1. General presentation

1.1 Renewable energies

The massive use of fossil and fissile energies, even if it has invaded the whole field of human activity today, remains an epiphenomenon on the scale of human history; it appears through two small peaks, one during the 19th century with coal and the discovery of steam engines, the other in the 20th century with oil, gas and nuclear power. On the basis of current consumption and growth rates, the IEA has predicted the foreseeable date of extinction of stock resources: 2040 for gas and oil, 2080 for conventional nuclear power and 2200 for coal.

To meet the needs of poor nations, which account for more than two-thirds of the world's population, the world needs to forge a new energy strategy. To respect the global environment, this strategy...