Wind, solar power can be viable options in future

I refer to the commentary “Why wind and solar power are not solutions to climate change” (Nov 10). The current technical shortcomings of wind and solar power do not prevent them from being potentially viable options in future.

The main flaw highlighted was one of maintaining energy supply “when the sun is not shining and the wind is not blowing”.

A potential solution would be battery technology, which has advanced in recent years thanks to innovations such as the Tesla Powerwall.

Should battery technology continue along its current trajectory of progress, short-term storage and delayed transmission of electricity generated from solar and wind sources should be achievable.

Regarding the idea of power being expensive, any great leap forward in infrastructure is sure to incur a substantial amount of sunk costs.

In future, we will need at least a baseline level of facilities dedicated to renewable energy if these methods of power generation are to gain momentum in adoption. The price may be steep now, but it might well pay dividends.

Moreover, more emerging technologies that will come online in the next two decades stand a chance of improving the cost-efficiency of solar and wind power.

Multi-junction solar cells being developed in Germany boast a 44.7 per cent efficiency, on the way towards surpassing 50 per cent. In Spain, bladeless wind turbines that could slash costs by 40 per cent are being designed.

A few sceptics contend that these technologies are far-fetched or over-optimistic, in which case, pessimism is not the answer. Rather, continuous investment into novel solutions will help us overcome setbacks.

Regarding the consumption aspect, we see the increasing adoption of fuel cell vehicles, energy-efficient light-emitting diodes and solar-powered water heaters for domestic use, and in heavy industry, technologies such as flue gas desulfurisation and filtration.

Transitioning from past norms to adopting cutting-edge practices is a difficult, time-consuming process, but we must not be so impatient as to give up at such an early juncture.

Human ingenuity has shaped the future over the past centuries and will continue to do so in the years to come.