SPECIAL TOPIC : Ask the Expert
How and Why Hydrogen and Renewables
Q & A with Peter Kelly-Detwiler ,
Although many individuals and organizations talk about the energy transition and sustainability in general terms , most are unclear on how or when changes to support this transition will be implemented . Several forms of renewable energy sources , such as wind and solar , have been used for decades in various sectors globally . Other forms , such as hydrogen , while up and coming are not as widely understood .
Valve World Americas had the pleasure of speaking with Peter Kelly-Detwiler , Principal of NorthBridge Energy Partners , to learn about the importance of renewable energies , how hydrogen is becoming more and more prevalent , and the several ways it may be used .
By Angelica Pajkovic and Sara Mathov
Q : A :
Why is it important to pay attention to the energy industry ?
We are now , as a society , running into limits . There is a renewed focus on how much carbon dioxide , methane , and fluorocarbons the atmosphere can absorb , without temperatures getting so warm that it starts to create damage to our plant , and our economies where we may incur trillions of dollars in damage .
As a consequence , we have to think about how to reorient our entire global energy economy , which is the largest thing humanity has ever collectively tried to accomplish , dwarfing the Industrial Revolution . Some estimates suggest that the cost of the energy transition could exceed USD $ 100 trillion , maybe even USD $ 200 trillion .
Q : Why should people , and companies , care about renewable energy ?
A : Last year , Bloomberg , New Energy Finance , announced that $ 1.1 billion USD funds were invested in clean energy technology , which is equal to the amount that was invested last year in hydrocarbons . This is the first time that clean technology investments have been equal to investments in the hydrocarbon economy . Bloomberg also said the investments in this decade must triple that number to maintain the 1.5 ° C target we have set to limit the increasing global temperatures . To keep our planet semi-habitable , for ourselves , our kids , our grandchildren , and generations to come , this is what it will take .
The question , therefore , becomes , how do we , as a globally collective society , reorganize our economies and create the right economic signals , regulatory policies , investments , and behavior , driven down to the individual level , to shift the arc so that we are on to something that is more sustainable ?
My role is to absorb and read the available information and make sense of it . As Wayne Gretzky famously said , ‘ you have to skate to where the puck is going to be ’. I think about how these trends and technologies are conspiring to create a future change , and then help clients figure out how to get there , or anticipate where that future is going to be . This is to ensure companies are making the right investments , the right hires , and the right strategic shifts , to ensure they are advantaged by these changes rather than disadvantaged .
I recall interviewing a CEO of a company , who informed me that he believes this will be the largest opportunity to either make fortunes or incinerate capital , that humanity has ever seen ; there is nothing less than the future at stake .
Q : Why is there a need for hydrogen within the energy transition ?
A : There are three main areas where emissions can be grouped . First is the power grid , and collectively , we are doing a pretty good job decarbonizing that sector relatively quickly . Many places are using wind and renewables . In Texas , their about 90,000-megawatt capacity grid is utilizing over 30,000 megawatts of wind , and will soon have up to 20,000 megawatts of solar . Cleaning the power grid is becoming increasingly viable , but we will need a great deal of energy storage to help mitigate the variability of renewables . There is still heavy lifting needed to get to 100 %, but we can see a way there . The customer side of the grid will flex as well , with efficiency , batteries , and end uses that change in response to prices and grid signals .
Then , there is the category of transportation , which accounts for about a third of global emissions . Here , we take the electrons from the power grid and start to electrify transportation , like we are seeing with electric vehicles . A large amount of the emissions related to transportation can be solved by applying electricity , by expanding the grid ; between electric vehicles and
8 Valve World Americas | March 2023 • www . valve-world-americas . net