Lecture

Renewable Energy in Europe and Challenges

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In course

HUM-123(b): Global issues: energy B

Le cours abordera les grandes problématiques technologiques et socio-économiques liées à la transition énergétique, ainsi que les perspectives et barrières à l'établissement d'un système énergétique durable. ...

Description

This lecture covers the final energy consumption in the EU, focusing on electricity, natural gas, and petroleum derivatives. It also delves into renewable energy potentials, energy challenges, and the density of energy recovered per square meter. The instructor discusses the number of years of energy consumption that can be satisfied by solar irradiation, the potential of renewable energies, and the energy density recovered per square meter. Monthly capacity factors for select renewable fuels and technologies are analyzed, highlighting the intermittence at different scales. The lecture concludes with insights into the challenges of renewable energies, including thermal, wind, hydro, solar photovoltaic, and solar thermal energy.

Instructors (2)

Selin Yilmaz

Teaching & PhD Past EPFL PhD Students as codirector Matteo Barsanti Courses The Energy Transition : challenges and opportunities HUM-293 This course explores the energy transition from a system based on fossil fuels to a model based on decarbonised energy sources, sobriety and efficiency, and highlights the main technological, socio-economic and geopolitical issues involved.

Tuong-Van Nguyen

Teaching & PhD Courses Energy conversion and renewable energy ME-409 This course presents an overview of (i) the current energy system and uses (ii) the main principles of conventional and renewable energy technologies and (iii) the most important parameters that define their efficiency, costs and environmental impacts. The Energy Transition : challenges and opportunities HUM-293 This course explores the energy transition from a system based on fossil fuels to a model based o

Official source

Ontological neighbourhood

Energy engineering

Solar power: Topics in solar power

Environmental science

Environmental policy: Topics in environmental policy

Related concepts (32)

Renewable energy

Renewable energy is energy from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale. Renewable resources include sunlight, wind, the movement of water, and geothermal heat. Although most renewable energy sources are sustainable, some are not. For example, some biomass sources are considered unsustainable at current rates of exploitation. Renewable energy is often used for electricity generation, heating and cooling.

Renewable energy commercialization

Renewable energy commercialization involves the deployment of three generations of renewable energy technologies dating back more than 100 years. First-generation technologies, which are already mature and economically competitive, include biomass, hydroelectricity, geothermal power and heat. Second-generation technologies are market-ready and are being deployed at the present time; they include solar heating, photovoltaics, wind power, solar thermal power stations, and modern forms of bioenergy.

Photovoltaic thermal hybrid solar collector

Photovoltaic thermal collectors, typically abbreviated as PVT collectors and also known as hybrid solar collectors, photovoltaic thermal solar collectors, PV/T collectors or solar cogeneration systems, are power generation technologies that convert solar radiation into usable thermal and electrical energy. PVT collectors combine photovoltaic solar cells (often arranged in solar panels), which convert sunlight into electricity, with a solar thermal collector, which transfers the otherwise unused waste heat from the PV module to a heat transfer fluid.

Photovoltaic system

A photovoltaic system, also PV system or solar power system, is an electric power system designed to supply usable solar power by means of photovoltaics. It consists of an arrangement of several components, including solar panels to absorb and convert sunlight into electricity, a solar inverter to convert the output from direct to alternating current, as well as mounting, cabling, and other electrical accessories to set up a working system. It may also use a solar tracking system to improve the system's overall performance and include an integrated battery.

Photovoltaics

Photovoltaics (PV) is the conversion of light into electricity using semiconducting materials that exhibit the photovoltaic effect, a phenomenon studied in physics, photochemistry, and electrochemistry. The photovoltaic effect is commercially used for electricity generation and as photosensors. A photovoltaic system employs solar modules, each comprising a number of solar cells, which generate electrical power. PV installations may be ground-mounted, rooftop-mounted, wall-mounted or floating.

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