The energy needs of the people have been fulfilled by fossil-based fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas for centuries. The machines that developed with the industrial revolution have also increased the utilization rates of these resources significantly. Production has reached extraordinary levels in an ever-changing conjuncture. Along with the industrialization and growth in population, the increase in demand for fossil fuels has brought serious issues such as global warming, climate change, air pollution, and health problems.
It is estimated that the use of fossil-based fuels, which has reached to a level that no measures can be taken any longer, will give great damage to our environment in the coming years. Depending on their available natural resources, countries have begun to accelerate their efforts to efficiently use new energy resources and develop new energy technologies. Today, countries now have the technical knowledge and technology to create new clean energy sources. Renewable energy sources such as wind, solar and geothermal are among the best alternatives that can replace fossil-based fuels like oil and natural gas, and become the energy sources of the future. In particular, considering the possibility that the human population will reach up to 9 billion in 2050, the need for alternative energies should be recognized more.
Electricity demand will double by 2060
According to the “2016 Global Energy Scenarios” report prepared by the World Energy Council, Accenture Strategy and the Paul Scherrer Institute, the electricity demand will increase twice as much as today by 2060. Solar and wind energy, which are used in 4% in electricity generation, are the fields where the highest growth will be recorded by 2060. The share of solar and wind energy in electricity generation is projected to grow between 20 to 39% by 2060. It’s a well-known fact for a long time that energy can be supplied from wind. Due to its environmental consciousness, many countries have already started to use wind energy. In this concept, the electricity is generated by installing wind turbines in suitable regions. This renewable energy source, on which the investments are constantly increasing, is mainly used by the US and European countries. The report also includes three scenarios for the future of energy. The scenarios called ”Unfinished Symphony“, ”Modern Jazz“ and ”Hard Rock” deal with the changes that may occur in energy field. In the ”Modern Jazz” scenario, energy policies are completely guided by free market mechanisms. While access to energy is increasing, costs are decreasing. Therefore, technological innovations are given priority. In the second scenario, the “Unfinished Symphony”, energy policies are directed by the states. The main concern is to have a sustainable energy sector that prevents global climate change. In this scenario, international cooperation is given importance in order for the energy policies to be sustainable. Long-term international policies in the field of energy are being developed and implemented in a coordinated manner. The final scenario “Hard Rock”, on the other hand, suggests that the energy policies should be guided partly by the states and partly by the market mechanisms. Short-term policies that are considered the most appropriate for local energy needs are being implemented, and the international cooperation is not being encouraged. Energy 4.0, which refers to digitalization in the energy sector, creates a revolution by Industry 4.0 in energy generation. The main reasons for the need for Energy 4.0 are the outages related to renewable sources, the beginning of discontinuation of nuclear energy and some other resources such as lignite, hard coal, oil and gas, and the emergence of new transmission and distribution networks. The most important component for Energy 4.0 is cyber–physical systems. Cyber physical systems refers to the systems consisting of physical components controlled and monitored by computer-based algorithms. The energy industry is becoming a large and complex cyber-physical system along with the industrial revolution. These developments in the energy sector have a positive impact on Industry 4.0 as well.
