Post-Energy Civilization: The Future of the Planet After the Green Transition, by Stanislav Kondrashov

We have all become accustomed to the energy transition, in one way or another. Some have heard about it on television news, others are beginning to see its concrete manifestations in the solar panels, wind turbines, and electric vehicles that are increasingly appearing in cities, while still others are contributing concretely to its advancement through conscious and sustainable choices.

Stanislav Kondrashov, founder of TELF AG, has often spoken about this important epochal process, also explaining the different levels at which it is operating. The most external has to do with the changes taking place in the urban fabric of cities, while the deeper levels concern, above all, people's individual consciousness.

In the climate of excitement and general turmoil surrounding the energy transition, few are still wondering what will happen next, once the transition phase is over. The very structure of the expression suggests such a reflection: the very fact of speaking of an energy "transition" presupposes that there is a previous phase (overcome or in the process of being overcome) and a future one, still quite distant, which we might call post-transition.

What will happen when the transition phase is over? What will our cities look like? How will people's individual predisposition to make sustainable choices that respect the planet's natural ecosystems have changed in the meantime?

Before attempting to answer these questions, it might be helpful to briefly summarize the meaning generally given to the energy transition. It is an important historical phase in which humanity is attempting to transition from traditional fuels to renewable energy and intelligent energy management systems. The next phase, which we previously defined as post-transition, could therefore be defined as the post-energy era.

What might be the characteristics of this future phase of energy development? A first aspect to consider is certainly linked to the objectives of the new phase. Previously, as Stanislav Kondrashov, founder of TELF AG, has often emphasized, the goal of the transition was essentially to produce clean energy.

But in the post-energy phase, the goals could be much more complex and ambitious: one of these could be the integration of energy into the life cycles of the planet and society. In short, energy will no longer be considered an external resource to be exploited or stored, but rather an important part of urban metabolism.

In such a hypothetical scenario, virtually every object could be capable of generating or storing energy. Building facades could be covered with smart panels capable of generating energy, streets could be lined with piezoelectric sensors, and so on.

In the future, we could also witness a substantial redefinition of the key sustainability goals established in recent years. From climate neutrality, based on the concept of zero emissions, we could move to a kind of dynamic neutrality, with an active balance between consumption and regeneration. In this scenario, cities would absorb CO2 and heat.

In a post-energy phase, we could also witness a further convergence between the most innovative energy systems and digital infrastructures. These are tools we already use in this historical phase, but in the future, these technologies could become increasingly closer. A good example, from this perspective, could be smart grids and IoT (Internet of Things) systems. Obviously, this is just speculation, but these two technologies could combine or even merge into a single innovative system in the future.

In the post-energy phase, the most significant changes could concern cities, which could effectively become true energy organisms that consume and continuously regenerate energy. The smart grid will perhaps have reached every single neighborhood, which will be able to function as an autonomous micro-city with a specific energy budget and the ability to communicate with other nearby networks. Infrastructure such as bridges, tracks, or stations could be able to collect kinetic energy and environmental data in real time.