The impact of electricity consumption on the environment, in a dashboard

The climate conference in Glasgow, held between 31 October and 12 November 2021, ended in a spirit of determination to redouble efforts in countries across the world in the fight against climate change and to reduce emissions. The aim is to keep global warming within 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels, with 2050 as the target year to achieve net zero emissions. The conference highlighted the increasingly clear need for the widespread development of renewable energy sources, in tandem with a reduction in power stations powered by coal and other fossil fuels.

If the current situation remains unchanged, we could be on track for a temperature increase of 3° by 2050, according to the estimates made by Ian Dunlop and David Spratt in the study Climate Reality Check. All signatory countries recognise the need to dedicate significant resources to countering the phenomenon of global warming. Italy is no exception, turning to tools that can simultaneously improve energy security, environmental protection and energy affordability, contributing to European targets in relation to energy and the environment.

To meet the goals set out in the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP), Italy has until 2030 to achieve a 33% reduction in all CO2 emissions which do not qualify for the emissions trading system (ETS), i.e. emissions in the residential, services, agricultural, waste and transport sectors. At the same time, the proportion of total consumption met by renewable sources must increase to at least 30% by 2030, bearing in mind the challenges posed by the intermittent nature of sources such as wind and solar.

To keep track of these targets, Terna market the occasion of the Glasgow COP26 by launching an experiment like no other: Terna4Green, an interactive dashboard which links data on electricity production and CO2 emissions, comparing and correlating in real time large quantities of data on meeting the demand for electricity with the values of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere.

In fact, the decarbonisation process is intrinsically intertwined with the fundamental role of the electricity grid as a factor enabling energy transition and the management of energy flows. In its 2021 Development Plan, Terna has set aside €18.1 billion for sustainable investments over the next ten years to develop and modernise the electricity grid, with the aim of guaranteeing the ever-greater spread of renewables (RES) and improved safety and resilience for the grid, through important structural works.

The interactive dashboard is divided into two main sections: CO2 Emissions and CO2 Savings. In the CO2 Emissions section, it is possible to view both historic and "real-time" CO2 emissions in tonnes of carbon dioxide in Italian territory, displaying quantities at a glance on the map. This means simultaneous access to two types of data: emissions per type of fuel consumed, split into fossil fuels, gas, fuel oil and other fuels, and emissions per market zone (respectively, North, Centre-North, Centre-South, South, Sardinia, Calabria and Sicily). By using the calendar it is possible to find data on emissions for specific times, as well as viewing historical data on trends and making daily, monthly or annual comparisons. The platform also provides a series of filters to identify the types of fuel with the highest emissions and their location in the Italian market zones.

Similarly, the CO2 Savings section allows us to see two different types of data regarding the tonnes of carbon dioxide which are saved thanks to the production of renewable energy from zero-emission sources: the figures for CO2 saved by source (water, wind, solar and geothermal) and the amount saved per market zone. Here too the calendar enables the data for a specific time to be checked, while the history of CO2 savings from renewable sources is also available. One particularly useful feature is the widget which displays weather information on the map. This weather data was in fact introduced as an intuitive way to illustrate the correlation between renewable energy production (total and by source) and specific atmospheric conditions: temperature, rain, solar radiation, wind, snow.

This clearly reveals the “dual identity” of the national transmission grid operator: as Transmission System Operator (TSO), Terna must not only design a grid capable of managing this progressive decarbonisation and the increasing integration of renewables ("transmission operator"), but must also guarantee, moment by moment, that the energy required by consumers is always in balance with what is produced, through so-called "dispatching" ("system operator").