6 things we talk about—and one we don’t—when we talk about the energy transition
If you think the energy transition is simply about shifting to renewable sources of energy, we encourage you to think again
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Say “energy transition” and most people think about moving from conventional sources of energy towards renewables like wind and solar. You may even think about alternative fuel sources, such as biofuels or hydrogen, or even about using hydrocarbons in new ways, like creating batteries for energy storage out of bitumen.
Although the evolution of energy sources is fundamental to the energy transition, there’s more to it than that. Much more.
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We talk about a distributed power grid
For decades, centralised power plants delivered electricity across transmission and distribution networks—i.e. the grid. But now, a growing number of local energy networks are integrating renewable energy, digital infrastructure, energy storage, and more.
The potential resilience and sustainability benefits are many. Competition drives prices down. Communities can control their energy supplies. Carbon emissions drop, as does the risk of blackouts. And because surplus energy can be fed back into the grid, a business or homeowner with rooftop solar panels can become a power supplier, not just a consumer.
For decades, centralised power plants delivered electricity across transmission and distribution networks—i.e. the grid.
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We talk about technology
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Virtual power plants and digital infrastructure are offsetting carbon emissions, increasing energy efficiency, and changing how infrastructure is designed, built, and used. And one day, artificial intelligence (AI) might monitor millions of variables and data points—from microclimates and power plants to rooftop solar panels and basement dryers.
The truly smart grid will proactively determine where you’ll get your power and how much you’ll pay—or be paid—for it. Enter blockchain, which could be used to manage and verify all the complex transactions between power generators and consumers, protecting data security and privacy.
Why are smart buildings core to business continuity?
We talk about policy and regulations
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In the age of conscientious consumption, citizens and consumers are pressuring governments and corporations to be good environmental stewards. Around the world, climate action mandates and plans outline how all levels of government will address climate change. For our part, Stantec has pledged to be carbon neutral by 2022, then net zero by 2030.
In the business world, environmental, social, and governance criteria (ESG) are a set of standards for a company’s operations that can drive renewable energy growth. Suncorp New Zealand, for example, has committed to RE100, a global initiative by The Climate Group in partnership with CDP to transition to 100% renewable energy. This goal contributes to their overarching greenhouse gas emission targets of 51% absolute reduction by 2023 and net zero by 2050.
We’re helping organisations determine and map their greenhouse gas emissions.
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We talk about electrification
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The rise of electric vehicles means charging stations are common sights in our communities. Electric vehicles are an integral component of the smart mobility ecosystem that is poised to have an increasingly positive effect on climate change.
The electrification of transport will bring fundamental changes to our society, including how we design our roads, power grids, commercial buildings, and even our parking lots.
In Ontario, the Wolfe and Amherst Island ferries, which move a combined 1.2 million people each year, are switching from gas to electricity. Between crossings, the ferries’ onboard batteries are quickly recharged by shoreside batteries, which are in turn trickle-charged by the grid.
Read about Wellington Airport’s parking technology.
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Ensuring critical facilities electricity coverage in a power outage
We talk about the supply chain
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Lithium, cobalt, nickel, rare earth elements, and more go into renewable energy solutions like battery storage, solar panels, and wind turbines. Even as the world moves toward a circular economy, some of these materials still need to be mined.
The mining industry is working to reduce its environmental, carbon, and water footprints through sustainable mining practices that prioritise transparency, stakeholders, and surrounding communities. With a focus on ethical and sustainable supply chains, clean energy can be truly clean.
By focusing on ESG requirements, mine operators can be better prepared to meet evolving environmental standards.
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We talk about resilience
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Storms and fires, heatwaves and floods. Human error and human malice. Equipment failures. Pandemics. Whatever the cause, when infrastructure suffers, we all suffer. Energy security underpins our ability to—as resilience is often defined—anticipate, absorb, adapt to, and recover from disruptive events.
For example, the Royal New Zealand Airforce base in Ōhakea has replaced inefficient backup power that left electricity coverage gaps across the base and installed an updated and reliable backup electrical supply. This ensures synchronised power generation and enables all critical facilties to be supplied with electricity in an outage event.
We use developing methods to improve our neighbourhoods and to decide, measure, and trace improvements to resiliency. As you adjust to a dynamic world, we can assist you in planning for and envisioning tomorrow—to react to and overcome risks.
Resilience is about creating stronger communities now and tomorrow.
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We DON’T talk about silos
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You can’t plan new infrastructure without talking about all these aspects of the energy transition. Planning a microgrid? Resilience is central. Expanding a transit system? Electrification is an option. Designing a building? Your technology choices are always expanding.
And the energy transition isn’t just about how we power individual types of infrastructure. Buildings, water, transportation, mining, communities, the environment—they’re all connected through the energy transition. In a future infographic, we’ll explore how.
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The energy transition is a common theme in Stantec’s Energy & Resources Advisor.
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The energy transition is a common theme in Stantec’s Energy & Resources Advisor.
The energy transition is a common theme in Stantec’s Energy & Resources Advisor.
