Goals

The purpose of our energy system is to provide energy services that improve our quality of life.

While there are natural physical laws that govern how energy sources (coal, wind) are turned into energy services (light, mobility), there are many human and social considerations in how our energy system functions.

Quadrilemma

Energy experts have identified four important considerations for what the energy system should deliver

• Energy security
• Energy access and affordability
• Environmental sustainability
• Social Justice

These are sometimes referred to as the energy quadrilemma (a dilemma of four choices instead of two).

Dilemma or Not?

The authors of this dilemma idea assume that these goals are in tension. For example, extracting more fossil fuels lowers their prices and increases access, but increases climate change.

Recent observers believe that new, especially renewable, forms of energy acheive these goals simultaneously. Solar electricity continues to drop in price, simultaneously increasing security and sustainability.

Acheiving these goals

Two important concepts for achieving these goals are

• Socio-technical Systems
• Techno-economic Analysis

We’ll discuss these in the following sections.