Electrification has become key for the global move toward cleaner energy, even as government policies continue to impact the use of renewable resources and in some cases embrace continued and even increased support for fossil fuels.
Governments and industries wanting to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases look to electrification not only as an environmental tool, but also as a way to make their operations more energy efficient. Energy industry analysts have acknowledged that technologies such as heat pumps, and of course electric vehicles, use less energy than similar technologies relying on fuels such as gas and coal.
Electrification proponents also argue that decentralized energy, such as rooftop solar arrays and energy storage technology, supports energy security by reducing reliance on the volatile markets for fossil fuels. The shift toward more distributed energy resources also supports reliability and resiliency, lessening the reliance on the centralized power grid.
Mourad Chergui is a senior product manager at Delta-Q Technologies, a ZAPI GROUP company. Chergui joined Delta-Q in 2016 and has more than 25 years of experience in product management across engineering, marketing and business administration in various industries. Throughout his time with Delta-Q, Chergui has led new product strategies across power conversion, battery charging, vehicle electrification, and regulatory standards.
Delta-Q, based in Burnaby, British Columbia, in Canada, provides services for several industries, and is considered a key driver of electrification with its products for transportation, power electronics, and more. Chergui recently provided POWER with insight into the company’s work and how it impacts the transition to electrification.
POWER: How important is electrification to reaching decarbonization goals, whether for a municipality, commercial and industrial enterprise, utility, or other enterprise?
Chergui: Electrification is a leading strategy for decarbonization and achieving net-zero emissions, especially in municipal, commercial, and industrial contexts. However, it should not be seen as the only strategy, and in some cases, it may not be the right solution. It is important to consider the source of electric energy and upstream emissions, which are often carbon-intensive in the manufacturing, production, and transportation of electric equipment and batteries. For example, only about 40% of the total grid electricity generated in North America is considered clean energy from hydro, wind, solar, or nuclear sources. Alternative technologies include hybridizing equipment, the use of biofuels, biogas, or hydrogen in combustion systems, and geothermal energy.
Electrification unlocks the potential for:
- Massive energy efficiencies.
- Energy regeneration, which is the recuperation of energy in motive applications during deceleration or braking.
- Energy waste elimination during system and vehicle idling.
- Simplification and cost reductions associated with maintenance and repairs.
Properly assessing and executing electrification is critical for achieving climate decarbonization targets, strengthening local economies, and improving the quality of life.
POWER: How should entities look to accomplish their electrification goals? What technologies (for heating, cooling, etc.) should be embraced?
Chergui: Entities should survey the sources of emissions in their operations and surroundings, rank them by contribution, and prioritize reductions, starting with the highest emitter and progressing to the next.
In most municipal settings, the biggest sources of emissions are buildings, people and goods transportation, and municipal operations and waste management.
Heating, cooling, and cooking are often the largest sources of carbon emissions in buildings. This may be addressed by legislating building code changes that incentivize new construction. These amendments can help transition existing buildings away from natural gas or diesel combustion to heat pumps and electrical appliances.
For people and goods transportation, some proven ways to reduce emissions include incentives to buy new electric vehicles (EVs), deploying public charging station networks, and electrifying public transportation.
Municipalities can also decarbonize their municipal operations and waste management by replacing diesel-powered equipment and fleets with biofuel/biodiesel or electric alternatives, including garbage trucks and ground and maintenance vehicles such as lawn mowers, tractors, and utility vehicles.
POWER: What should drive electrification? Should it be government policies, economic benefits, environmental benefits, or something else?
Chergui: To drive electrification, governments should intervene by funding research and innovation, offering subsidies, enacting legislation, or providing other incentives to move electric vehicles and systems from early adoption to mass production. This is because their initial capital costs are typically much higher than alternatives, preventing widespread adoption.
Government support is often needed until electric systems become mature and widely produced. Although the total cost of ownership of electric systems (including acquisition, operation, service, and maintenance over the long term) is lower than that of alternative technologies, this alone is not enough to convince users to switch.
POWER: In the current political climate, at least in the U.S., should we rely on government policies to push electrification—or should adoption be driven by market forces?
Chergui: Many equipment manufacturers continue to develop and commercialize electric variants of systems and vehicles without government policies. Instead, these manufacturers are promoting the benefits of electrification. These benefits include reducing the total cost of ownership, improving performance, enabling operations that are not possible with fossil-fuel systems, and unlocking machine and system automation and autonomy.
Apart from the operational benefits, electrification improves workplace conditions for operators and users by reducing vibrations, eliminating fumes, and reducing noise pollution, especially in urban environments. Because electric machines are quiet, many businesses, such as construction sites, can operate 24 hours a day in areas where noise bylaws previously limited work to daytime.
POWER: How can electrification technologies help utilities manage electricity, and support grid flexibility?
Chergui: As demand for electrical power increases, electrification technologies are ushering in a new era of smart grids that help utility companies better manage electricity supply. Idle battery equipment can store energy and release it when demand rises, enabling better energy management without building additional electricity generation. Electrification also allows the use of locally produced renewable energy from solar, wind, or biofuels to relieve strain on the electrical grid, especially during peak demand.
—Darrell Proctor is a senior editor for POWER.