Solar thermal technologies are very flexible and can adapt to a wide range of situations and can be used on small and large scale. It is mainly used for: 1) domestic hot water and space heating, 2) district heating, 3) industrial process heat, and 4) air conditioning and cooling.
Wind energy is the most efficient solution to reduce emissions in the power sector. Onshore wind is now the cheapest form of new power generation on average across Europe. Its costs fell 60% in the last 10 years. And offshore wind costs fell 50% in just the last two years. Wind power emits no greenhouse gases or air pollutants during its operation and uses minimal water.
Cogeneration plants can operate with increasing flexibility. Running at times of low wind and sun, thus displacing higher carbon coal and gas generation, but it can then slow and stop generation at times of abundant low carbon power. Flexible cogeneration is a key method for increasing the level of renewable generation on the power networks by managing renewable generation intermittency.
The technology to make motor systems more energy efficient is available on the market and its adoption is mostly beneficial from a life-cycle costing perspective.
Electromagnetic processing can potentially halve the final energy demand for EU process heat which is 20% of final energy demand in the EU.
