1. Context

The development of emerging countries, population growth and increased international trade are driving up global energy consumption, which will reach 20 or 30 billion tonnes of oil equivalent by 2050. Today, fossil fuels account for 80% of our primary energy production, because they can be easily transported and stored. However, these energy sources are exhaustible and not evenly distributed between countries, which could lead to serious political crises over the coming decades. Their combustion generates air pollution and greenhouse gases that damage the climate: global warming, acid rain and photochemical fog are just some of the consequences of the massive use of fossil fuels. These problems call for the development of alternative energy sources. Renewable energies represent a very good alternative, because they come from natural processes that are constantly being replenished. However,...