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	Nickname: ddivan Articles(4) Visits(8640) Comments(3) Votes(0)
	Sustainable energy cuts emissions but often costs more. This blog by Dr. Deepak Divan examines the interdependent issues of technology, economics, policy, resources, security and scaling for sustainable energy solutions. Divan is president of the IEEE Power Electronics Society and a professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Georgia Tech.
	Blog Archive: 2010 - Jul., Mar., Jan.	View All

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Posted: 12:14:17 PM, 28/01/2010

Setting the stage
Copenhagen was a bust! There is scientific consensus that carbon emissions due to human activity and climate change are linked. Everyone agrees that it is critically important that carbon emissions need to be reduced. Then why is it so difficult for world leaders to agree on what needs to be done? Developed nations have caused the carbon problem through their conspicuous consumption. However, now all nations are being invited to participate in reducing their carbon emissions to help save the planet. Emerging nations are likely to see a direct hit on cost of energy and GDP growth, directly impacting the prosperity of their people. A choice between saving the family and the planet is no choice at all—we must have both! Let’s face it. Whereas we would all like to have no carbon emissions, we are really not prepared to give up our car, scooter or the various appliances we now have at home. We work hard for our family’s comfort and prosperity, and we are not really prepared to give up our fan, refrigerator or air conditioning. We want the lights to turn on, regardless of whether the electricity is there or not. However, we also like having fuel for our car and for cooking, and electricity for the home and office, at a cost-effective price that we have become accustomed to. A major increase in energy prices would simply not be acceptable. This creates a dilemma for the energy providers and for the government. It is clear that if fossil fuel prices were the same as for renewable resources, there is no question of which one would be preferred. That is still not the case. Solar energy prices are currently 2-3 times the price of conventional fossil fuel based electricity. Can we then justify the wide scale deployment of alternative energy technologies? What are the various technology options that are available, both globally and in particular for emerging nations such as India? Can these technologies be scaled to a national and global level? What actions can we take at an individual, national and global level to ensure that the world is preserved for our future generations? These are the questions that will be addressed in this blog. I look forward to a spirited dialog with our readers. These are issues that touch us all, and that can be effectively solved with the right mix of technology, economics and policy.

Setting the stage

Copenhagen was a bust! There is scientific consensus that carbon emissions due to human activity and climate change are linked. Everyone agrees that it is critically important that carbon emissions need to be reduced. Then why is it so difficult for world leaders to agree on what needs to be done? Developed nations have caused the carbon problem through their conspicuous consumption. However, now all nations are being invited to participate in reducing their carbon emissions to help save the planet. Emerging nations are likely to see a direct hit on cost of energy and GDP growth, directly impacting the prosperity of their people. A choice between saving the family and the planet is no choice at all—we must have both!

Let’s face it. Whereas we would all like to have no carbon emissions, we are really not prepared to give up our car, scooter or the various appliances we now have at home. We work hard for our family’s comfort and prosperity, and we are not really prepared to give up our fan, refrigerator or air conditioning. We want the lights to turn on, regardless of whether the electricity is there or not. However, we also like having fuel for our car and for cooking, and electricity for the home and office, at a cost-effective price that we have become accustomed to. A major increase in energy prices would simply not be acceptable.

This creates a dilemma for the energy providers and for the government. It is clear that if fossil fuel prices were the same as for renewable resources, there is no question of which one would be preferred. That is still not the case. Solar energy prices are currently 2-3 times the price of conventional fossil fuel based electricity. Can we then justify the wide scale deployment of alternative energy technologies? What are the various technology options that are available, both globally and in particular for emerging nations such as India? Can these technologies be scaled to a national and global level? What actions can we take at an individual, national and global level to ensure that the world is preserved for our future generations? These are the questions that will be addressed in this blog. I look forward to a spirited dialog with our readers. These are issues that touch us all, and that can be effectively solved with the right mix of technology, economics and policy.

Views(1004) Comments(3) [Last update: 12:14:52 PM, 28/01/2010]

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Net Friend:	rim	12:14:14 PM, 29/01/2010
Comment:	As very appropriately put; family first or planet first, is the tussle. Humans perhaps are the only living species who are selfish and possesive...me first has driven hardwork, technology, innovation,discoveries &inventions . It is impossible to wipe out this trait imprinted in our genes. Picking up the thread of exxpressed by Dr. Divan" Solar energy prices are currently 2-3 times the price of conventional fossil fuel based electricity..........". Herein lies the solution. If we are that close economically, it is time that the powers-that-be realize the possibility of coining policies whichdiminish the gap faster than too late. In fact the point of inflexion may not be too far. Scientists: to make faster strides in solar technology. Politicians: to whip up policies to sustain solar development & infrastructure. Corpoarte: to seize the opportunity and make solar viable. Rajesh Mehta
Net Friend:	technical	08:24:56 PM, 02/02/2010
Comment:	JUNK SCIENCE! Saying that everybody agree on human respnsability of human originated global warmingis completely false. The Infra red response of CO2 is by far too narrow to play significant role H2O is the boss in green house and the sun(that's a scoop) drive thepresent global warming the same way than in the past. Except that IT IS TRUE that the world as to face a shift in energy production and transport. This shift must not be brutal, fossil energy MUST be available with no taxes that will artificially increase the reference cost of the Kw. Of course nuclear Fusion (in space(so simple)not on earth(so difficult)) will be the main source of energy, hydrogen,Microwaves beams and supercapacitor will be the media. The big shift will come from Nanotubes cheap mass production. Licences on this ALL SAPIENS SAPIENS strategic interest must be boughtonce and for all and put in public domain! Subsequent prize like 10 billions dollards for the production of fullerenes 99% pure and single nanotubes at 100$/kg in bulk. After that every thing is possible including printing solarcell on your inkjet printer.

Net Friend:	technical	12:26:53 PM, 12/02/2010
Comment:	Human responsability of global warming is a HOAX http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-7715-Portland-Civil-Rights-Examiner~y2010m1d12-Hungarian-Physicist-Dr-Ferenc-Miskolczi-proves-CO2-emissions-irrelevant-in-Earths-Climate BUT we need to offer to the sapiens more sources of energy and let them compete and not keep energy artificially high with taxes! Energy cheap is peace and prosperity so let's work to the nanotech revolution . I suggest to the UnitedNation to buy (a very high price)the patent for a very cheap way to produce nano tubes and make it free for the world industry!!!

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