May-June , 2021 | @ green
OPINION
21 surprise . Some were even shocked to find out fossil fuels could kill .
Fig 6 : Air pollution from fossil fuels causes 20 per cent of deaths globally
Fig 7 : Land area required for Malaysia ’ s 100 per cent renewable energy transition . The street survey answers ( yellow ) are much higher than the actual land area needed ( green ).
Fig 8 : Malaysia ’ s transition to 100 per cent renewable energy possible by 2050 ( Source : The Solutions Project )
Fig 9 : Remarkable 20-fold price drop in solar photovoltaics and 45-fold price drop in battery energy storage between 2010 and 2030 ( Source : RethinkX )
Q4 : How many per cent of the land would Malaysia need to switch to 100 per cent renewable energy ? Thirty-five per cent was the average answer from the street survey respondents , which reveals a great misconception . The actual figure is 50-fold smaller , namely just 0.74 per cent .
The 0.74 per cent land area figure comes from The Solutions Project ( 2021 ), which charts out the cheapest way for Malaysia to transition to 100 per cent renewable energy . The study proposes a seven per cent energy demand reduction from energy efficiency .
Most renewable energy would come from solar power ( 68 per cent ), primarily big solar farms and solar rooftop installations . Perhaps surprisingly , 25 per cent of the renewable energy would come from wind turbines in the windy coastal regions .
Wind velocity increases with height above the ground , which is exploited by the new tall wind turbines that almost reach the height of the Eiffel Tower !
In addition to saving 9,353 lives per year from reduced air pollution , a transition to 100 per cent renewable energy would also add 440,000 jobs to the Malaysian economy . Moreover , the resulting electricity price will be 37 per cent cheaper ( 6.61 US cent / kWh ) than getting the energy from fossil fuels ( 10.44 US cent / kWh ).
People correctly guessed that renewable energy would be cheaper . Still , the average answer was at a more conservative figure of 14 per cent . According to The Solutions Project , the transition to 100 per cent renewable energy in Malaysia pays for itself in as little as 1.8 years from air pollution and climate cost savings alone .
The end of oil and gas bonanza ? The last 10 years have seen a significant price drop in renewable energy technologies and energy storage technologies . This trend is projected to continue until 2030 . Today , a fully renewable energy system with energy storage is the cheapest energy system in most countries .
The latter years have also seen a growing public understanding and concern for climate change , which poses an existential threat to humanity . Most of the world ’ s population agree that we face a climate emergency and demand urgent action .
In this light , it seems absurd that in today ’ s world , according to the IMF , 85 per cent of all global subsidies are given to fossil fuels . Obviously , these subsidies have to stop . The sooner , the better .
Like the respondents in our street survey , it is time to snap out of old misconceptions about the importance of fossil fuels and instead act on the facts at hand . After tabulating the actual costs of fossil fuels and the climate risks , it is clear they must be left in the ground . While rapidly transitioning to cleaner , healthier and cheaper energy options .
Or , as the former Saudi Minister of Oil , Ahmed Zaki Yamani , articulated : “ The Stone Age didn ’ t end for lack of stones , and the oil age will end long before the world runs out of oil .” — @ green
Yamona Segar is from IEN Consultants Sdn Bhd - a pioneering green building consultancy in Malaysia with a specialisation in energy-efficient and healthy buildings .
People correctly guessed that renewable energy would be cheaper . Still , the average answer was at a more conservative figure of 14 per cent . According to The Solutions Project , the transition to 100 per cent renewable energy in Malaysia pays for itself in as little as 1.8 years from air pollution and climate cost savings alone .”