Technology takes a back seat

Clean, green technology is no longer the only focus of plans to reach Europe’s energy targets

When officials at the European Commission first sat down to think about the innovations needed to achieve Europe’s energy and climate policy goals, the issue was mainly framed in terms of cleaner generating technologies. That thinking is changing. An integrated strategy for energy technologies is being drawn up that focuses less on energy sources and more on systems.

The Commission’s initial approach can be seen in the 2008 Strategic Energy Technology (SET) plan. This focuses on generating power – wind, solar, nuclear, bioenergy, fuel cells and hydrogen – plus the supporting sectors of energy efficiency, electricity networks, and carbon capture and storage. In each case, the goal was to improve performance and cost competitiveness.

Companies in each sector were asked to draw up ‘roadmaps’ of research and innovation priorities, which in turn informed funding decisions and prompted collaborative research and development (R&D) projects. Public research establishments also increased co-ordination in each area.

The Commission claims some success for the SET plan, saying that energy R&D investment across the EU increased from €3.2 billion to €5.4bn per year as a result. But the focus on generation technologies attracted criticism in subsequent evaluations and consultations, and last year the result was a change of direction.

“The development of energy technologies should be seen from the perspective of delivering cost-effective energy services to final customers: light, heat, cooling, clean transport etc,” the Commission said in its energy technology communication of May 2013. “Individual technological developments should be assessed for their integration and impact on the whole energy system (production, transmission, distribution and use of energy).”

While the SET plan remains valid and the initiatives it has inspired will continue, there will now be an integrated roadmap dealing with the needs of the entire energy system. It was initially scheduled for the end of 2013, but consultations over its content are still going on. Commission officials expect it to be finalised this summer and adopted by the autumn.

In parallel, national governments and the Commission are working on a plan for co-ordinated and joint investments that will be one means of implementing the roadmap. These will include traditional R&D grant programmes, along with financial instruments and procurement initiatives. This is expected to be ready at the end of 2014 or the beginning of 2015.

The integrated roadmap will take into account previous sectoral plans, so improving the performance and the cost competitiveness of individual energy technologies will still be part of the approach. But much more attention will be given to how they can be integrated efficiently and cost-effectively into the energy system.

According to Commission officials, priorities that have emerged from discussions include the need for further work on the active participation of consumers and ‘prosumers’ in the energy system (prosumers are consumers who also produce energy). Work is also required on the equilibrium of the energy system through balancing and adequacy of supply, on system stability, security and safety, and the optimisation of the system.

It is also clear that energy efficiency will get a higher profile. This will be addressed at the level of buildings, heating and cooling in combination with renewables, industry and small and medium-sized enterprises, products and systems, as well as the innovative financing models necessary to enable sustainable energy investments. This integration of technological, social and business innovation is also a change compared to previous energy technology planning.

Industry is cautiously supportive of the new approach, with most sectors able to see good reasons for working on the energy system as a whole. Previously-favoured sectors are naturally nervous of losing support, but others see the integrated roadmap as a new opportunity.

Ian Mundell is a freelance journalist based in Brussels.