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Renewable energies e.g. sunlight, wind, rain and waves are based on natural resources that are safe and there
is no CO2 emission. Global renewable energy consumption has risen for the last ten years (RNE21).
Technologies like solar panel, photovoltaic, wind power have been improved a lot. Several projects to build
these power stations in mass have been started in Europe and US. Some people suggest hat we should build
more power plants to increase the output. However, the main issue of developing these technologies is more
related to energy storage.

For example, we need wind that is able to turn the wind turbines 24 hours a day 7/7. There is no place on
earth where the sun shines all year for power production. Most of the rivers ow every year but water level
might change depending on the season. In fact, the meteorological conditions are the same across some
continents. For example, if wind is lacking in Germany, it is also lacking in Spain (same for sunshine), so that
the mutual exchange is very limited. Also, the capabilities to develop hydraulic power are very limited in
certain countries. We cannot guarantee the energy production with a stable supply from these natural
resources, especially during peak time of energy consumption. Without a storage system for storing electricity
generated by the power plants in full production, it is di cult to overcome the intermittence of power
production of renewable energies, and to advance these technologies.

As it stands now, multi-energy production remains the best option but we must generate and manage the
energy in more efficient way.

Bellefonte nuclear power plant in Alabama, USA (Image: Tennessee Valley Authority)

Smart energy and its futuremart energy and its future
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As mentioned, there is no large-scale storage system that is able to store a high quantity of energy, but we
may possibly convert an energy resource to another one, like convert the energy to hydraulics. For example,
in France, 80% of electricity comes from nuclear, others from fossil fuel (5%) or renewable energy (mostly
hydraulics and some wind power). As nuclear production rate is stable and that only twenty percent of
production comes from renewable power plant, the impact from the variability of public demand will not be
so signi cant because nuclear energy has the stability comparable to fossil fuel power. In the evening, the
need is largely reduced, and nuclear power plant has a capability to vary the energy production to 40% and
more, despite 30% di erence of energy consumption between high and low peak during the same day.