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What Will Make Energy Systems Sustainable?

Author

Listed:
  • Angela Köppl

    (Austrian Institute of Economic Research, 1030 Vienna, Austria)

  • Stefan P. Schleicher

    (Wegener Center for Climate and Global Change, University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria)

Abstract

Despite the success of the German Energiewende in increasing the production of electricity from renewables and the positive global spillover effects of renewable technologies, one of the lessons learned is the insight that simply shifting to renewables and recommending improving energy efficiency is not sufficient to lower greenhouse gas emissions. Combined with the expected radical change of technologies, this requires a more profound understanding of our energy systems. Therefore, in contrast to many conventional energy economy approaches, we propose a deepened structural analysis that covers the full energy value chain from the required functionalities for mechanical, thermal and specific electric energy services via application and transformation technologies up to primary energy. This deepened structural approach opens and substantially enhances our understanding of policy designs that are compatible with the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals. We discover the essential role of four energy grids, namely for electricity, heat, gas, and information as the key for integrating all components of a newly structured energy system. Consequently, we conclude that policy strategies focusing on individual components of an energy system like shifting to renewables may, from a comprehensive perspective on more sustainable energy systems, prove even counterproductive.

Suggested Citation

  • Angela Köppl & Stefan P. Schleicher, 2018. "What Will Make Energy Systems Sustainable?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-13, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:7:p:2537-:d:158881
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Angela Köppl & Claudia Kettner & Daniela Kletzan-Slamanig & Stefan Schleicher & Andrea Damm & Karl Steininger & Brigitte Wolkinger & Hans Schnitzer & Michaela Titz & Heidemarie Artner & Andreas Karne, 2014. "Energy Transition in Austria: Designing Mitigation Wedges," Energy & Environment, , vol. 25(2), pages 281-304, April.
    2. Nicholas Stern, 2016. "Economics: Current climate models are grossly misleading," Nature, Nature, vol. 530(7591), pages 407-409, February.
    3. Robert S. Pindyck, 2017. "The Use and Misuse of Models for Climate Policy," Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 11(1), pages 100-114.
    4. Rosen, Richard A. & Guenther, Edeltraud, 2015. "The economics of mitigating climate change: What can we know?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 93-106.
    5. United Nations UN, 2015. "Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," Working Papers id:7559, eSocialSciences.
    6. Paul D. Raskin & Christi Electris & Richard A. Rosen, 2010. "The Century Ahead: Searching for Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 2(8), pages 1-26, August.
    7. Jeffrey D. Sachs & Richard Layard & John F. Helliwell, 2018. "World Happiness Report 2018," Working Papers id:12761, eSocialSciences.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Jo o Estev o, 2021. "Toward the Paris Agreement Implementation Impact on Electricity Sector: The Emerging Reality," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 11(1), pages 1-8.
    2. Bettina Meinhart & Fabian Gabelberger & Franz Sinabell & Gerhard Streicher, 2022. "Transformation und "Just Transition" in Österreich," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 68029, April.
    3. Abidin Kemeç & Ayşenur Tarakcıoglu Altınay, 2023. "Sustainable Energy Research Trend: A Bibliometric Analysis Using VOSviewer, RStudio Bibliometrix, and CiteSpace Software Tools," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-21, February.
    4. Josef Baumgartner & Gabriel Felbermayr & Claudia Kettner & Angela Köppl & Daniela Kletzan-Slamanig & Simon Loretz & Margit Schratzenstaller, 2022. "Stark steigende Energiepreise – Optionen für eine Entlastung von Haushalten und Unternehmen," WIFO Research Briefs 6, WIFO.
    5. Gurgul, Henryk & Lach, Łukasz, 2019. "Eco-efficiency analysis in generalized IO models: Methods and examples," MPRA Paper 96604, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Aleksander Pabian & Katarzyna Bilińska-Reformat, 2021. "The Potential and Need to Implement the New Concept of Social Innovation into the Management Practice of Modern Energy Companies," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-12, October.
    7. Stephan Schulmeister, 2020. "Fixing long-term price paths for fossil energy: the optimal incentive for limiting global warming," ICAE Working Papers 112, Johannes Kepler University, Institute for Comprehensive Analysis of the Economy.
    8. Krzysztof Kosowski & Karol Tucki & Marian Piwowarski & Robert Stępień & Olga Orynycz & Wojciech Włodarski & Anna Bączyk, 2019. "Thermodynamic Cycle Concepts for High-Efficiency Power Plans. Part A: Public Power Plants 60+," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-11, January.
    9. Angela Köppl & Margit Schratzenstaller, 2022. "Macroeconomic Effects of Green Recovery Programmes. Conceptual Framing and a Review of the Empirical Literature," WIFO Working Papers 646, WIFO.
    10. Daniela Kletzan-Slamanig & Angela Köppl, 2021. "The Evolution of the Green Finance Agenda – Institutional Anchoring and a Survey-based Assessment for Austria," WIFO Working Papers 640, WIFO.
    11. Gabriel Bachner & Jakob Mayer & Laura Fischer & Elisabeth Frei & Karl W. Steininger & Mark Sommer & Angela Köppl & Stefan Schleicher, 2021. "Application of the Concept of "Functionalities" in Macroeconomic Modelling Frameworks – Insights for Austria and Methodological Lessons Learned. EconTrans Working Paper #4," WIFO Working Papers 636, WIFO.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    sustainable energy systems; energy value chain; energy grids;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics
    • Q0 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - General
    • Q2 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation
    • Q3 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Nonrenewable Resources and Conservation
    • Q5 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics
    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products

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