Distributed generation

• To meet global emission reduction targets, the world is setting challenging goals to decarbonize the electricity sector, with full decarbonization by 2050 an objective of many countries.
• As the UK works to become the world's first net zero economy by 2050 the gas sector needs to demonstrate a viable pathway for decarbonisation.
• UK rapid electrification to meet a net zero target and to bring forward deep decarbonisation of the heat and transport sectors would require 37 million electric cars and vans and 15 million hybrid and electric heat pumps by 20352 (9 million electric vehicles / vans and 2 million heat pumps by 2025).
• Heat pumps could compete with gas for new construction in the United States by the 2030s, assuming cost reductions and a commitment to decarbonization.
• Biomass and geothermal energy provide opportunities for distributed generation of electricity and can be very cost-effective, generally priced at less than $ 100/MWh.
• The CCC acknowledges the progress made since 1990 in reducing buildings' emissions - by more than 10% through efficiency improvements, grid decarbonisation and increased use of bioenergy - but says a far more ambitious approach is needed to fully decarbonise heat by 2050.
• The rate of annual investment in distributed energy resources will increase 75% by 2030, with the market set for a decade of high growth.
• Energy efficiency and the decarbonisation of electricity in Asia under a Sustainable Development Scenario 3 could reduce annual emissions from buildings in 2040 by almost 3000 megatonnes of carbon dioxide compared to a Stated Policies Scenario 4, 1.
• As a result of the UK Government's commitment to meeting its Net Zero targets by 2050, 2020's FES has seen a step change in their decarbonisation pathways.
• In pursuit of the objective of eliminating power plant carbon pollution by 2035 to reach net-zero emissions as rapidly as possible [and no later than by 2050], decarbonization strategies should include carbon capture and storage.
• By 2035, hydrogen could provide much deeper decarbonisation when used in conjunction with existing airport and aircraft infrastructure, and could then support a complete transition from conventional jet fuel around 2050.
• On World Ocean Day, OREAC has announced its vision for 1,400 GW of offshore wind by 2050 to drive decarbonisation and green recovery from the COVID-19 crisis.
• While all major projects must be consistent with net zero carbon emissions by 2050, it's clear that the government and aviation industry need to work closely to agree a robust decarbonisation plan.
• Some critics have voiced concerns that the UK ETS is not sufficiently ambitious to reflect the UK's emissions or the additional carbon price signals which would help drive the decarbonisation agenda and help the UK meet its net zero target by 2050.
• Effective policy for repowering existing Irish wind farms will be an important enabler for decarbonisation of the electricity system and is vital if targets for onshore wind are to be met.
• Decarbonisation of heat and transport is vital to minimise emissions, and a government ban on new petrol and diesel cars by 2035, in combination with price parity between electric vehicles and petrol and diesel cars being achieved by 2025, sees a rapid uptake in electric vehicles from 2030.
• The decarbonisation of the energy system will be vital to ensuring Northern Ireland meets its contributions to the UK's target of net-zero emissions by 2050.
• Nuclear for Net Zero is a techno-economic assessment of the potential roles and contribution of nuclear energy in supporting a range of decarbonisation pathways modelled for the UK to achieve Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050.
• Batteries will help reduce emissions in the transport and power sectors by 30% and so become a driver for decarbonization by 2030 with demand expected to increase 19 times.
• Much of the deep decarbonisation will be based on electrification, with extended deployment of renewable electricity sources including VRE such as wind and solar power on the Nordic countries.
• McKinsey has warned that the global transition to limiting global temperature increases to 1.5 C by 2050 is a daunting task, that would require unprecedented levels of decarbonisation for key sectors, with the world currently on course to exceed its carbon budget by 2031.
• Green energy is the cheapest form of new electricity for South Africa and that 6000 MW of new utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV), at least 4 000 MW of new distributed generation (mostly rooftop solar PV) and 14400 MW of new wind turbines should be built by 2030.

Last updated: 04 October 2020