SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIVE MATERIALS AS A CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY DEPLOYMENT IN THE CURRENT ENERGY TRANSITION

Author: Dr. Amieyeofori Valentine Felix, Ph.D

ABSTRACT

The world is racing towards a climatic tipping point unless very urgent steps are taken to force the global agenda of limiting the atmospheric temperature to within 1.5o C above the preindustrial level. While certain opportunities are associated with renewable energy sources such as energy security, energy access, social and economic development, climate change mitigation, and reduction of environmental and health impacts, nonetheless, some challenges such as market failures, lack of information, access to raw materials for future renewable resource deployment, and our daily carbon footprint continue to plague the sustainability of renewable energy sources towards climate change mitigation. Also, the paper identified other distinct societal issues besides energy, such as health and housing that are materials-centric that will play a critical role to guarantee a sustainable future on Earth. Consequently, the survival and sustainability of this energy transition will depend heavily on innovative materials science and technologies that can engineer and produce sustainable materials that will overcome those challenges such as intermittency, lower conversion efficiencies, and higher production costs, and guarantee cleaner and more eco-friendly utilization of renewable energy sources, while also meeting other material based social needs. The paper thus recommended full collaboration amongst the public and private sectors within the academics, government, businesses, and entrepreneurial nonprofit organizations to accelerate clean production and sustainable materials usage. Such innovative collaborations will provide data-driven tools that will enhance the decision process in identifying and selecting inherently safer chemicals and sustainable materials for a healthy renewable energy economy. Also, there is an urgent need to retool and reskill the existing skillsets required by these new technologies and infrastructures. The world should also pay closer attention to the usual geopolitics that is associated with such massive global trade and commercialization, and finally, while renewables are clearer and more environment friendly, it is imperative that the total life cycle from cradle to consumption, and its impact in each stage on the environment and man be taken seriously, in order to avoid the build-up of any environmental hazardous chemicals in due course.

Keywords: Sustainable Energy, Innovative Materials, Energy Transition, Renewable Energy Sources, Carbon Neutrality, Net Zero Emissions, Life Cycle

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