Renewable Energy & Energy Systems of the Future

Renewable Energy

Fossil fuels are of limited availability, produce CO2 emissions, and enhance the greenhouse effect. To mitigate the detrimental effects for our planet, the use of renewable energy sources must be fostered in Germany, in Japan and worldwide. To cover energy consumption of a modern industrial society with renewable energy sources, the entire energy supply chain must be rethought. This work group focuses on the different facets of an energy system based on renewable sources, such as solar power, wind power, biomass, and geothermal energy.

Energy Systems

What will the energy mix of the future look like? Developments in energy technology and related key technologies, limited fossil resources and climate change, demographic change, political, social, and economic framework conditions, striving for sustainability – all these factors must be included in analyses of the global energy system. In targeted interdisciplinary research, this workshop aims at pooling technical expertise, methodological know-how in modeling, knowledge in economics and about the societal environment.

  • Marco Fazio, Göttingen (applied geology)
  • Kazuyo Matsubae, Tohoku, Professor (environmental studies)
  • Keiji Yashiro, Tohoku, Professor (environmental studies)
  • Atsushi Okamoto, Tohoku, Professor (environmental studies)
  • Alexander Colsmann, KIT, Scientific Spokesperson (KIT Energy Center)
  • Thomas Kolb, KIT, Professor (applied geosciences)
  • Eva Schill, KIT, Professor (nuclear waste disposal)
  • Seiichi Ogata, Kyoto, Professor (energy science)
  • Yuhei Miyauchi, Kyoto, Professor (advanced energy)
  • Tsutomu Kodaki, Kyoto, Professor (advanced energy)
  • Samuel Mattehw Dumlao, Kyoto, PhD Student (energy science)
Project abstract:

The large-scale development and diffusion of climate change mitigation technologies are urgently required in our society. Of the several technological options available, solar power and geothermal as sources, in combination with energy carriers such as hydrogen, with fuel cells and batteries for storage, have much potential to contribute to the realization of a low-carbon energy system. On the other hand, these new technologies require additional mineral resources such as precious metals and can cause various negative impacts to the global environment. These include the depletion of limited mineral resources, degradation of water bodies, stress on land surface areas, and the creation of toxic waste products (e.g. used batteries and solar panels). In addition to these challenges, especially in the context of Japan and experiences learned from the tsunami and power shortages after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, there is an urgent need to boost the resilience of energy systems. This is required as much for the purpose of strengthening resilience towards natural disasters as it is for decreasing vulnerability to supply chain risks for the precious minerals used in manufacturing low-carbon technologies. Furthermore, countries like Germany are faced with new challenges around grid stability and resilience due to the increased penetration of intermittent renewables.

Given these pressing challenges, this working group will consider the following three topics:
1.      R&D for future energy technologies
2.      Resources for sustainable energy
3.      Policy and social governance of energy systems

Lead coordinator:

Name:  Kazuyo Matsubae
Position:Professor
Institution:  Tohoku University
Department, Faculty: Graduate School of Environmental Studies

 

Other coordinator(s):  

Name:  Witold-Roger Poganietz (Confirmed)
Position: Head of research group “Socio-Technical Energy Futures”
Institution: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Department, Faculty:  Institut für Technikfolgenabschätzung und Systemanalyse
 

Name:  Benjamin-craig McLellan (Confirmed)
Position: Associate Professor
Institution: Kyoto University
Department, Faculty:  Graduate School of Energy Science