Dr. Zhongwei Chen on Miami’s Sustainable Energy Progress

Envisioning a future in which sustainable energy technologies assume a dominant role in Florida’s energy landscape doesn’t exactly require some great leap of the imagination. In Miami, for example, residents rarely endure a day in which the sun is obscured by cloud cover. Over the course of a year, South Floridians can expect approximately 250 days of sunshine.

The same is true throughout Florida, as most regions average well over 200 days of sunshine each year. To point out that Florida rightly bears the moniker of the Sunshine State would be stating the obvious, yet the nickname helps illustrate the future viability of solar energy technology in the state.

With interest in sustainable energy on the rise in Florida -- and indeed all over the world -- experts in the field of sustainable energy are increasingly being asked to weigh in on the current state of sustainable energy technology as well as the progress that’s been made thus far.

Dr. Zhongwei Chen, a professor at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada who is currently researching the development of advanced energy materials for metal-air batteries, lithium-ion batteries and fuel cells, cited the progress made in Florida as worthy of praise, particularly in light of the utility-backed resistance to solar energy technology as evidenced by a recent attempt to sneak a misleading amendment into the state’s constitution.

A highly respected figure in the field of advanced materials for clean energy, Dr. Zhongwei Chen made a point to temper his praise for Florida’s sustainable energy efforts. As a clean energy expert who has published a book to go along with more than 200 peer-reviewed journal articles, the University of Waterloo professor emphasized that Floridians must follow the lead of so many Miami residents, who have taken it upon themselves to advocate at the local level for a greater commitment to sustainable energy.

Many Floridians will likely recall the publication of a study that detailed how each of the 50 states could transform their energy infrastructure to a total reliance on renewable energy resources like solar, wind, and water. The 2015 study, which was published in Energy & Environmental Science, asserted that Florida could achieve total reliance on sustainable energy by 2050, with solar energy accounting for the greatest share at 79 percent.

The study provided a detailed blueprint that accounted for the endless array of complex issues associated with such a major shift in infrastructure, including, for example, a detailed and thoroughly researched review of the relevant technical and economic issues unique to each state. There is ample evidence suggesting that the study’s conclusions helped inspire the progress made in Florida's statewide shift toward sustainable energy.

Despite the study’s obvious impact in the Sunshine State, most experts agree that there is quite a bit of work to be done if Florida hopes to shift to a complete reliance on renewable resources such as solar, wind, and water. With Floridians urging a greater commitment to sustainable energy technologies, the state would be able to, in the words of the study's authors, “completely eliminate present day greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions from energy, grow jobs and stabilize energy prices.”