Ministry of Economic Affairs Baden-Württemberg |
::Introduction:: ::Companies:: |
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Prof. Dr. Ing. Hans Albrecht, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of ZSW, Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg
Energy is the very basis of life. Modern society could not exist if sufficient energy was not available in suitable form. A rapidly growing world population and the increasing prosperity of formerly poor regions are going to ensure that the global demand for energy and energy services continues to rise at a fast rate. Today the world's energy needs are met largely by fossil fuels. These stores of energy (coal, oil and gas) were built up millions of years ago during the Carbon Age of our planet's history by the photosynthesis-based conversion of solar energy. However, the world's fossil fuel supplies are finite and limited.
There are signs that the emissions (CO2) produced by burning fossil resources will cause unbearable environmental damage before these reserves are ultimately exhausted. Rational deployment of energy and enhanced technical processes of greater efficiency are needed therefore to curb consumption and reduce environmental impact. Thermal insulation, cogeneration of power and heat, modern gas and steam turbine power stations are just a few examples. As for nuclear energy, even if we can assume that its use by the highly industrialized nations is both controllable and justifiable, its future still remains uncertain in the face of increasing problems of acceptance. All the same, Germany's great expertise in nuclear research and technology should be consolidated and further developed in order to achieve even greater safety in the operation of nuclear power stations and the disposal of nuclear waste. The fact remains, however, that nuclear energy alone is unable to solve the world's problems.
Energy sources which can be used indefinitely are renewable energies. These technologies becoming more and more important. Examples include the use of ambient heat, wind power and hydropower, and the production of heat and electricity from biomass or solar radiation. The large-scale use of solar thermal power stations in sunny countries and the production of fuel from biomass could well become important in the long term as well. Today it is already possible, far more than generally assumed, to make economical use of the immense potential that exists for the rational deployment of energy and the tapping of renewable energy sources. Substituting energy with know-how requires not only some exceptional technology, however, but also a great deal of intelligence, creativity and experience in the development of complete customer-specific solutions. And this is precisely the strong point of the many innovative companies in Baden-Württemberg presented in this Environmental Technology Guide along with their product and service offerings.
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