to roll these out.Heat pumps, solar panels and other solutions offer healthier home environments, lower energy bills and higher home values, but the transition can be tricky. To get around this, companies need to be transparent and help consumers understand the benefits of renewable solutions.On this week’s episode of Watt Matters, Chris Carberry, Smart Solutions Director at Scottish Power, joins Jan and David to discuss how companies can help households participate in the energy transition and ensure that no one is left behind.Enjoy the show.If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:Chris Carberry: https://twitter.com/chriscarberryspMichaela Holl: https://twitter.com/CitizenSane1Jan Rosenow: https://twitter.com/janrosenowDavid Weston: https://twitter.com/DaveW_FORESIGHTKira Taylor: https://twitter.com/KiraTaylor15@WattMattersPod: https://twitter.com/WattMattersPodFORESIGHT Climate & Energy: https://twitter.com/FORESIGHTdkListen and subscribe to Watt Matters wherever you get podcasts. Follow us on Twitter at @WattMattersPod or email us at show@wattmatterspodcast.com. You can also find FORESIGHT Climate & Energy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/foresight-climate-energy/.Illustration: Masha Krasnova-Shabaeva.Show notes via this link: https://foresightdk.com/wm-ep41/.TRY FULL ACCESS TO FORESIGHT CLIMATE & ENERGY FOR €1 A DAYJoin over 100,000 policymakers, energy experts in business, finance, and academia, city leaders, and leading NGOs in having access to FORESIGHT Climate & EnergyGET YOUR 30 DAY TRIAL: www.foresightdk.com/subscribe/. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Aug 31, 2023 • 1h 15min

The Australian sandbox

The energy transition is a big puzzle for Australia, an important player in the fossil energy world, with large coal and gas reserves. It ranks eighth highest globally for emissions per capita and first for coal power emissions per capita, according to Climate Action Tracker, an independent scientific project.In the last few years, the country has seen a surge in solar energy as fossil fuel prices have risen, and “Teal” candidates winning elections on platforms advocating for more climate action. Despite this, it still struggles with inefficient buildings and the question of how to transform its grids.In this week’s episode, David, Jan, and Michaela are joined by the CEO of Australia’s Energy Efficiency Council, Luke Menzel, to delve into the politics and practicalities of the country’s energy transition.Enjoy the show.If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:Luke Menzel: https://twitter.com/lukemenzel?lang=enMichaela Holl: https://twitter.com/CitizenSane1Jan Rosenow: https://twitter.com/janrosenowDavid Weston: https://twitter.com/DaveW_FORESIGHTKira Taylor: https://twitter.com/KiraTaylor15@WattMattersPod: https://twitter.com/WattMattersPodFORESIGHT Climate & Energy: https://twitter.com/FORESIGHTdkListen and subscribe to Watt Matters wherever you get podcasts. Follow us on Twitter at @WattMattersPod or email us at show@wattmatterspodcast.com. You can also find FORESIGHT Climate & Energy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/foresight-climate-energy/.Illustration: Masha Krasnova-Shabaeva.Show notes via this link: https://foresightdk.com/wm-ep40/.TRY FULL ACCESS TO FORESIGHT CLIMATE & ENERGY FOR €1 A DAYJoin over 100,000 policymakers, energy experts in business, finance, and academia, city leaders, and leading NGOs in having access to FORESIGHT Climate & EnergyGET YOUR 30 DAY TRIAL: www.foresightdk.com/subscribe/. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Jul 27, 2023 • 1h 2min

Where are we now?

In the past 12 months, the energy transition has had some successes: the Inflation Reduction Act in the United States and the EU’s response in the form of the Net Zero Industry Act are both designed to turbocharge green investments.But there is still the overwhelming feeling that progress is slow. With the recent wildfires in Greece and the repeated “hottest month on record” headlines, the urgency to decarbonise is ramping up. “The era of global boiling has arrived,” United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned in late July.In this week’s episode of Watt Matters and before we go off on our holidays, Jan, Michaela and David examine the progress made in the energy transition so far this year. They also discuss what topics need greater focus in the coming months and pick out some of their highlights from the year so far.Enjoy the show.If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:Michaela Holl: https://twitter.com/CitizenSane1Jan Rosenow: https://twitter.com/janrosenowDavid Weston: https://twitter.com/DaveW_FORESIGHTKira Taylor: https://twitter.com/KiraTaylor15@WattMattersPod: https://twitter.com/WattMattersPodFORESIGHT Climate & Energy: https://twitter.com/FORESIGHTdkListen and subscribe to Watt Matters wherever you get podcasts. Follow us on Twitter at @WattMattersPod or email us at show@wattmatterspodcast.com. You can also find FORESIGHT Climate & Energy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/foresight-climate-energy/.Illustration: Masha Krasnova-Shabaeva.Show notes via this link: https://foresightdk.com/wm-ep39/.TRY FULL ACCESS TO FORESIGHT CLIMATE & ENERGY FOR €1 A DAYJoin over 100,000 policymakers, energy experts in business, finance, and academia, city leaders, and leading NGOs in having access to FORESIGHT Climate & EnergyGET YOUR 30 DAY TRIAL: www.foresightdk.com/subscribe/. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Jul 13, 2023 • 53min

Out from the shadows

As we move into the second half of the year, a key trend of the first part of 2023 is the confidence that surrounds the solar sector. With a number of new policy packages announced over the past 12 months, the industry is buoyed by new momentum.In its latest Market Outlook, SolarPower Europe, a trade association, revealed that 239 gigawatts (GW) of solar power capacity was installed in 2022, with 118 GW in the rooftop segment. Having taken 22 years to reach its first terawatt of capacity, the world will reach its second and third terawatt in just the next five years.But there are still problems that the solar sector needs to face up to: a supply chain dominated by Chinese companies and an ongoing lack of regulation in Europe to support the scale-up further.To discuss why the sector is invigorated and the barriers to overcome, our guest on the podcast this week is Dries Acke, a director at SolarPower Europe.Enjoy the show.If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:Dries Acke: https://twitter.com/driesackeKira Taylor: https://twitter.com/KiraTaylor15Michaela Holl: https://twitter.com/CitizenSane1Jan Rosenow: https://twitter.com/janrosenowDavid Weston: https://twitter.com/DaveW_FORESIGHT@WattMattersPod: https://twitter.com/WattMattersPodFORESIGHT Climate & Energy: https://twitter.com/FORESIGHTdkListen and subscribe to Watt Matters wherever you get podcasts. Follow us on Twitter at @WattMattersPod or email us at show@wattmatterspodcast.com. You can also find FORESIGHT Climate & Energy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/foresight-climate-energy/.Illustration: Masha Krasnova-Shabaeva.Show notes via this link: https://foresightdk.com/wm-ep38/.TRY FULL ACCESS TO FORESIGHT CLIMATE & ENERGY FOR €1 A DAYJoin over 100,000 policymakers, energy experts in business, finance, and academia, city leaders, and leading NGOs in having access to FORESIGHT Climate & EnergyGET YOUR 30 DAY TRIAL: www.foresightdk.com/subscribe/. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Jun 29, 2023 • 38min

Regulating methane emissions

The European Union is currently working on a law to monitor and tackle methane emissions, which have a significant impact on the climate and have, so far, been somewhat overlooked in EU legislation.There are moves, both internationally and on the EU level, to tackle these emissions, including a pledge made at COP26 to reduce emissions by at least 30% by 2030, based on 2020 levels.The EU’s Methane Regulation should help the bloc meet this pledge, but the European Parliament and EU countries differ on what they want from the legislation as they gear up for negotiations, known as trilogues in EU jargon, to decide the final law.On this week’s episode of Watt Matters, Kira, Jan and Michaela are joined by Jutta Paulus, a Green MEP from Germany, who is a negotiator in the trilogues for the European Parliament.Enjoy the show.If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:Jutta Paulus: https://twitter.com/JuttaPaulusRLPKira Taylor: https://twitter.com/KiraTaylor15Michaela Holl: https://twitter.com/CitizenSane1Jan Rosenow: https://twitter.com/janrosenowDavid Weston: https://twitter.com/DaveW_FORESIGHT@WattMattersPod: https://twitter.com/WattMattersPodFORESIGHT Climate & Energy: https://twitter.com/FORESIGHTdkListen and subscribe to Watt Matters wherever you get podcasts. Follow us on Twitter at @WattMattersPod or email us at show@wattmatterspodcast.com. You can also find FORESIGHT Climate & Energy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/foresight-climate-energy/.Illustration: Masha Krasnova-Shabaeva.Show notes via this link: https://foresightdk.com/wm-ep37/.TRY FULL ACCESS TO FORESIGHT CLIMATE & ENERGY FOR €1 A DAYJoin over 100,000 policymakers, energy experts in business, finance, and academia, city leaders, and leading NGOs in having access to FORESIGHT Climate & EnergyGET YOUR 30 DAY TRIAL: www.foresightdk.com/subscribe/. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Jun 15, 2023 • 55min

Strength in flexibility

The smart use of energy within buildings could help support the energy transition. Most of us spend most of our time in buildings, and they are responsible for a huge share in overall emissions. The smarter use of energy, installation of smart controls and energy efficiency could help buildings play a role in the energy transition, and provide some additional benefits to its users: all of us.In this week’s episode of Watt Matters, Michaela, Jan and David are delving into the role households can play in the energy transition, specifically by providing flexibility services.To talk through the potential of household flexibility and where homeowners can also gain, our guest this week is Tobias Mitter from GridX, a German software company that helps building operations and energy management.Enjoy the show.If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:Tobias Mitter: https://twitter.com/tobiasmitterMichaela Holl: https://twitter.com/CitizenSane1Jan Rosenow: https://twitter.com/janrosenowDavid Weston: https://twitter.com/DaveW_FORESIGHT@WattMattersPod: https://twitter.com/WattMattersPodFORESIGHT Climate & Energy: https://twitter.com/FORESIGHTdkListen and subscribe to Watt Matters wherever you get podcasts. Follow us on Twitter at @WattMattersPod or email us at show@wattmatterspodcast.com. You can also find FORESIGHT Climate & Energy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/foresight-climate-energy/.Illustration: Masha Krasnova-Shabaeva.Show notes via this link: https://foresightdk.com/wm-ep36/.TRY FULL ACCESS TO FORESIGHT CLIMATE & ENERGY FOR €1 A DAYJoin over 100,000 policymakers, energy experts in business, finance, and academia, city leaders, and leading NGOs in having access to FORESIGHT Climate & EnergyGET YOUR 30 DAY TRIAL: www.foresightdk.com/subscribe/. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Jun 1, 2023 • 1h 4min

Advantageous liaisons

A number of synergies have yet to be unlocked between district heating and cooling networks and industries, with both sectors looking to decarbonise. Both sectors are highly complementary.The ability to recover excess heat from industrial processes—and more recently the likes of data centres—is opening new opportunities to help decarbonise district networks by supplying sustainable heat to residential or commercial buildings. But the rollout of new networks and the forethought to couple them with industrial heat sources is lacking.This week’s episode of Watt Matters is a special live recording that formed part of the Euroheat & Power congress in Turin (May 22nd-24th).David and Michaela are joined by Ana Cardoso from the Portuguese energy agency, Adene; Emanuele Pingaro of heating engineering firm Turboden; Malgosia Ryback from the Confederation of European Paper Industries; and Carlo Semeraro of thermal solar company Absolicon Solar Collector to discuss the issues facing the combination of district heating and industry.Enjoy the show.If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:Ana Cardoso Adene: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anaisabelcardoso/Emanuele Pingaro: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emanuele-pingaro-011a25135/Malgosia Ryback: https://twitter.com/malgosiarybak?lang=enCarlo Semeraro: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlo-matteo-semeraro-42a45a27/Michaela Holl: https://twitter.com/CitizenSane1Jan Rosenow: https://twitter.com/janrosenowDavid Weston: https://twitter.com/DaveW_FORESIGHT@WattMattersPod: https://twitter.com/WattMattersPodFORESIGHT Climate & Energy: https://twitter.com/FORESIGHTdkListen and subscribe to Watt Matters wherever you get podcasts. Follow us on Twitter at @WattMattersPod or email us at show@wattmatterspodcast.com. You can also find FORESIGHT Climate & Energy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/foresight-climate-energy/.Illustration: Masha Krasnova-Shabaeva.Show notes via this link: https://foresightdk.com/wm-ep35/.TRY FULL ACCESS TO FORESIGHT CLIMATE & ENERGY FOR €1 A DAYJoin over 100,000 policymakers, energy experts in business, finance, and academia, city leaders, and leading NGOs in having access to FORESIGHT Climate & EnergyGET YOUR 30 DAY TRIAL: www.foresightdk.com/subscribe/. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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