Smart Energy Europe – developing a renewable energy scenario for a decarbonised Europe

The European Union has a clear target of decarbonizing the energy sector by the year 2050, necessary to mitigate climate change effects. Currently, a number of scenarios are models are developed to outline this transition, for instance the Commissions own “A Clean Planet for All” scenarios. However, the focus on the current modelling is very much towards either detailed scenario pathways that miss the need for hourly analyses, or scenarios that cannot capture the full potential for system integration, through a clear Smart Energy System approach, that utilizes not only the electricity grid, but also heating and gas grids to achieve cost efficient solutions for Europe. This paper presents a step wise approach to accomplish a renewable European energy system based on the concept of Smart Energy Systems. These steps include transforming the heating and cooling sector, as well as looking at both electrification of the transport sector and utilization of electrofuels in transport, industry and power production. Combined, the utilization of multiple grids, cheaper storage options, and a more comprehensive sector integration allows for the Smart Energy Europe scenario to be a more feasible solution than the decarbonised scenario proposed by the European Commission.