Thomas Edison, also known as America’s "greatest inventor,” is responsible for some of the most unsustainable products humankind has been using for over a century.

From his staggering 1,093 patent list, many inventions have long been proved to be misaligned with sustainable development goals. From the incandescent light bulb (a design he shared with other meaningful innovators) to forming the first generating station in New York, Edison’s inventions contributed to humanity becoming a big polluter. But as his career developed and his knowledge intensified, he became involved in a different narrative. 

A 1901 article about Edison in The Atlanta Constitution described how his unorthodox ideas about batteries could bring light to the then dark countryside: "With a windmill coupled to a small electric generator,” a rural inhabitant "could bottle up enough current to give him light at night.” Edison made drawings of a windmill to power a cluster of four to six homes, and in 1911 he was looking for manufacturers to build a prototype.

Edison’s alkaline batteries also fueled some cars and trucks. He collaborated with Henry Ford to develop an electric automobile that would be affordable and practical, and The Constitution article discussed plans to let people recharge their batteries at plug-in sites along trolley lines.

Alongside his more sustainable endeavors, Edison gradually understood that fossil fuels would not last forever. In 1931, not long before he died, the inventor told his friends Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone: "I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don’t have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that.”

Well, the time of fossil fuels exhaustion is closer than you might imagine.

Scientists today assume that we have consumed 40% of the world’s oil. At the current consumption rate, we will run out of oil and gas in 50 years and coal in a century. The solution? Renewable energy. But can the ENTIRE world move to renewable solutions and leave fossil fuels behind?

Can humanity rely on renewables alone?

Turning to the sun, efficiently.

Renewable energy stands for any energy resource that can be quickly replenished. Oil and coal take millions of years to be made. Nuclear power uses uranium, also non-renewable. The sun, wind, and water, on the other hand, provide an inexhaustible option, and their capacity is enormous. For example, let’s take the sun: according to Professor Xiao Yu Wu, an energy expert from MIT, the Earth receives 23000 TW of solar energy, while the global energy consumption is 16 TW. So, 100 percent renewable energy could be possible even if we capture only 0.07 percent of the solar energy.

But it’s not that easy. Otherwise, entire countries would already be on the 100 % list, right?

Energy use encompasses complicated local and global ecosystems, with various components that must be addressed to achieve the coveted 100% status. While politics, regulation, and corporate interests are the real causes of the transition being hindered, we will focus on some other elements in the energy ecosystem.

Circling back to the solar example. With electricity powering everything humans do daily, having a sustainable source for it is crucial. With the sun beaming down more than x10,000 times our present needs, a solar panel surface of several hundred thousand km could power humanity. So why not get global investments going and build it?

Solar panels must be located in extremely sunny places to be able to transmit at full capacity. An enormous panel field could easily be constructed in one of Africa’s deserts, where space is abundant. But what about transmission? This is where we hit the biggest hurdle. Today power lines lose 6-8% of the energy they carry due to the wire materials used. The longer the power lines, the more energy would be lost.

This is where innovation and technology come in. In the case of efficient power transmission, superconductors could solve the problem, and discovering the following materials that would efficiently lead power to the big cities and populated areas is only a matter of time.

100% renewables are feasible

Researchers worldwide are taking the time to prove that renewables and their added supporting materials are here for the long haul. A study by LUT University and the Energy Watch Group opens up a new perspective towards a shift to 100% renewable energy within the next two to three decades. The outlined global transition pathway stands out as the first to present a 1.5°C scenario that is technology-rich, multi-sectoral, multi-regional, and cost-optimal.

According to the researchers, almost all energy supply will be produced using a mix of existing and locally available renewable energy sources, emphasising decentralised energy sources that were deemed vital to increased efficiency. They claim that replacing carbon-intensive energy options in the power and heat sectors is possible by 2030. Solar and wind energy will lead the transition, potentially making up 88 per cent of the total energy supply. The report also predicts that a fully renewable global energy system will support an estimated 35 million local jobs, with the solar sector-leading job creation.

According to the research, 100% renewable energy is cheaper than the current energy system. The levelized cost for a fully sustainable global energy system will be a substantially more affordable option.

So if 100 percent renewable energy is feasible, why isn’t the entire globe racing to reach this sustainable goal? We circle back to politics and corporate interests. With big oil dominating whole political parties, the answer is often quite apparent. But even these interests MUST change as we move closer to the end of the line, oil and coal wise. Even the most robust, most potent oil conglomerate will not continue production once the global supply runs out.

The world’s population is expected to grow from 7.7 billion in 2019 to 9.7 billion in 2050. Total energy demand is expected to grow by almost two per cent annually to keep up with a higher standard of living. Creativity, innovation, powerful incentives, and a change in interests from the leading conglomerates are in demand if we want to supply these demands.

Renewable energy is the future. Even Thomas Edison knew that 120 years ago!

The writer is an entrepreneur and investor, leading sustainability-driven companies in Africa and the Middle East