How Does Going Electric Move the Needle for Climate Change?
A look into where energy comes from and if we’re charging electric vehicles (EVs) with clean energy.
Source: Photo by Ather Energy on Unsplash
Introduction:
Vehicle electrification is a strategy to reduce the dent that tailpipe emissions have on climate change. This is a promising strategy considering that 24% of global CO2 emissions stem from transportation, and electric vehicles (EVs) are forecasted to make up to 62-86% of vehicle sales by 2030.
There are many exciting advances in vehicle design, battery performance, policies, and tax incentives that make purchasing and owning an EV desirable. To optimize CO2 reductions, the industry must focus on service design and ensure all EV owners and users have reliable access to clean energy to fuel their vehicles. And consumers must increase awareness and vote with where they plug in their vehicles.
In a world where ~65% of electricity comes from fossil fuels, how will we meet the demand to fuel EVs with clean energy? But first, let’s understand what makes energy dirty versus clean.
Dirty Energy 101 [Non-Renewable]:
Fossil fuels are extracted from 300 million years of carbon-rich plant and animal life that live deep under our land and oceans. On their own, fossil fuels are not dirty, but the process of extracting fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas), converting/processing them, transporting them, and burning them contributes to climate change. When fossil fuels are burned, CO2 is released into the atmosphere. The CO2 molecules in our atmosphere trap heat and create a heat bubble over Earth that increases the temperature.
This video nicely summarizes what fossil fuels are and how burning them contributes to climate change.
Clean Energy 101 [Renewable]:
Clean energy sources harness natural elements such as wind, solar, water, and other renewable sources to deliver carbon-free generated electricity. Wind turbines use wind energy to rotate a generator that creates electricity. Solar panels absorb solar energy through solar cells and create electricity from a series of interactions between photons and electrons. Hydropower uses flowing water to rotate a generator that creates electricity. Nuclear energy is produced from nuclear fission, or when atoms are split through a controlled chain reaction and energy is created as a byproduct of this reaction.
While there are other clean energy sources in the market, these are the most common over the last decade.
Here is a video that nicely summarizes the various clean energy sources and how they generate electricity.
The Tradeoffs Between Dirty and Clean Energy:
Dirty Energy Advantages
High amounts of energy are packed into a small area.
Dirty Energy Disadvantages
It is dirty and releases CO2 when it’s burned.
Extraction leads to land degradation and water pollution.
It is finite.
Infrastructure, processing, and transportation is costly.
Clean Energy Advantages
It is a carbon-free energy source.
It is infinite.
Clean Energy Disadvantages
Solar, wind, and water are intermittent energy sources and their performance relies on nature’s patterns.
To create a significant amount of electricity, a lot of land is required for wind farms, solar farms, and dams.
A byproduct of nuclear power plants is electricity and toxic waste. [While there are procedures for appropriate management and disposal of toxic waste, there have been historical events at nuclear power plants, and it is a polarizing pathway to produce clean energy.]
Infrastructure is costly.
A Clean Charge for EVs:
It is a paradox to have EVs fueled with dirty energy. How can we ensure the electricity fueling our EVs is clean?
Source: NREL
This image showcases the different energy sources generated globally, and fossil fuels continue to dominate the market.
Companies are tackling this very opportunity by providing solar-powered vehicle chargers for public stations. For personal vehicle chargers, you can install solar panels at your home.
The options aren’t endless, but this is a start and something to be mindful of the next time you are ready to plug and play.
Conclusion:
I am curious about the transition to clean energy and will continue to explore how our clean energy transition is preparing to keep pace with the growing number of EVs joining the transportation ecosystem. I have just scratched the surface and would love to hear from you!
Do you have an EV and do you ever wonder about where the energy that fuels your EV comes from? Do you work in the transportation industry and do you have information about this topic you would like to share? Please leave a comment!
