There is now overwhelming agreement that the world needs to move away from fossil fuels to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. To achieve this requires a transition of a scale that is unprecedented since the industrial revolution, a transition that has already started. Solar energy is by far the most abundant clean energy source available, and now also the cheapest. As a result, solar and wind are now being installed at a higher rate globally than any other electricity generation technology. In our work we are focusing on integration of solar and wind technologies into the broader energy system, as our current system was designed around fossil fuels. This requires high level systems thinking as well as being able to model the energy system in detail. The goal is to create new pathways that can lead to future energy systems that are resilient, zero-emissions, and low cost.