December 12, 2022

Energy transition is a key focus for CENTRA at Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, which is dedicated to interdisciplinary research and knowledge transfer to drive a profound transformation toward a low-carbon economy. To learn more, Club de Innovación interviewed Carlos Silva, Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and a researcher at CENTRA, who shared his insights on the topic.

A Broader Scope for Energy Transition

Silva emphasized that the energy transition is not limited to energy-sector companies:

“The energy transition extends to any company with significant energy consumption, in any form, or that relies on energy-intensive goods and services. They must actively participate in this process.”

He highlighted that one of Chile’s primary challenges is ensuring that:

“All activities producing greenhouse gases (GHG), including energy generation, transportation, heating, industry, and emissions management in agricultural and forestry sectors, are integrated into a comprehensive energy transition strategy.”

CENTRA’s Role in Supporting the Transition

CENTRA aims to support companies and institutions through all stages of the transformation process toward a sustainable economy. Silva outlined several initiatives the center is working on:

  1. Atamostec Project:
    CENTRA is evaluating local participation in the solar module manufacturing industry. This includes exploring local manufacturing or partnerships with other countries and companies to add value across the photovoltaic production chain.
  2. Lifecycle Technology Assessment:
    A team is developing a methodology to evaluate generation technologies based not only on their production phase impact but also on their total lifecycle impact, from manufacturing to disposal.
  3. Public Policy Proposals:
    CENTRA is involved in designing regulatory proposals for medium-sized energy systems to increase competition and promote more sustainable energy solutions.

The Role of All Sectors

Silva stressed that achieving emission reduction and carbon neutrality goals requires contributions from every sector:

“The energy transition must involve all sectors. The residential sector, in particular, can contribute by consuming energy and water rationally and efficiently, generating local energy, and demanding that companies providing products and services adhere to the highest standards of sustainability and environmental care.”

Courtesy of Club de Innovación.