SWEX_Swep Exchange 2022

and the planet

hand, they represented the potential of a cleaner world – they showed that ecological sustainability was possible. On the other hand, this sustainability depended on billions of people being, in effect, locked up. Hardly a practical solution. The photographs from Venice were, then, neither a cause for joy or despair. And, although they didn’t reveal a straightforward solution, they did show us the link between the pandemic and the environment. Around three quarters of man-made greenhouse gas emissions come from energy use, so the interplay between energy and COVID-19 is especially relevant, and this has become a focal point for researchers in the years since. With close observation and research, the pandemic may be able to tell us something about how the transition to a sustainable energy system might work. The energy transition during the pandemic As a major contributor to global emissions, the need for profound changes to our energy system is clear. These changes, collectively known as the energy transition, can

be grouped in two broad categories: energy conservation and renewable energy. The pandemic affected both of these categories. Energy conservation was a side-effect of many of the COVID-19 measures in 2020. Energy consumption fell, largely because of reduced transportation, aviation, and industrial activity. Falling demand led to oil production

hitting its lowest point since 2012, provoking the lowest oil prices in 20 3 years . Estimates vary slightly, but global energy consumption in 2020 has been estimated as 5 to 7.5% less 4 than in 2019 . Despite the overall energy demand falling, the global use of renewable energy actually increased slightly. During lockdowns, electricity from solar photovoltaic and wind energy became cheaper and easier to supply, relative to fossil fuels. As energy demand and prices fell, suppliers used renewables to meet the lower demand, largely because of

their smaller marginal costs. Renewable electricity plants are also often granted priority grid access, further protecting their output. However, although 2020 was a strong year for renewable energy generation and use, its future deployment was negatively impacted. The economic shutdown and the lack of international trade slowed down the manufacturing and construction of renewable energy facilities – for example, plans for new sites were delayed and solar panel factories were closed.

This was reflected in the boom in energy demand in 2021, driven by

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