DeCarbCH Wiki Technologies

Decarbonization encyclopedia, created and edited by SWEET DeCarbCH members.

Description

Decarbonization technologies encompass methods aimed at reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to combat climate change. These technologies span sectors like energy, transportation, industry, and agriculture. SWEET DeCarbCH focuses mostly on the industrial sector. Decabonization modelling is also a focus of SWEET DeCarbCH which is simulating diverse scenarios for Switzerland to become carbon neutral in 2050 utilizing the technologies described below.
List of key technologies

Renewable Energy: Solar, wind, hydroelectric, heat pump, and geothermal technologies offer low-carbon alternatives to fossil fuels.
Negative Emission Technologies (NETs): Captures CO2 emissions from industrial processes and stores them underground, transport them, or reuse them, reducing environmental impact.
Energy Storage: thermal storage systems facilitate the integration of renewable energy into the industrial sector.
Energy Efficiency: Improving efficiency of industrial plant reduces energy consumption and carbon emissions. Utilisation of modern technics such as digital twins help reducing even more carbon emissions.
Heating Networks: It is commun that district heating networks normally utilize waste heat from industrial processes or renewable energy sources to provide space heating and hot water to residential and commercial buildings. They can also be a renewable heat source for some industries.
Bioenergy and Biomass: Renewable energy sources derived from organic materials offer sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels.
Electrification of Transportation: Transitioning to electric vehicles powered by renewable energy reduces carbon emissions from transportation. SWEET DeCarbCH has chosen not to focus on this subject. Please refer to other SWEET Program SWEET LANTERN.
Challenges and Opportunities

Deploying decarbonization technologies faces challenges including technological barriers, economic viability, and policy frameworks. However, investing in these technologies presents opportunities for economic growth, job creation, and environmental sustainability, accelerating the transition to a low-carbon future.