The role of innovation - Solar, Wind and Land: Conflicts in Renewable Energy Development - page 196

9 The role of innovation

In spite of the long list of obstacles to renewable energy development
described in this topic, the industry's future is exceptionally promising.
One reason to be optimistic about the long-term trajectory of the
renewable energy sector is the likelihood that innovation will ultimately
mitigate many of its present challenges. Technological innovations are
making an ever larger proportion of the planet's wind and solar energy
resources available for development and are enabling more efficient
storage of the energy in those resources over time. Policy innovation
is likewise addressing several common obstacles to renewable energy
development and thereby facilitating its continued proliferation across
the globe. In light of the invaluable role of innovation in the global
energy transition, this final chapter offers an optimistic glimpse into the
future by highlighting some specific ways that innovation could enable
the renewable energy industry to grow and thrive for the balance of the
twenty-first century.

Technological innovation
Technological advancements are the most familiar and well-publicized
forms of energy-related innovation. Even relatively minor improvements
in renewable energy system engineering and design can mitigate some
of the tensions associated with renewable energy development. 1 Major
advancements in renewable energy technology obviously have the potential
to do much more, dramatically changing the siting and basic features of
renewable energy projects in ways that eliminate many of the challenges
outlined in this topic. Of course, new technologies can also introduce new
conflicts that necessitate their own unique policy solutions. The following
are descriptions of three potentially game-changing renewable energy
technologies that appear poised to play greater roles in the global energy
economy over the next century—deep offshore wind energy, airborne wind
energy, and energy storage systems—and discussions of the benefits and
potential controversies that each could bring as it expands in the coming
years.