Bayreuth International Summer School â€“ Energy & Climate at University of Bayreuth

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The need for rapid emissions cuts, alongside growing global demand for (renewable) energy, raises critical questions about the technological potential and socio-economic and political implications of various technologies and approaches. The summer school will start with a theoretical introduction to the political background of the topic. Decisions at all levels of governance will be discussed to analyse how they contribute to managing â€“ or slowing down â€“ and meeting the growing demand for renewable energy. The political context of climate change, climate justice, and the current energy transition has been strongly influenced by international climate negotiations, from the Kyoto Protocol to the P4G Summit Copenhagen and from the Paris Agreement to the COP24 held in Poland in December 2018. While being driven by the political demands, scientists at universities and research institutes as well as in the industrial sector are working on new energy conversion and storage systems around the world. This pressure is necessary to ensure a secure and affordable supply of environmentally friendly energy. As future energy systems will be diverse, a broad knowledge of different conversion and storage applications is needed. Therefore, we will cover fundamental knowledge, specific case studies as well as possible solutions for novel energy systems from an engineering point of view. The development of flexible, decentralised smart energy systems and the hybridisation of renewable energy systems will be presented during the summer school. These topics are widely discussed in the strategic energy planning at European and international levels to end up with efficient systems with a minimum environmental impact and CO2 footprint. The presence of available technical solutions for renewable energy is possible because communities are discussing energy self-sufficiency. Additionally, it isÂ possible due to the potential of increased regional economic value as a result of renewable energies â€“ for instance, in the context of the German â€œEnergiewendeâ€ (energy transition). Many of these changes remain highly contested at all levels (from international to local). In many regions of the world, access to increasingly renewableÂ energy is also a question of inequality and justice. The summer school will address technical, social, and political issues raised by renewable energy (solar, wind, hydropower, and bioenergy). Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and other modelling frameworks will also help us tackle some of these questions. During both of the weeks, renowned experts from various countries around the world will offer rich insights into current issues dealing with the globally important topic of energy and climate change. For more detailed information on the course content and lecturers, please visit our website.