Commentary on two broader Czech expert-public discussions on energy

This year’s Science and Technology Week has just taken place at the Czech Academy of Sciences. The results of research conducted at the institution were presented in a number of lectures. For understandable reasons, many of them addressed climate developments, their risks and pathways towards low-emission energy. A series of energy presentations and discussions has also begun at Paralelní Polis. The first Energy Meet-up panel was held last week.

The Academy of Sciences discusses climate change and energy

The Czech Academy of Sciences’ Science and Technology Week, held the week before last, carried the subtitle “Science, freedom, responsibility”, and its main theme was global threats such as climate change. A number of lectures also addressed these topics, with recordings available on the event’s website.

I took part in an energy panel focused on options for transitioning to low-emission energy in the Czech Republic. Together with colleagues working in areas related to different options for energy production and storage, we sought to provide an overview of the possibilities in photovoltaics, the use of batteries or flywheels for energy storage, the potential for producing hydrogen and synthetic hydrocarbons, nuclear power, waste incineration and other areas. In brief presentations, Antonín Fejfar focused on the photovoltaic sector, while I addressed the potential of nuclear power. Ladislav Kavan from the J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry focused on batteries, and Miroslav Punčochář from the Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals concentrated on the possible production of synthetic fuels. Energy storage is a critical weakness of today’s energy sector. Jiří Plešek from the Institute of Thermomechanics examined one of the more exotic options, flywheels. Although waste incineration is only a marginal energy source, its main role is to make waste management more environmentally friendly, and it is worth using. Michal Šyc from the Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals spoke about this option.

The discussion was moderated by Pavla Čapková from Czech Television’s science desk. Questions from the audience turned it into a lively and informed debate on various options for replacing fossil fuels and the potential contribution of the Academy of Sciences’ institutes to this transition. There was not only agreement among the panellists and audience members, but often diametrically opposed views as well. However, everyone’s main aim was to broaden their understanding of the real situation and refine their ideas about the possible future of the Czech energy sector. The fact that the debate ended not because of a lack of questions and topics, but because of the late hour, can be seen from the linked recording.

First energy panel at Paralelní Polis (Energy Meet-up)

The second recent event dealing with energy was the first panel focused on this subject, held at Paralelní Polis. I first visited the venue around six months ago for a discussion between scientists and organisers of secondary-school climate strikes, which I described in an article for the Osel website. It also includes a link to a recording of that discussion. The topic of energy naturally came up there as well.

The recording of the current Energy Meet-up debate lasts almost three hours. There I met my colleague Frédéric Denis Wertz, who has been working for some time at electricity trader Nano Energies, which seeks to focus on electricity sales and services in sustainable energy. Frédéric focuses on creating virtual power plants. Jiří Kovalovský is an environmentalist, one of the smaller group of people with this orientation who support the development and use of nuclear power. Here too, the extensive debate ultimately ended not because of a lack of questions and topics, but due to time constraints. This also promises follow-up events and the creation of a series that will address many other topics that could not be covered on the first evening.

Paralelní Polis focuses to a considerable extent on how society functions in the information age, linked to computer technologies and cyberspace. Safe and stable electricity generation and supply are a key condition for its existence. For this reason, among others, it is the right place for such discussions.