Electrifying our energy systems will be an essential factor in ensuring we are able to successfully meet the challenges of protecting the climate and reducing air pollution. In 2021, not a single country in the world met the air quality standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO). In fact, a survey conducted by IQAir, a Swiss company that specializes in air monitoring technologies, revealed that just 3.4% of the planet’s cities managed to stay within the value of 5 micrograms per cubic meter of PM2.5, also known as fine particulate matter. In 2020, the European Environmental Agency estimated that fine particulate matter is responsible for around 417,000 premature deaths each year in the EU alone. Fine particulate matter is created by extensive use of fossil fuels, particularly car exhaust and boiler emissions. A solution does exist: we need to electrify our energy consumption. The sustained and sustainable growth of electrification According to an analysis published in June 2021 by IRENA, the International Renewable Energy Agency, electrification of end-uses alone – i.e., private and public transport, all activities in the home, industry and agriculture – will account for 20% of greenhouse gas reduction measures by 2050. If we want to keep the average global temperature increase to less than 1.5°C by that year, electricity will have to be the main energy vector, jumping from 21% of total final energy consumption in 2018 to over 50% by 2050. The European Union is aiming to achieve 60% by the middle of the century, which is a very ambitious goal given that fossil fuels are still the main source of energy. Imagining a clean, sustainable future means designing a world powered by electricity and using renewable sources – the sun, water, wind and the earth’s own heat – as our primary sources. From mobility to domestic energy systems and smart cities One of the main causes of air and noise pollution in cities is the exhaust of vehicles powered by internal combustion engines. One study carried out in Italy by the National Research Council (CNR) and Motus-E, an association for the promotion of electric mobility, reveals that switching the current cars on the road to e-vehicles would contribute significantly in practically all scenarios to reducing local pollutant concentrations. This is particularly true of NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) and will thus also reduce the number of premature deaths. Like four-wheeled transportation, two-wheeled vehicles are also moving quickly towards electrification, led by e-bikes and electric scooters. A major turning point may come from public transport: around the world, more and more local administrations are deciding to make the transition to electric bus fleets as part of a sustainable, integrated transport system monitored in real time and managed flexibly and remotely. These electric transport systems will be the backbone of the smart cities of the future. Another contributor to air pollution is our homes and buildings, particularly heating systems. According to an EU survey that accompanies the “2030 Climate Target Plan”, the use of heat pumps and extensive renovations that fully integrate smart technologies will mean that electricity will grow from 42% of final energy demand in 2030 to 72% in 2050. A money-saving solution, too One significant benefit of electrification is economic: electricity systems have very high efficiency standards and significantly reduce waste. For example, an electric heat pump uses around three times less energy than a gas boiler to produce the same result. Induction cooktops are twice as efficient as traditional gas stoves, in addition to cooking food more evenly, making it easier to adjust temperatures more precisely, and being safer. E-vehicles are three to five times more efficient than their internal combustion counterparts, too. In short, this means savings for suppliers, savings for businesses and also savings on energy bills for consumers.
