Book Review
Green Pioneers
The new Siemens study
Connecting Possibilities –
Scenarios for Optimizing
Energy Systems argues
that adaptation to local
conditions can raise the
efficiency of energy
systems. Market typologies
can serve as practical
guides to developing
energy systems for
the good of the environment and society.
Siemens Energy came up with a route
that took the project over the course of
half a year from the USA to Europe,
Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, and
finally to Daegu, where energy specialists from all over the world met in
October. In order to be able to put the
facts on the table and launch a global
push to use energy more efficiently,
Siemens commissioned a study of the
energy situation not only in the six
countries visited, but in a global context. The questions the authors set
out to answer were: What is the energy
situation in a certain country or region, and is there potential to optimize the system in regards to CO2
emissions and costs?
Cooperation Trumps
Unilateralism
The results are presented in the
clear and concise Study Connecting
Possibilities – Scenarios for Optimizing
Energy Systems that Siemens published in time for the WEC. The con-
Economical Behavior in
Energy Leads to Environmental
and Social Benefits
34 Living Energy · No. 9 | December 2013
volved with all aspects of energy on a
daily basis and on a global level,
Siemens set out to arouse curiosity
and launch discussions to explain
which challenges lie ahead, but also to
shine a light on the solutions already
available.
To gather the information necessary
to compile such a global overview,
Next-Wave
Electrifiers
clusion: By shifting from one technique of generating power to another
that is more suited to the given geographic circumstances, resources can
be used with much greater efficiency.
Consider, for example, the planned
expansion of renewable energies in
Europe until the year 2030. If, instead
of being handled under national
plans, these projects were undertaken
as part of a trans-European cooperation focused on harvesting the energy
potential of specific regions, about
US$60 billion in investment costs
could be saved, the study finds.
It explains that it doesn’t make a lot of
sense to invest in solar panels in rainy
valleys of, for example, Austria or
Germany, when the same panels
in sun-drenched parts of Spain or Italy
deliver twice as much power. The characteristics of the various energy markets are highly diverse. Even countries
on the same continent can face different challenges. The study therefore
analyzes energy markets by type rath-
Connecting Possibilities – Scenarios for
Optimizing Energy Systems
The Road to the World Energy Congress in Daegu in October was an
opportunity to take a closer look at energy systems in regions
throughout the world. Siemens used it to launch a global discussion
about the potentials to globally improve efficient energy use.
Illustrations: Siemens
he World Energy Congress in
South Korea was a key event for
the international energy community in 2013. Siemens decided not
only to participate in the meeting of
global leaders in this field, but to communicate key energy issues to an interested external community as well.
As a company that is intimately in-
Energy Hungry
Oil Export Maximizers
The study identifies five market archetypes based on selected characteristics to help to identify potential problems and solutions.
Text: Roman Elsener
T
Traditionalists
The complete study can be
downloaded at:
Siemens.com/energy-study
er than by continent. It identifies five
market archetypes based on selected
characteristics.
There are “Energy Hungry”, “Traditionalists”, “Next-Wave Electrifiers”,
“Green Pioneers”, and “Oil Export Maximizers.” Each of these archetypes faces
its specific challenges. The characteristics of the archetypes help to identify
potential problems and solutions.
Optimistic Outlook
Overall, the study has an optimistic
outlook on the future, the idea being
that each energy market could boost
economic growth by developing an
affordable, sustainable, and secure
energy supply. It forecasts a stabilization of the primary energy prices due
to an improving balance between
energy supply and demand. This stabilization will be supported by the
economical exploitation of unconventional primary energy resources over
the medium term.
The study not only makes for an interesting read; it may also serve as a
practical guidebook well into the future. The scenarios show theoretical
potentials which, based on wellfounded calculations, serve as basis
for interesting discussions about the
future of energy systems. It is recommended for anybody who is interested in the further development of the
future energy system, and sends one
clear message: Economical behavior
in terms of energy leads to environmental and social benefits. p
Roman Elsener is the US correspondent for
the Swiss News Agency SDA in New York. He
is working as a reporter and producer for various European media, among others the Neue
Zürcher Zeitung, Swiss Television SRF, German
TV ZDF and Spiegel Online.
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