Windpower Engineering & Development

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Most recent posts
    • News
    • Featured
  • Resources
    • Digital issues
    • Podcasts
    • Suppliers
    • Webinars
    • Events
  • Videos
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
  • Magazine
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

GE’s goal is to electrify the world

By Paul Dvorak | October 12, 2016

Tomi Motoi, GE representative to the International Energy Agency (Economics and Investment Office)

The energy system drives today’s economic and social progress. Global energy investment in 2015 accounted for nearly 2.4% of global GDP—electricity, including networks, accounted for 37% of this investment[1], serving worldwide energy demand and providing critical energy access to millions.

Electricity also plays a key role in the transition to a low-carbon economy—it can partially replace fossil fuels in transport and heating. However, more can be done to further electricity access. For example, more than 1 billion people have no access to power. In Africa alone, more than 600 million people lack access to electricity, and 70% of businesses cite unreliable power as a barrier to doing business on the continent. Electrification can deliver power to those who lack it.renewables-on-the-rise

On the side of sustainable energy, transport, heat and power generation are major sources of worldwide sulfur dioxide emissions; the power sector accounts for nearly one-third of the global energy sector SO2 emissions in 2015[2]. Electrification can play a pivotal role in contributing to sustainable energy use.

A few key trends supporting the growth of electrification include:

Renewables on the rise

Strong policies—most notably from last year’s Paris Climate Agreement—facilitate investment in renewable energy. This investment is crucial to achieving the goals of limiting the global increase in temperature to well below 2C°. Despite the fall in oil and gas prices, renewables investment in 2015 reached nearly $290 billion globally—almost double of what was spent a decade ago. Furthermore, new low-carbon generation coming online in 2015 exceeds the entire growth of global power demand in that year, according to the International Energy Agency’s new report, World Energy Investment 2016. This trend, driven by rapid technology progress, cost deflation and long-term price signals is expected to continue, with the renewables share of total power generation anticipated to make up 26% of the total global energy mix by 2020.

Sustainable energy—decarbonization and air quality

Electrification can be a solution for air pollution and air quality and can support the decarbonization of electricity generation, helping the world meet its energy needs.

High rates of use and overwhelming reliance on diesel fuel and heavy-duty vehicles account for a disproportionate share of emissions, according to the IEA’s Energy and Air Pollution Report. Access to electric vehicles can decrease emissions. In Paris, for example, between 2002 and 2012, a mobility plan which included shared bikes, electric vehicles and improved vehicle efficiency decreased 30% of NOx emissions and 35% of PM10 emissions over the period.

Growing investment in emerging markets

As urbanization continues to increase and the world’s population expands, developing markets are planning ambitiously to support growth and secure their energy future.

This is evident in the numbers: in 2015, non-OECD accounted for $910 billion of investment in fossil fuel and electricity supply, while OECD countries accounted for only $670 billion of investment. China was the largest destination for investment at over one-third of the non-OECD total; the ambitious targets of China’s 13th Five-Year Plan will drive continued investment.

As the world’s third largest economy, India accounts for 6% of global energy use, and the government is taking steps to provide electricity to the 240 million people who lack access to it. The country’s modernization program has set ambitious growth targets that are anticipated to encourage industry and energy sector investment; the government’s ambitious plan to build 100 smart cities across the country will encourage electrification.

Innovation…a key driver

The trends above present several challenges—and opportunities.

First, the rise of variable energy renewables deployment points to a rebalancing of the energy system. As such, it requires the effective development of new technologies capable of properly managing power systems. Energy battery storage and microgrids can play a key role in balancing systems with large amounts of renewable generation and facilitating the integration of these variable energy resources. These technologies also have the potential to play a key role in countries such as Africa with limited grid access, helping to power its remote regions.

Technology can improve the reliability and efficiency of electrical equipment in power plants, two factors in determining its cost competitiveness, which encourages its use in decarbonization and facilitates its deployment. Two examples are below:

  • The latest innovation in the solar industry uses silicon carbide in solar inverters and can help achieve 99% EU weighted efficiency. The efficiency gain can be translated into $2.5 million of extra energy produced for a 100-megawatt solar plant over its lifetime.
  • The Industrial Internet—which looks to link energy production assets together via a central platform such as GE’s Predix—provides a number of cost-saving and efficiency benefits. For example, a connected power plant or renewables wind farm can be monitored remotely, and software analytics can lead to anomalies being spotted before they occur. This can reduce downtime and can deliver electricity where and when it’s needed.

Energy technology and innovation can help us strive towards a world of sustainable energy for everyone.

[1] International Energy Agency (IEA) (2016), World Energy Investment 2016, OCED/IEA, Paris,www.iea.org/investment.

[2] International Energy Agency (IEA) (2016), World Energy Outlook Special Report: Energy and Air Pollution, OCED/IEA, Paris, https://www.iea.org/publications/freepublications/publication/WorldEnergyOutlookSpecialReport2016EnergyandAirPollution.pdf.


Filed Under: Policy
Tagged With: GE
 

About The Author

Paul Dvorak

Related Articles Read More >

Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia collaborate to support offshore wind development
Greenbacker Renewable Energy acquires 15.3-MW Maine wind project
ACE NY urges support of the New York Renewables Protection Act
University of Arizona to fully power campus with wind, solar & storage

Podcasts

Wind Spotlight: Looking back at a year of Thrive with ZF Wind Power
See More >

Windpower Engineering & Development Digital Edition

Digital Edition

Browse the most current issue of Windpower Engineering & Development and back issues in an easy to use high quality format. Clip, share and download with the leading wind power engineering magazine today.

Windpower Engineering & Development
  • Wind Articles
  • Solar Power World
  • Subscribe to Windpower Engineering
  • About Us/Contact Us

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising

Search Windpower Engineering & Development

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Most recent posts
    • News
    • Featured
  • Resources
    • Digital issues
    • Podcasts
    • Suppliers
    • Webinars
    • Events
  • Videos
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
  • Magazine
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe