Explorer and environmentalist Bertrand Piccard has referred to as for a renewed concentrate on reducing power waste, saying it is “hopeless” to shift to renewables with out enhancing effectivity.

Round three-quarters of the world’s power is wasted, Piccard informed an “IOT: Powering the Digital Economic system” panel moderated by CNBC’s Silvia Amaro. This estimate relies on waste “as a consequence of inappropriate behaviour and inefficient methods or infrastructures,” he informed CNBC individually through e mail.

Piccard, who’s founder and chairman of the environmental non-profit group Photo voltaic Impulse Basis, stated that “we stay in a world of waste.”

“So if we attempt to exchange fossil [fuel] power with renewables with out being environment friendly, with out lowering the consumption, it is hopeless,” he stated.

One other problem Piccard highlighted was that some nations solely contemplate wind and photo voltaic as different renewable power sources.

Biogas, produced by the breakdown of natural matter equivalent to meals, has been “excluded … from the taxonomy” in Europe, he stated, and folks additionally overlook about geothermal power, which makes use of warmth from the earth.

A report revealed in October by the European Fee confirmed that whereas bioenergy continued to be the principle supply of renewable power within the EU in 2021 — at round 60% — biogas made up simply 10% of this share. Geothermal power accounted for simply 2.7% of renewable power consumption, whereas wind energy was 13.2% and photo voltaic power was 7.2%. 

“So we concentrate on producing extra, as a substitute of consuming much less, and within the manufacturing that we need to do, we overlook lots of several types of renewable energies that we do not consider,” he stated.

On account of these points, Piccard stated there is a danger that inexperienced power targets might be missed — in addition to the chance to provide cheaper power domestically.

“So each nation needs … power independence, extra competitiveness, they usually overlook that the one technique to attain it’s by power effectivity, and renewables,” he stated.

Piccard additionally mentioned the continued issues concerning the potential oversupply of photo voltaic panels from China to the European market.

“It’s kind of of a paradox as a result of the Chinese language have killed the European photo voltaic business, however they’ve saved the world by displaying that photo voltaic power may be so [much] cheaper than the rest,” he stated.

There have been rising issues in Europe and the U.S. {that a} surplus of sponsored clear power merchandise, together with photo voltaic panels, from China is making it harder for his or her home industries to compete.

Earlier this month, the European Fee launched two investigations into Chinese language photo voltaic panel producers that it stated may have benefitted from “probably market distortive” subsidies.

In the meantime, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen stated final week that she would not rule out doable tariffs on China’s inexperienced power exports.

Piccard stated it was additionally necessary to think about the potential benefits of Chinese language photo voltaic panels in Europe, nevertheless. For instance, he stated that these panels might be used to generate cheaper electrical energy within the area, which may then be used to provide hydrogen domestically.

“I believe, as a substitute of combating in opposition to the impediment, I believe it is advisable use the state of affairs to see how there can be outcomes on the facet of the issue that may that may be useful for us,” he stated.

Piccard added that when he initiated the Photo voltaic Impulse mission over 20 years in the past, photo voltaic power was 40 instances costlier than it’s right now. Photo voltaic Impulse 2 turned the primary solar-powered electrical airplane to circumnavigate the globe in 2016.

“So I am sorry, possibly it is not politically appropriate however I am thanking China for the lower [in] worth of photo voltaic power that has given a beautiful push to renewable energies — we’d not be at this level with out China,” he stated.