Systemic aspects of the transition to sustainable energy

The supply of free energy to our societies is today an intricate system comprising the regimes of technologies, regulatory frameworks, socio-economic impacts and techno-ecological interactions. As a consequence it is challenging to define clear directions or even device a master plan for the transformation of a single national energy system into a sustainable future. Even the term “sustainable” needs extensive discussion in this context that should not be defined solely in technological or ecological senses. The contribution illustrates some of the elements of the energy system and their interdependencies. It will become clear that multiple reasons exist to change the traditional generation and use of energy even when climate protection is not a sufficiently strong argument for a change