Monoenergie

Monoenergie is a term used primarily in German-language discourse to describe an energy system organized around a single dominant energy carrier or form. It is not a formally standardized term in energy science, but rather an analytic concept that appears in theoretical discussions, policy debates, and speculative proposals to examine the consequences of concentrating on one energy carrier.

Definition and scope

In a monoenergie model, production, storage, transmission, and end-use are harmonized around one primary energy carrier—such as hydrogen, electricity, or synthetic fuels. The idea envisions a unified infrastructure and regulatory regime that would support a single pathway for energy conversion and utilization, in contrast to diversified systems that rely on multiple carriers.

Rationale and potential advantages

Proponents argue that standardization could reduce infrastructure redundancy, lower capital and operational costs, simplify regulation, and improve system optimization in certain simplified or highly controlled contexts. The concept is often explored in energy-system modeling to understand how a single-carrier future might perform under different demand profiles, technological assumptions, and climate policies.

Criticisms and challenges

Critics caution that a monoenergie approach may create significant vulnerability to supply disruptions, resource constraints, and geopolitical risks associated with monopolizing a single carrier. Technical and economic feasibility is debated, since diverse energy demands and regional conditions typically require multiple carriers and flexible conversion chains. Resilience, supply security, and market competition are among the key concerns.

Relation to real-world ideas

Monoenergie is related to discussions about energy carriers, power-to-X concepts, and decarbonization strategies, but remains more of an analytical and theoretical construct than an established engineering framework.

See also

Energy carrier; Decarbonization; Energy transition; Power-to-X.