"Based on our findings, in fact there are no constraints in terms of economy and technology," said Jacobson, who is a professor of civil engineering at the institution. "The question is in terms of social and political aspects." He and Mark Delucchi at the University of California-Davis has written a two-part paper published in Energy Policy, in which they assess the price, technology, and materials needed to change the world by design they make.
The world they dream will depend heavily on electricity. The design they need wind energy, water and sunlight as an energy source, with wind and solar energy contribute about 90% of the total energy the world needs. Geothermal and hydroelectric energy (electrical energy derived from the potential energy of water) each contribute 4% of the total energy required, and 2% the rest will come from wave energy and tidal waves.
Vehicles, boats and trains will be powered by electricity and hydrogen fuel cells. Aircraft can use liquid hydrogen fuel. The houses can use the cooling or heating electric-powered, no longer the natural gas or coal. Commercial process and the industry was able to use hydrogen or electricity. Hydrogen can be produced from water electrolysis. Therefore, wind energy, water and solar energy will dominate the world.
One of the advantages to be gained from the design freehand Jacobson and Delucchi is the reduction of world energy needs by 30% compared to burning fossil fuels. Electric and hydrogen fuel cell use is much more effective and efficient than burning fossil fuels.
The most obvious obstacle to realizing this design is the material required to build the installation of solar panels and wind turbines. Required various types of metal in large enough quantities, such as iron, nickel, copper, aluminum, chromium, and even rare metals such as platinum. Besides the infrastructure to realize the ideal wind generators needed to provide a large area in order to avoid interference distance and wind turbulence is used.
"But this design is likely to be implemented, even without the need to use the latest technology. We desperately need a collective decision about how the future world we want as a world community, "said Jacobson.
However this design is revolutionary and is a good solution in the world's energy problems.