L’Express: Investments in favor of the climate have never been so high. Do you feel like the world is finally on the right track?
Bertrand Piccard: Unfortunately, we are not there yet. Today, there are as many investments in renewable energy as in fossil fuels. The world is not replacing the old dirty energies of the past but is merely absorbing part of the needs of growing populations. We just hurt a little less and that is not enough at all. What I want is that we really replace what pollutes with what protects the environment and that we don’t just meet part of the needs with renewables.
Aren’t oil, gas and coal still the most efficient energies?
No. No doubt this was the case five years ago, but today renewable energies have become cheaper. And before focusing the debate on “should one replace the other?”, humanity must stop wasting them. We can have the largest solar power plants, but there will never be enough of them if we squander their production in inefficient systems. Examples ? A quarter of the energy bill of a family of four goes into the hot water used for the shower. What if we salvaged it instead of sending it to the sewers? Ditto for the factories which, through their chimneys, spit out smoke but also heat. What if we recovered it rather than letting it disperse? There is a start-up in France, Eco-Tech Ceram, which does this and the philosophy of the Solar Impulse Foundation is to encourage these companies to show that the solutions exist. According to our calculations, this recovery would enable a plant to save 20 to 40% on its energy bill. The real answer to fight against climate change is: let’s save on consumption, and for that, there are thousands of solutions.
What are the biggest obstacles?
In all countries, the legislative framework has not kept pace with new technical solutions. The laws thus end up blocking the initiatives that are available, economically profitable and ecologically advantageous. We therefore presented political decision-makers with a “ready to vote”, that is to say 50 proposals in order to adapt the existing norms and standards. This is not a request for subsidies, but an initiative to unlock solutions administratively. On arrival, if France follows these recommendations, it will make 30 to 40% of the way from the point of view of decarbonization! We suggest starting with very visible and very easy things. For example, we asked for an enrichment of the law on renewable energy passed in March. Initially, it only concerned solar and wind power. We asked to add geothermal energy, small river hydroelectricity and methanisation. Some proposals – such as geothermal energy – have been accepted.
Precisely, what do you think is the potential of geothermal energy?
This is a major subject! 99% of the planet’s mass is over 1000 degrees. This heat, you just have to dig to get it. In addition, the same industries that drill for oil can do it for geothermal energy. It can be extracted in a clean and immediately profitable way: in town, when you make a well 200 meters deep to connect heat pumps to it for a building, you have 75% less energy consumption but also less CO2 emissions, less dependence on foreign fossil fuels and a colossal benefit over the life of your heating system. We have therefore obtained in the law on renewable energies that, on this aspect, for each new building, a study of the geothermal potential is carried out by the builder. It’s a way of encouraging him to consider something other than traditional heating systems. Still, to carry out this type of study, you need specialized firms and therefore train people. We are sorely lacking in expertise in these ecological transition professions, in particular to install photovoltaic panels and insulate buildings. We often talk about the eco-anxiety of the younger generations and it is our duty to show them these new professions.
Agrivoltaism is the subject of much debate in France. How to convince of its interest?
To believe that it is in competition with agriculture is a total misunderstanding of the situation. If deployed under the right conditions, it can increase yields, especially in view of climate change with particularly hot and dry summers. Putting solar panels in the fields two meters above the ground that open when there is sunshine and close when it rains will be beneficial. Recently, I was talking to the Portuguese Deputy Minister of Energy who explained to me that you could quadruple the number of sheep in a field thanks to agrivoltaism simply because the panels protect the grass and keep the humidity . This solution is emblematic of the development of renewable energies, which must be done according to climates, therefore geography and geology. This can be seen in the deployment of wind turbines or even hydroelectricity: I remain convinced that with 620,000 kilometers of rivers in France, you can still develop it with run-of-river turbines that are compatible with biodiversity. .
In France, you are the man who whispers in the ears of decision-makers. What reception have your latest proposals received so far?
I thought that we would be welcomed with open arms by the left and the ecologists and that we would have to convince the center and the right. However, the opposite happened: in the National Assembly, the LR deputies interviewed us, as did the (Renaissance) presidents of the Sustainable Development Committee, then of the Economic Affairs Committee, or even the MoDem at the time of the return to parliament. On the other hand, we have not had a response from the left and the ecologists. In fact, I realize that initiatives are very slow to be put in place at national level, so much so that we work much more with the regions, like Ile-de-France, Grand Est or with departments such as Pyrénées-Atlantiques, in order to bring together private and public actors. From now on, the Solar Impulse foundation is also concentrating on the level of the cities since we have put in place a guide which identifies the challenges and proposes solutions.
And on the side of the Elysée?
A little disappointing, I admit. It was planned to make an official presentation of the 1,000 solutions that we have selected, then our “ready to vote” to raise awareness among ministers, business owners and the press. I’m still waiting for a date and nothing moves despite all our reminders. I have known Emmanuel Macron for a long time, long before he came to power, and I do not always understand his politics. It could go much faster in terms of renewable energy and energy efficiency. Remember the debate between the two rounds when he challenges Marine Le Pen: “You want to relaunch nuclear power but it will take fifteen years to get there and there is a climate emergency that we must respond to today. ” A year later, that’s what he decided to do. It is obvious that we must not dismantle the existing power stations and that we need nuclear power. But what can we expect in fifteen years from this type of electrical energy which is already more expensive today than solar, wind, geothermal or hydroelectric?
This article is taken from the special issue “Energy transition: let’s invest together!” available on newsstands June 29.