How to Ensure the Energy Transition? - Energy and Climate: How to Achieve a Successful Energy Transition - page 127

The development of clean and performing technologies for the produc-
tion anduse of energywill be favouredby the convergence of technological
progress in the following areas:
. Advanced materials and nanotechnologies New materials will be
used for reducing friction losses, reaching higher temperatures and
efficiencies, improving energy storage or developing new photovol-
taic systems.
New catalysts and separation membranes will be used for devel-
oping industrial processes that are more energy-efficient and more
environmentally friendly.
. Information technologies and sensors New developments in the area
of information technologies and sensors will help to optimise on-line
propulsion and energy conversion systems.
Such technologies are already widely used by the car manufactur-
ing industry: on board electronics control the engine running and
can minimise the fuel consumption. On-line optimisation systems
can also be used to minimise energy consumption in industry and
housing.
. Biotechnologies Progress in biochemistry will help to produce bio-
fuels and more generally energy from biomass. This will lead also to
the development of 'green' chemistry, to ensure better management
of drinking and irrigation water and to recycle waste.
Such transition technologies represent amajor economic stake. These new
developments appear more and more as future sources for profit. Clean
technologies generate a new wave of 'cleantech' investments throughout
the world and are considered to be a major new opportunity [94, 98].
Currently in the USA, and more especially in California, there is such a
rapid and sudden surge in risk-capital that it creates the risk of a financial
'bubble' similar to that created by the internet [99].
Even if some excessive speculative move has to be observed with care,
this situation looks promising as it demonstrates the interest of investors
and should help to develop innovative technologies.
Working out the energy transition requires a pragmatic step-by-step
approach. Each step has to be planned in order to move towards the
desired objectives and to prepare the following steps.
It is difficult to forecast now the technological progress which might
occur by 2050 and beyond.
The uncertainties arise fromthe difficulty of predicting both the rapidity
of the incremental progress which is expected and the occurrence of