Spread the Energy: Transition to Clean Energy

As per the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the U.S. consumes an approximate 97 quadrillion BTUs of energy per year.  11% of this still comes from coal, 36% from petroleum, 32% from natural gas, 12% from renewable sources (wind, hydroelectric, biofuels, wood, solar, biomass waste and geothermal) and 8% from nuclear electric. 

Climate change events are creating an urgency to eliminate greenhouse gases (GHGs).  Civilized populations of the world are pushing for net zero economies in the next 10-20 years.  Regulations and incentives are being rolled out rapidly to ensure that the planet does not run out of time to avoid calamitous climate consequences.  To meet the new net zero objectives, clean energy usage must be increased, each type having its unique pros and cons to be weighed carefully by location, use case and Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE).  The task of retraining traditional carbon-based energy workers to be successful in the new clean energy economy must be taken up expeditiously and with rigor, so as to avoid delays from emotional resistance to change.  Change in this case is not optional.  It is not merely a change for the better but a race for survival of life on our planet.

In response to regulations and incentives set forth in each country, reputable business organizations are stepping up to the plate and protecting for long term business financial success by creating meaningful Environmental Social Governance (ESG) roadmaps with actionable plans to eliminate their Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions.

As a part of these actionable ESG roadmaps, business organizations may consider several actions around streamlining their production processes, supply chains etc.  One such concrete and very visible action entails assessing commercial and industrial properties for distributed generation (DG) clean energy.  Clean energy that can be generated onsite, where it is to be utilized can alleviate the need and cost for transmission from another location. Moreover, given the scope and scale of energy consumption for commercial and industrial purposes, the need for DG energy will necessarily coexist along with utility scale generation to make the best long-term use of land, allow for energy independence, ensure resilience and backup for transmission grids and minimize transmission losses.

Each organization can take the initiative to complete such assessments with the help of qualified entities, for its commercial and industrial properties, and if DG is feasible, move forward with implementation.  In so doing, the business will have concrete, visible and measurable evidence of reducing its GHG emissions, a necessary step in improving ESG ratings as they continue to become more objective and measurable.

SELE Solutions, LLC offers sustainable energy consulting services (education, technology advisory, analytics, roadmaps, innovation, engineering, implementation management).