Electricity is the product of humans pursuit of light. The application of electric energy launched a new era of evolution in the human civilization evolution. Electric energy is the most important form of enduse energy for human beings today. The understanding, mastery and use of electric energy are a milestone marking human societys shift from the industrial civilization to the electrified civilization. Only by transforming into electricity can clean energy such as hydro, wind and solar energy be developed and utilized extensively. Electricity is set to become the core of future clean energy systems. Electricity is also a medium of mutual transformation between different types of energy. It can be infinitely divided, instantly transmitted and controlled with precision. It can also be efficiently converted into other forms of energy (e.g., luminous energy, thermal energy, mechanical energy and chemical energy) for use. Today, electric energy has extensively and profoundly changed human production and life. It has become as indispensable as sunshine, air and water. As sources of fossil energy continue to decline, climate change situations deteriorate considerably, and environmental pollution intensifies, the human race is making greater demands on reliable, environmentally friendly and sustainable energy use. What is most critical is clean substitution at the energy production side, and electricity substitution at the energy consumption side.
Advancement in electrification technology is crucial to achieving electricity substitution at the consumption side. As it evolves going forward, the traditional electric usage bottlenecks will be broken, and electricity substitution, indirect electricity substitution (power to fuel) and nonenergy application of electricity (power to raw material) will take shape, expediting the formation of a clean and efficient electricitycentered energy services system. After more than a century of development, electrification technologies have achieved tremendous progress. At present, technologies such as electric lighting, electric drive and electrification technology in IT are wellestablished and widely applied while electric heating and electrochemistry have considerable potential for electricity substitution.
Advancement in electrification technology will propel clean substitution at the supply side. As technologies evolve, electrical load will be more intelligent, flexible and controllable, and become an important source of flexibility in the new renewable energy centered power system, which provides adjustment capability to an extensive range of time scales from second to month, achieving transformation from the conventional source following load model to a new sourceload interaction model. It will also promote efficient utilization and consumption of renewable energy at a higher proportion and a wider range, driving comprehensive clean substitution at the energy supply side.
This report consists of seven chapters. Five major electrification technologies, namely electric lighting, electric drive, electric heating (refrigeration), electrochemistry and electrification technology in IT are introduced in different chapters based on different forms of enduse energy such as luminous energy, mechanical energy, thermal energy and chemical energy. The main contents include the basic principle and development status of, and technological bottlenecks and future trends in electrification technologies. From the perspectives of development status, characteristics and affordability of different technologies, the report analyzes the feasibility of electricity substitution in various energy usage fields, and studies and determines the trends in electricity consumption scale. Based on user behavior and the characteristics of electrification technologies, the report analyzes and studies the potential of electrification technologies at different time scales (second, hour, week, and month, among others) to provide power systems with flexible adjustment ability.
As one of a series of results of research on key technologies for Global Energy Interconnection, this report aims to help readers better understand the status of and development trends in major electrification technologies, and to provide an important reference to industry insiders and novices, especially policymakers. The research findings are of great significance for peaking carbon dioxide emission and achieving carbon neutrality, improving the electrification level at end use, and realizing world economic, social and environmental sustainability.
The report brings together the research findings on electrification technologies of the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization. In the process of research and compilation, the research team visited and interviewed Shandong University, Tsinghua University, North China Electric Power University, Beihang University, State Grid EV Service, CHN Energy and other entities as well as institutions such as GEIDCO Thinktank Coalition and University Alliance. We would like to express our sincere gratitude for the valuable assistance and support given us by the scholars and experts in electrical engineering, energy and power engineering, chemical engineering, and information and communication engineering, as well as experts from the Advisory (Consultant) Board and the Technical (Academic) Committee of GEIDCO. Data and time constraints have meant that the contents may contain inadequacies. In this regard, your comments and correction will be highly appreciated.