When can we go back to the good old days of leaving devices switched on 24/7, with no thought for the carbon footprint?
The answer: when renewable, carbon-free energy predominates on the electrical grid – and that may be sooner than you think.
According to Lloyd’s Register 2018 Technology Radar, China will get there as soon as 2022, followed two years later by Spain. The same year, the UK and Germany will have wind power that’s cheaper than coal, diesel, gas or nuclear power. By 2025, US wind will be similarly inexpensive.
So how do we get there? According to the report, advances in technology and its falling price will be more important than policy changes in the greening of global energy.
