Against the backdrop of the energy transition, it is vital to understand the challenges faced and the solutions proposed for a more sustainable future. The book Energia per l’astronave Terra (“Energy for Spaceship Earth”) offers a precise, pragmatic vision on how to accelerate the process. The words of its author Nicola Armaroli, a research director at the Italian National Research Council (CNR) and member of Italy’s National Academy of Science, reveal a clear pathway guided by efficiency, electrification, and technological innovation. Specifically, while scientific research is not tasked with inventing it all from scratch, it does have the crucial challenge of improving existing technologies, optimising seasonal storage systems, and supporting a circular economy based on recycling.
The Future of Energy: electrification and sustainability. An interview with Nicola Armaroli
The research director at the Italian National Research Council (CNR) and member of Italy’s National Academy of Science describes a clear pathway to a more sustainable future in an interview with Lightbox.
Professor Armaroli, what innovative solutions and models do you suggest for accelerating the energy transition in your book "Energia per l’astronave Terra"?
«The starting point is climate change. If that problem didn't exist, we wouldn’t be worried about changing our energy system, 80% of which is still based on fossil fuels. But we can’t afford to keep going like this, not just because of the climate, but also because our dependence on the volatility of oil and gas prices is a risk factor for the economy. The gas crisis in 2022 (Ed.: caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict) is an obvious example. The goal is to leave behind a system whose inefficiency consists mainly of the fact that we lose at least two-thirds of every 100 units of fossil fuels extracted in the form of waste heat dispersed in the environment. The main solution to be adopted to rectify this inefficiency is to electrify end consumption as much as possible. Electric motors are actually more efficient, and we already have the renewable technologies to produce electricity without burning anything».
«This will be a very long process. Where should we begin? With the sectors where the solutions already exist. Transport consumes 80% of petrol, with around 70% consisting of light vehicles, the only really effective and currently available alternative to which is battery-operated cars. Therefore, it is essential to electrify light transport first of all. Heavy road vehicles (buses, lorries) are also moving towards electrical solutions, though battery solutions over long distances, for airplanes and ships, are not available and may never be, due to physical limits.
Another crucial factor is the use of gas in the residential sector, which represents almost 40% of total methane consumption in Italy. Electric heat pumps are a key solution to satisfying domestic heat requirements at low temperatures (30-70 °C). It’s not possible everywhere but is already applicable in millions of buildings. So, we already have two concrete solutions to gradually replace petrol in road transport and gas in buildings: the electric car and the heat pump.
A total conversion to these options will take 20-30 years, but we need to go faster. Those with a detached house and a garage, maybe with a solar system installed, should be among the first to switch to electric mobility. Heat pumps, despite a higher purchase cost, offer significant savings over time in terms of both consumption and maintenance. Switching to electricity means cutting energy consumption while receiving the same service. An electric motor can reach efficiency levels of 90%, while combustion engines cap out, on average, at 25%. Moving on from traditional cars and methane boilers is not an imposition, but a course of action which both common sense and the laws of physics, with which there can be no negotiation, compel us to take».
How can technological innovations in the area of smart grids and energy storage systems create opportunities for business and for the development of electricity transmission grids over the coming years?
«The electrification of consumption requires massive investments in modernising and strengthening electricity grids. These investments are an absolute priority. Italy has a good transmission grid, managed by Terna, and a good distribution grid, overseen by multiple operators. Both were improved after the blackout in 2003, but it is vital to continue investing.
It is important to emphasise that devices like electric cars and heat pumps will not be mere passive consumers, but an active part of the grid. Cars are parked 95% of the time, and in the future they may be able not only to absorb electricity from the grid, but to input it too.
Picture an airport car park, with thousands of stationary cars at all times, including for extended periods of time. Their batteries can act as a power bank, providing electricity and being compensated for the service. The same is true for heat pumps, which can be temporarily switched off during peak consumption times to lighten the load on the grid. The owner is paid for their service, without suffering any inconvenience for the brief disconnection from the system. This shows how managing the electricity grid will not simply pose a problem but also represents a fantastic resource. The digital and energy transition must go hand-in-hand to create a widely electrified, modern and efficient system».
How can scientific research contribute to making energy infrastructure more sustainable and independent from fossil fuels?
«90% of the technologies for the transition are already available. Silicon photovoltaics, invented in 1954, are a mature technology with low installation and management costs, so much so that 92 gigawatts were connected to the grid in China in a single month (May 2025), over twice as much as Italy installed in 20 years. The role of scientific research is, first and foremost, to improve what already exists. Work is being carried out on advances in batteries, switching from lithium to sodium, for example, to reduce restrictions on raw materials, increase their lifespan, and make them more recyclable.
Another key aspect in research is just that: recycling. The widespread perception that the environmental impact of mining concerns only batteries or solar panels is mistaken. The current energy system, based on fossil fuels, requires the non-stop extraction of petrol, gas and coal on a massive scale. These are then converted into CO2, which is in turn discharged into the atmosphere, destroying climate stability. The materials used for renewable and storage devices, on the other hand, need to be extracted only once and can later be recycled.
Finally, research must focus on the question of storage. Batteries largely resolve the problem of daily storage, but what can be done with the excess solar energy produced in summer, which is not used? One solution is to use this energy to power electrolysers and produce hydrogen, to be stored and used during the winter months. However, we don’t yet have the innovative solutions required for the seasonal storage of hydrogen.
What predictions do you make for the use of solar energy over the coming decades?
«Photovoltaics will become the leading electricity production technology. We can see the proof in California, where this technology already satisfies much of the daily demand. Its success is due to low costs and simple management. Moreover, semiconductor technology, which forms the basis for photovoltaics, has benefited from the industrial synergy of developments in other sectors, like chips, greatly lowering overall production costs».
«The sun will dominate electricity production, but we must focus more on thermal storage. It is simply incredible that our roofs are “burned” by the sun for several months a year, yet we burn gas in order to take a hot shower, even in summer. We must develop technologies to concentrate and store solar power and use it, at both high and low temperatures, in the industrial sector too. Finally, solar energy will be crucial in producing synthetic fuels. These will be necessary for heavy means of transport which cannot easily be electrified (airplanes, ships), for which non-fossil, synthetic liquid fuels with a high energy density will be required».
How do you picture the management of the electricity grid evolving over the coming decades, in light of the growing electrification of consumption and the transition towards an energy system with low carbon emissions?
«We can learn a lot from the Spanish blackout (Ed.: April 2025). The main cause of the system’s collapse was a lack of storage systems and of interconnections with other countries. We must build a more robust system in order to avoid similar situations. Despite being a peninsula, Italy is already ahead of the pack in terms of interconnections with neighbouring states: this is a crucial factor, but it must be developed even further.
Another critical issue is electricity storage. More storage systems are needed, not just managed by large operators like Terna, but integrated into the grid right down to the domestic level. Millions of household batteries and electric vehicles can support the system, provide instant power if needed, and help to manage the frequency and voltage of the grid. The grid will be increasingly based on a widely distributed system with millions of producers and consumers. Digitalisation will be essential in managing this complexity, transforming renewables from a potential problem into a resource, making the system more stable and secure. This is the future of grid management: more interconnections, more storage, and the ever-smarter management of millions of producers-consumers».