Who is leading in renewable energy? | CNBC Explains

CNBC International
28 Nov 201907:19
EducationalLearning
32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRThe video discusses the state of renewable energy around the world. It notes that solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and hydropower are the most common renewable energy sources. It analyzes renewable power capacity and proportion of renewables in the energy mix by country, finding Nordic and Latin American countries lead in adoption. It highlights how geography and natural resources shape each country's approach. Going forward, more countries are joining environmental agreements and setting emissions reduction targets, using policy and technology innovation to tackle intermittency issues that come with renewables. But continued economic growth poses a challenge in renewable energy not just meeting today's demand but tomorrow's as well.

Takeaways
  • 😀 China, US, Brazil, India & Germany have largest renewable power capacity globally
  • 😮 Removing hydropower changes rankings significantly - Germany up to #3
  • 🌿 Top countries for renewable capacity per capita are Iceland, Denmark & Germany
  • 💧 Over 75% of energy production in Norway, NZ, Brazil & Colombia is renewable
  • 🌬 Norway depends heavily on its over 1600 hydropower plants due to geography
  • 🌳 Sweden uses its vast forests for bioenergy production
  • ⛰ Brazil leverages its rivers & rainforests for hydroelectricity
  • 😕 Over-reliance on one energy source risky, e.g. Venezuela's Guri dam droughts
  • 🌍 195 countries signed Paris Agreement to tackle climate change
  • 💡 Innovation needed to address intermittent solar & wind power - e.g. Tesla battery in Australia
Q & A

  • Which countries currently have the largest renewable energy capacity?

    -China, the United States, Brazil, India and Germany have the biggest renewable power capacity worldwide currently.

  • Which countries lead in renewable energy production relative to their population size?

    -Iceland, Denmark, Germany and Sweden lead in renewable energy production relative to their population size.

  • What percentage of Norway, New Zealand, Brazil and Colombia's energy production comes from renewables?

    -More than 75% of Norway, New Zealand, Brazil and Colombia’s energy production comes from renewables.

  • Why is hydropower so critical to Norway's renewable energy mix?

    -Norway has a long coastline, steep valleys and high levels of running water which allows it to depend heavily on hydropower for renewable energy.

  • How are some countries using bioenergy as a renewable energy source?

    -Countries like Sweden with large forest coverage are increasingly using bioenergy from wood and other forestry by-products for heating and electricity production.

  • What was the impact of droughts on Venezuela's Guri dam electricity production?

    -Droughts in 2010 and 2016 caused water levels in Venezuela's Guri dam to fall so low that the government had to declare emergencies due to large impacts on the country's electricity supply.

  • What are some international agreements aimed at increasing renewable energy adoption?

    -The Paris Climate Agreement and UN Sustainable Development Goals target increasing renewable energy to tackle climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions globally.

  • How are new innovations like large-scale batteries and 3D printing helping to enable more renewable energy?

    -Large-scale batteries allow storage of intermittent renewable energy for when it's needed. 3D printing helps lower costs of producing renewable energy infrastructure like wind turbines.

  • What are some options for providing electricity reliability along with renewable sources?

    -Microgrid systems with energy storage, grid batteries like Tesla's system in Australia, and other sources can supplement intermittent renewables to improve electricity reliability.

  • How rapidly are renewables needing to scale to meet rising global energy demand?

    -Renewables not only have to meet today's energy demand but also the rapidly rising future demand driven by economic growth and population increases worldwide.

Outlines
00:00
🌍 Leading Countries in Renewable Energy Adoption and Challenges

The first paragraph provides an overview of renewable energy adoption worldwide. It mentions the countries with the largest renewable energy capacity globally, as well as metrics like capacity per capita and percentage of renewables in the energy mix to show leaders. Key challenges like unpredictable weather, lack of ideal environments, and over-reliance on one source are also highlighted.

05:04
🚀 Innovations and Future Projections in Renewable Energy

The second paragraph discusses innovations and future goals in renewable energy. It covers topics like battery storage systems, microgrids, 3D printing, kinetic energy harvesting, projected increases in energy demand, and countries' emissions reduction targets. Key examples like Tesla's battery in Australia and islands in Southeast Asia are mentioned.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Renewable energy
Renewable energy refers to energy from natural sources that replenish themselves over time, such as sunlight, wind, water, plants, etc. It is a key solution for combatting climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The script discusses various renewable energy sources like solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and hydropower, and how different countries are utilizing them.
💡Paris Agreement
The Paris Agreement is a landmark global pact signed in 2015 by 195 countries to tackle climate change by limiting global temperature rise. It aims to substantially reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. The script mentions how some countries like the US have withdrawn from the agreement, posing a challenge.
💡Energy storage
Energy storage refers to methods of capturing energy for later use when renewable sources are unavailable. The script gives examples like Tesla's large lithium-ion battery in Australia that stores energy from wind turbines for 30,000 homes. Innovations in storage are key to making renewables reliable.
💡Hydropower
Hydropower harnesses the energy from flowing water to generate electricity via turbines in dams. Countries like Norway and Brazil with large coastlines, rivers and rainforests depend heavily on hydropower plants. But the script cautions against over-reliance on hydropower due to drought risks.
💡Bioenergy
Bioenergy utilizes biomass from organic matter like plants, crops, wood, waste, etc to produce energy. The script mentions Sweden deriving 11% of its electricity from bioenergy by using its vast forests covering 63% of its land.
💡Solar power
Solar power harnesses energy from sunlight via solar panels. The script discusses adoption challenges like unpredictable cloud cover and highlights innovations like 3D printing to reduce solar panel production costs, making it more viable.
💡Wind power
Wind power utilizes wind turbines to generate electricity from kinetic energy in wind flow. The Tesla battery in Australia stores electricity from wind turbines. But intermittent wind flow poses challenges to relying solely on wind power.
💡Climate change
Climate change refers to long-term shifts in global temperatures and weather patterns largely driven by human activities like burning fossil fuels. Renewable energy helps mitigate climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This is a central theme in the video.
💡Developed countries
The script highlights how developed countries like Germany, China, US are leading in total renewable energy capacity due to larger investments. But smaller Nordic countries lead in % of renewables in their energy mix and per capita renewable capacity.
💡Emerging economies
Emerging economies like India, Brazil and Colombia have great potential for renewables and are increasingly adopting them. But they also have higher energy growth, so renewables form a smaller % of their current energy mix compared to developed nations.
Highlights

More than a quarter of the world’s energy was generated from renewable sources in 2018

China, the United States, Brazil, India and Germany have the biggest renewable power capacity worldwide

Iceland is the world leader in renewable power capacity per capita, followed by Denmark

Over 75% of Norway, New Zealand, Brazil and Colombia’s energy production comes from renewables

Renewable energy sources need to be tailored to each country's unique geography and environment

Norway depends heavily on hydropower due to its long coastlines, valleys and running water

Sweden uses bioenergy from its vast forests, as well as wind power, for energy production

Brazil utilizes hydropower and bioenergy from the Amazon rainforest

Venezuela's over-reliance on the Guri dam led to emergencies when droughts occurred

Many countries recognize the urgent need to invest in renewables to tackle climate change

Tesla built a giant battery in Australia to store renewable energy for 30,000 homes

Innovations like 3D printing aim to reduce the cost of renewable energy infrastructure

Microgrids are powering remote locations with reliable renewable energy storage

Global energy demand continues rising, so renewables must meet both current and future needs

Better energy storage solutions are critical for transitioning fully to renewable power

Transcripts

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