If energy is to come mainly from the sun and the wind, the energy system has to change. Energy economist Ulf Peter Schill explains where we are now.
Germany aims to be climate neutral by 2045. Renewable electricity is intended, among other things, to replace electricity from coal, gas, etc. in all sectors of the energy system. Where today gas heaters flicker, heat pumps will soon hum softly. Where today diesel engines rattle, in the future electric motors will rumble. And where today central power stations produce electricity continuously, in the future there will be an array of more weather-dependent wind and solar power systems. The energy transition is complex and multi-layered. It will bring about technological and societal changes. Wolf-Peter Schil explains what this means in an interview. He heads the research area “Transforming the Energy Industry” at the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) in Berlin and works on various research projects on the energy transition. He is also co-host of the Fossil-Free Podcast.
