A new chapter in the electric vehicle (EV) sector has begun, as two Chinese car manufacturers recently unveiled sodium-ion–powered EVs, moving away from lithium, the metal that has transformed the industry. This technological breakthrough has led to concerns about Western companies losing their grip on sodium-ion battery innovation in China, which could result in a competitive disadvantage in the quickly growing EV market. The switch to sodium-ion batteries for electric vehicles could potentially reduce costs and reliance on scarce lithium resources, offering significant opportunities for the automotive industry. However, as Chinese companies lead the way in developing and implementing this cutting-edge technology, Western counterparts must invest in research and development to maintain their stance in the global EV market and not fall behind in this emerging space.

Benefits of sodium-ion batteries

Introducing sodium-ion batteries in these new vehicles signifies a significant departure from the widely used lithium-ion batteries in the EV industry. Sodium-ion batteries offer several benefits over lithium-based batteries, such as the abundance of sodium, making them more sustainable and affordable. Furthermore, these batteries typically perform better in extreme temperatures, making them an appealing choice for electric vehicles in diverse environments. Additionally, sodium-ion batteries have a longer life cycle, reducing the need for frequent replacements and reducing overall environmental impact. This cutting-edge technology also possesses faster charging capabilities, ultimately enhancing the user experience and convenience for electric vehicle owners.

Competitiveness in the EV market

The adoption of this technology by Chinese car manufacturers has initiated discussions about the competitiveness of the EV market, specifically about battery technology. As China seems to be leading the charge, concerns have emerged that Western companies are lagging in pursuing the potential advantages of sodium-ion batteries. These apprehensions are valid, considering that a shift to sodium-ion batteries could potentially lower production costs and improve the overall efficiency of electric vehicles. Therefore, Western companies must invest in research and development to keep up with the competition, or they risk falling behind in a rapidly growing industry that has the potential to reshape the automotive market.

Adapting to technological improvements

As the global demand for electric vehicles is expected to soar in the coming decades, Western manufacturers must act promptly to embrace and adjust to these technological improvements to maintain their place in the continuously growing EV market. Failure to adapt to the changing landscape could result in significant losses as more environmentally-conscious consumers shift their purchases towards eco-friendly vehicles. Companies that embrace innovation and participate in the global shift towards electric vehicles will ultimately benefit from brand loyalty, reduced environmental impact, and increased competitive advantage in the expanding market.

Sustainable practices will necessitate investment in research and development, strategic collaborations, and a dedication to sustainable practices in the quest for cleaner, more eco-friendly transportation options. Increasingly, companies and governments are recognizing the importance of these efforts, as demonstrated by the rise of electric vehicle adoption, the push for improved public transit, and the development of innovative transportation technologies.

The recent unveiling of sodium-ion–powered electric vehicles by Chinese car manufacturers has underscored the need for Western companies to keep pace with advancements in battery innovation. This breakthrough in sodium-ion battery technology presents a compelling alternative to traditional lithium-ion batteries, offering benefits such as cost-efficiency and a wider availability of resources.

Featured Image Credit: Mike Bird; Pexels

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X-energy, a leading firm in the development of advanced nuclear reactors, has just announced a ground-breaking partnership with Energy Northwest, signaling a major step forward for the future of clean energy. The deal calls for the installation of up to 12 small modular reactors (SMRs) with cutting-edge technology in Central Washington. X-energy had previously abandoned its original project in the state, so this unexpected collaboration represents a change in strategy. X-energy has recommitted itself to nuclear power in an effort to mitigate climate change and lower carbon emissions.

The Xe-100 advanced small modular reactors will be built by X-energy at a site in Richland, Washington, as per the terms of a joint development agreement between the two companies. The chosen location is close to the state’s only commercial nuclear power plant, the Columbia Generating Station. This strategic placement maximizes the new reactors’ potential contribution to Washington’s clean energy goals through their seamless incorporation into the existing infrastructure.

If all 12 reactors are built without incident, they could produce 960 megawatts of electricity. The agreement stipulates that the first reactor will be operational by 2030, significantly increasing the region’s access to clean, reliable, and cost-effective electricity.

As the world works to reduce its use of carbon-emitting fossil fuels, interest in nuclear energy has resurfaced. The advanced small modular reactors developed by X-energy present a promising solution because they are safer, cheaper, and less hazardous to the environment than older nuclear power plants. These reactors generate carbon-free energy through nuclear fission, the controlled splitting of atoms, and produce only negligible amounts of radioactive waste.

While renewable energy sources like wind and solar have seen significant growth, the integration of energy sources that can operate around the clock is necessary to meet the demand for continuous, baseload power supply. This need can be met by a combination of nuclear power, hydroelectric dams, batteries, and other technologies, all of which contribute to a more sustainable and reliable electrical grid.

Energy Northwest’s mission is to provide the Pacific Northwest with electricity that is both affordable and environmentally friendly. Working with X-energy makes sense in light of this goal, as their cutting-edge Xe-100 small modular reactors (SMRs) will be a welcome addition to their arsenal of carbon-free power sources. Energy Northwest CEO Bob Schuetz is very enthusiastic about the partnership, and he cites the benefits that X-energy’s technology will provide in terms of achieving the region’s sustainable energy goals.

The partnership with Energy Northwest is not the only business venture for X-energy. X-energy is moving forward with plans to install its first Xe-100 reactors at an already established Dow industrial site in Texas, per the terms of an agreement with Dow, a global chemical giant. The Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) is an initiative of the United States Department of Energy with the goal of facilitating the introduction of advanced nuclear reactors.

The Department of Energy has granted X-energy $1.2 billion to help with the building of the demonstration plant. By working together with Dow, X-energy has taken a major step toward realizing advanced small modular reactors as a viable and sustainable energy source, with construction scheduled to begin in 2026 and be completed by 2030.

Bill Gates’ TerraPower, a pioneer in the field of next-generation nuclear power, is also making significant progress in the area of advanced nuclear reactors. On the site of a retiring coal plant in Kemmerer, Wyoming, the company has announced plans to construct its first demonstration plant. Approximately $2 billion of this ambitious $4 billion public-private venture’s funding comes from the same DOE program that supports X-energy.

TerraPower plans to investigate additional sites for up to five of its reactors outside of the Wyoming project. Although the specific locations have not been disclosed, the feasibility study shows that TerraPower is serious about growing its presence in the emerging nuclear power sector.

Finding a reliable source of reactor fuel is a problem for both X-energy and TerraPower. Russia produces all of the world’s HALEU (high-assay, low-enriched uranium fuel) right now. However, because of international tensions, this information is no longer trustworthy. Because of this, TerraPower and Centrus Energy have announced that they will be working together to bring HALEU manufacturing to the United States. Together, Centrus and TerraPower hope to increase HALEU production at their Ohio facility, which should help alleviate any fuel shortages TerraPower may experience.

But X-energy has plans to build its own fuel production facility in Tennessee, so that its reactors always have a steady supply of fuel. These actions show that both organizations are serious about resolving fuel supply issues and improving the long-term viability of their projects.

In conclusion, the joint development agreement between X-energy and Energy Northwest is an important step forward for the expansion of sustainable power sources. X-energy’s plans to build up to 12 advanced small modular reactors in Washington State position the company to help the state and region meet their clean energy goals. X-energy and TerraPower are both working on cutting-edge methods of mitigating climate change, and their partnership highlights the increasing attention paid to nuclear power’s next generation. These businesses are laying the groundwork for a cleaner and more sustainable energy future by harnessing the power of nuclear fission and addressing challenges with fuel supply.

First reported on GeekWire

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is the significance of X-energy’s partnership with Energy Northwest?

The partnership with Energy Northwest represents a major step forward for the expansion of sustainable power sources. X-energy’s plans to build up to 12 advanced small modular reactors (SMRs) in Washington State will contribute significantly to the state and region’s clean energy goals. The advanced SMRs are safer, cheaper, and less hazardous to the environment than older nuclear power plants, making them a promising solution to reduce carbon emissions.

Q. How does X-energy’s Xe-100 advanced small modular reactor work?

The Xe-100 advanced small modular reactor generates carbon-free energy through nuclear fission, the controlled splitting of atoms. It produces only negligible amounts of radioactive waste, making it a more environmentally friendly option compared to traditional nuclear power plants.

Q. What are the benefits of using nuclear energy as part of a sustainable energy mix?

While renewable energy sources like wind and solar have seen significant growth, nuclear power plays a crucial role in providing continuous, baseload power supply. Combining nuclear power with other technologies like hydroelectric dams and batteries contributes to a more sustainable and reliable electrical grid.

Q. How are both X-energy and TerraPower addressing the issue of fuel supply for their reactors?

Both X-energy and TerraPower are taking measures to ensure a reliable supply of reactor fuel. TerraPower is partnering with Centrus Energy to bring HALEU (high-assay, low-enriched uranium fuel) manufacturing to the United States. X-energy, on the other hand, plans to build its own fuel production facility in Tennessee, ensuring a steady supply of fuel for its reactors.

Q. What is the significance of TerraPower’s plans to build its first demonstration plant in Wyoming?

TerraPower’s plans to construct its first demonstration plant in Wyoming mark a significant milestone in the development of advanced nuclear reactors. The project is funded in part by the United States Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program and shows TerraPower’s commitment to growing its presence in the emerging nuclear power sector.

Q. How does the collaboration between X-energy and Dow in Texas contribute to advanced nuclear reactor development?

The collaboration between X-energy and Dow to build Xe-100 reactors at a Dow industrial site in Texas is part of the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) by the Department of Energy. With the DOE’s support, X-energy is taking a major step towards demonstrating the viability and sustainability of advanced small modular reactors.

Q. What are the potential benefits of advanced small modular reactors (SMRs) for the clean energy future?

Advanced small modular reactors have the potential to provide clean, reliable, and cost-effective electricity while mitigating climate change and lowering carbon emissions. Their advanced technology makes them safer and more environmentally friendly than older nuclear power plants, making them a valuable addition to the clean energy mix.

Q. How are X-energy and TerraPower contributing to the development of the next generation of nuclear power?

Both X-energy and TerraPower are at the forefront of developing advanced nuclear power technologies. X-energy’s advanced small modular reactors (SMRs) and TerraPower’s innovative approaches to nuclear fission demonstrate their commitment to creating cleaner and more sustainable energy solutions. Their partnerships and investments in fuel supply solutions further solidify their position as pioneers in the field of sustainable nuclear power.

Featured Image Credit: Unsplash

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The country of Germany is making great gains toward a nuclear fusion-powered future. The German government has released early proposals to increase domestic R&D in the realm of nuclear fusion. Many people see nuclear fusion technology as the wave of the future because of its ability to produce clean energy. However, it is not yet clear how these research breakthroughs will be funded.

Fusion in a nuclear reactor is a novel approach to power generation. Fusion is the process of bringing together atoms, as opposed to the typical nuclear fission method of breaking them apart. This method promises to generate large amounts of clean energy, and also releases a lot of energy in the process.

Bettina Stark-Watzinger, the German minister of science, has proposed funding for all viable fusion research projects. This includes magnet-based technologies, which are already receiving major backing in Germany, and laser-based systems, which have seen recent breakthroughs in the United States.

Nuclear fusion research and development receives extensive backing in Germany. The country is eager to investigate magnet and laser fusion technology and hopes to greatly increase the €149 million ($163 million) allotted annually to such investigation.

In the United States, laser-based fusion techniques are gaining popularity, while in Europe, they are still in their infancy. However, magnet-based fusion has already gained significant backing in Germany, both at Germany’s own Wendelstein 7-X research reactor in the northern town of Greifswald and at the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) in Southern France.

Although Stark-Watzinger claims that scientists and industry professionals will finally select which power plant model will succeed, the future of the fusion power plant is still unclear. Future research and budgetary allocations will largely depend on the outcome of this decision.

Germany has proven its dedication to nuclear fusion research, but it is unclear how the country plans to pay for its efforts. Stark-Watzinger was reluctant to reveal any information regarding possible financing sources, leaving the future of financial backing for these endeavors in doubt.

Concerns have been raised that the ITER project could suffer if Germany were to shift its priority to nuclear fusion research at home. There have been delays and cost overruns, and the project is under extra stress because Russia is involved; despite its invasion on Ukraine, Russia remains a constructive partner to the West.

Though commercial fusion reactor operation in Germany may be postponed until the later part of this century, the country remains committed to the technology due to its long-term promise. Nuclear fusion is an investment that will pay dividends for future generations, according to Sibylle Gunter, the scientific director of the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics.

By 2045, Germany intends to have completely eliminated the usage of fossil fuels. Already, great gains have been achieved in this direction, with the last three conventional fission nuclear power reactors being shut down. Green groups hailed Germany’s action, seeing it as another evidence of the country’s dedication to developing renewable energy.

Germany has no plans to use the older style of nuclear reactors, as stated by Stark-Watzinger. Stark-Watzinger reiterated that any new reactors would not use traditional nuclear power despite requests from within her libertarian Free Democratic Party to reconsider.

She stressed that, unlike atom splitting, nuclear fusion does not result in the same concerns of uncontrolled meltdowns and long-lived radioactive waste. Stark-Watzinger lauded the obvious benefits of nuclear fusion and voiced optimism that Germany offers an ideal environment for developing this technology.

While Germany keeps probing the possibilities of nuclear fusion, the future of funding for such daring endeavors is questionable. The United States’ dedication to renewable power and the potential of nuclear fusion, however, offer optimism for the future.

First reported on: Tech Xplore

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Just like General Motors and Ford, electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Rivian has announced that it would be joining Tesla’s charging network. This significant change highlights the expanding role of Tesla’s technology in establishing benchmarks in a variety of sectors.

According to Rivian, the industry is gradually adopting Tesla’s charging connector as the norm. The North American Charging Standard, Tesla’s connector, is gaining more and more attention as a result of this move, which is likely to have far-reaching repercussions across the car industry.

With the exception of Tesla, nearly all automakers use a CCS connector designed in conjunction with SAE International. In the United States, Tesla’s Superchargers offer the most direct current fast-charging ports compared to any other network, thus naturally, other manufacturers are anxious to acquire them. The fact that they are situated along busy thoroughfares only adds to their appeal.

An adaptor is needed to connect a Tesla charger to a preexisting Rivian vehicle. Rivian, however, has vowed that beginning in 2025, a Tesla charging plug will be standard on all of their vehicles.

Rivian is a minor player in the auto industry, having sold fewer than 30,000 automobiles in the United States between 2021 and the first quarter of this year. However, the Irvine, California-based company is largely regarded as a formidable competitor to Tesla.

Drivers of Rivian vehicles can now use Tesla’s network of over 12,000 Superchargers, joining those of GM and Ford vehicles. The Department of Energy reports that there are 1,797 Tesla Supercharger stations and over 19,000 charging ports in the United States.

ChargePoint is the largest charging network in the United States, with over 32,000 stations and 55,000 outlets. The great majority of battery chargers on the market are Level 2 chargers, and they can take up to eight hours to fully charge a battery.

More than 136,000 public charging ports are available at around 54,000 public charging stations across the United States, according to the Energy Department. Level 2 charging facilities are far more common, however DC fast chargers like Tesla’s are becoming increasingly common.

According to industry experts, there is a rising trend in the United States toward standardizing on Tesla’s connector. For a while, it’ll be important for cars to be able to use either connector.

Owners will pay Tesla for charging, as they would with any other charging system, even if GM and Ford are not paying Tesla for access to the network.

In addition to joining Tesla’s network, Rivian has stated that it would be expanding its own charging infrastructure, which will now use Tesla’s connector.

Following this information, Tesla stock finished Tuesday trading at a premium of 5.3%. Sales of Ford vehicles have climbed by over 40% since the company’s May 25 announcement that it will join the charging network.

Several additional automakers are thinking of following suit. Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said that the firm’s U.S. teams are now mulling over the possibility and will make a decision in the following weeks.

He mentioned that one of the drawbacks of this option is its reliance on Tesla. However, Stellantis (formerly Fiat Chrysler) does offer three plug-in gas-electric hybrids that can travel a short distance on electricity alone. This year, the company plans to release an electric commercial van in addition to the electric Ram truck and other cars.

As a major player in the electric vehicle sector, Rivian’s decision to join Tesla’s charging network is a major step toward standardized charging interfaces. As more and more automakers consider adopting Tesla’s technology, it’s moving closer to becoming the norm. Trends like this show how much of an impact Tesla is having on the development of EV charging infrastructure.

First reported on Federal News Network

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The concept of “going green” sounds good on paper. Companies across the globe are setting goals to operate more efficiently by balancing sustainability with affordability.

But how many of these businesses are actually pulling it off? What companies are walking the walk and not just talking the talk? What brands are creating technology that is sustainable and affordable?

As the global economy struggles and a potential recession looms, truly “green” companies operating a sustainable (both environmentally and fiscally) business model will begin to stand out compared to the pretenders. As we head through 2023, here are several green tech companies that are coming through on their promise to help build a sustainable yet affordable tech-powered future.

1. PosiGen Is Making Solar Power Accessible

As the idea of solar power has slowly inched toward reality, one of the ongoing issues has been upfront costs — expenses that are disproportionately felt by certain groups more than others. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) has reported that low-income households, as well as those of ethnic minorities such as Black, Native American, and Hispanic homes, pay a disproportionately high share of their income on their energy bills.

In contrast, even with government incentives (many of which lower and moderate-income households don’t qualify for), a solar panel system can easily run into thousands and even tens of thousands of dollars. Even if it has the potential to save a home more than its cost over its lifespan, the upfront investment to buy a system puts this green energy option firmly out of reach for many homes.

Enter PosiGen. PosiGen offers solar energy system leases to homeowners, designs them based on a customer’s utility usage, and does not require a minimum income level or credit score. This removes the immediate capital burden of each installation.

ACEEE also highlights home weatherization as a way for homeowners to reduce energy burdens by as much as 25%. PosiGen has an answer for this as well, as it provides a complimentary home energy audit and certain energy efficiency upgrades along with each solar installation, further enhancing each household’s savings.

2. Soluna Is Recycling Solar Power

Sticking with the renewable energy theme, solar and wind power are all the rage now. And yet, the renewable energy industry is still finding its footing.

Blades from wind turbines represent a growing pollution threat. Unpredictability in weather patterns can make financing and paying debts difficult for wind and solar farm owners. Critically, inconsistent revenue and negative pricing periods are chaotic at best and often lead to wasted electricity. (A devastating reality for an industry built around sustainability).

Soluna Computing is a tech company that is answering the issue of excess energy — and even redirecting it to solve a separate yet related issue: cryptocurrency mining. The digital “mining” of cryptocurrency has come under fire for its wasteful use of resources for years now.

Soluna’s reclamation of excess solar and wind power is used to run data centers that sell clean computing power to its customers — including cryptocurrency miners. This is another key example of balancing sustainability with affordability. It’s the definition of efficiency and a clear “two birds with one stone” win for the sustainable tech sector.

3. Sendle Is Making Shipping Carbon Neutral

If there’s one iconic image that represents the ongoing environmental damage taking place around the world on a daily basis, it has to be the picture of large trucks rumbling down the road. Exhaust and fumes, consumption of fossil fuels, and the sheer number of vehicles in operation on the road are alarming.

Sendle is one delivery brand that is working hard to remedy the unsustainable damage done by transportation. The tech company has created a software platform that small business owners can use to gain easy access to cost-effective and flexible shipping options.

Along with its primary focus on moving goods between different endpoints, Sendle is also fiercely committed to a sustainable philosophy — a tall order in its industry. Nevertheless, the brand consistently promises that each delivery is 100% carbon neutral.

This lofty goal is accomplished in multiple ways. For instance, Sendle software charts the most efficient path for each package, ensuring that extra emissions aren’t in transit. In addition, the company invests in positive environmental initiatives to offset the carbon that its carriers do create in the process of doing their jobs. Needless to say, this company is not only balancing sustainability with affordability, but it’s making shipping more convenient as well.

4. Bowery Farming Is Reducing Agricultural Waste

Tech influences every industry today — and the food industry is no exception. From farming to distribution to cutting-edge crops, technology is reimagining life for a planet that has always struggled with hunger.

The only problem is that many of the technologies currently in use tend to be harmful to the environment. From gas-guzzling tractors to earth-damaging fertilizers to chemically-disrupted ecosystems, farming in the 21st century can be as destructive as it is beneficial.

It’s an issue that Bowery Farming is working overtime to address. The sustainably-focused farming company is utilizing food technology to create controlled indoor agricultural hubs just outside of major urban centers. This generates affordable food while addressing a variety of environmental concerns, such as a lack of arable land and water waste.

5. Boundless Offers Clean, Sustainable, Hydrogen-Backed Health

Hydrogen is a popular item for many sustainable initiatives. One unexpected area where entrepreneurs are putting the essential element to good use is the growing health obsession with hydrogen water.

Hydrogen water is a health beverage that combines hydrogen with water and offers a variety of benefits. The process of combining these ingredients can be tricky, though, and often involves chemical processes, such as electrolysis.

Boundless Hydrogen Water has found a cleaner way to manufacture its hydrogen water: through hydrokinetic ultrasonic fluid mixing. (i.e., using sound waves to naturally combine the ingredients.) In addition, the brand only uses green hydrogen obtained from sustainable sources. The result is a healthy, affordable product that is as good for the planet as it is for people.

From food to shipping, solar power, and even cryptocurrency, there are countless tech companies that are creating a real, tangible difference in the environment. As the “green gospel” continues to infatuate all and sundry, the world needs to learn from these leaders in the green tech space. Making a difference and preserving our future is more than a cute mission statement or setting aside a budget for sustainability efforts. It requires thoughtful sustainability strategies executed with the passion and vision for a brighter future.

Featured Image Credit: Pixabay; Pexels; Thank you!

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It’s fairly accepted that the use of fossil fuels is damaging our environment. Moving away from those energy sources and transitioning to renewable, sustainable energy sources is humankind’s best chance at slowing or even reversing the damage already caused.

This past year also saw an energy crisis unfold in much of Europe. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and their subsequent slowdown in oil delivery through the Nord Stream pipeline had European governments concerned. The shutdown intensified when the pipeline ruptured in September. November saw only 1.86 Bcm of oil delivered to Europe in 2022, far below the 10.09 Bcm delivered during the same period in 2021.

We still don’t know the extent of the European Union’s energy crisis. Reserves are depleting, prices are increasing, and according to the World Economic Forum, this is causing “significant harm to consumers.”

European leaders are talking about energy independence from Russia. On March 8, 2022, they released a plan that would make Europe independent of Russian fossil fuels by 2030. Called the REPowerEU concept, the plan seeks to diversify gas supplies, increase renewable gases, and boost energy savings.

The upshot of this crisis is world leaders are increasing their investment and reliance on sustainable energy sources. In 2021, we saw 173.5 GW in new solar capacity. That was expected to increase by another 260 GW in 2022.

Current State of Renewable Energy and Impact of Data

The renewable energy industry is growing by approximately 20% every year. This rapid acceleration combines wind energy, solar power, hydropower, and bioenergy sources. Interestingly, data is playing a major role in developing new energy sources.

Data is allowing solar and wind farms to increase efficiency. The insights offered by data sources allow these industrial complexes to make adjustments to their daily operations. Data is also helping these energy plants to get more out of every solar panel and wind turbine.

One key area where data helps is forecasting the weather. Artificial intelligence (AI) combined with weather satellites and predictive analytics help predict the amount of energy that will be generated. This estimation is essential in integrating solar energy into the power grid.

Big data is also being used to plan better wind and solar farm installations. It helps optimize the number of panels or turbines needed to generate the maximum output for a given facility. This helps reduce the cost of building these facilities by eliminating waste and unnecessary development expenses.

Optimizing Renewable Energy Resources in 2023

There are a few tools we are going to see more of in 2023 that will optimize performance and increase output. First, the AI technology connected to renewable energy sources is improving and becoming more accessible to the average energy farm.

Plant owners and managers are gaining increased access to reliable, relevant, and current information to make data-driven decisions. For example, an effective AI platform connected to a solar farm can help identify underperforming solar panels by analyzing the volume of energy being generated. From there, it can analyze whether the investment to fix the problem is cost-effective, and finally, it can explain how to fix the problem.

These sophisticated diagnostics are typically transparent. They are used to increase the daily energy harvest, reduce the cost of maintenance, and increase energy farm profit margins.

This year will also focus more on cleaning solar panels to generate more energy. Our research has shown that cleaning solar panels helps generate up to a 30% increase in energy yield. We expect to see robots being deployed for these cleaning missions, which will help increase capacity.

Renewable energy storage is another challenge that we believe will be addressed in the coming year. At this point, electricity companies limit the amount of energy that it receives. Any energy created above that capacity is lost.

This may result in a few different scenarios. The most obvious one would be some storage solution, either controlled by the electric company or the energy farm. As more energy is needed, the stored energy could be transferred to the electric company for reselling.

However, a more interesting solution might come via the Internet of Things (IoT) combined with the Internet of Energy. This could create a decentralized energy market, where industrial buildings or neighborhoods buy their energy directly from energy farms and store it until it’s needed. The technology layer controlling the energy can make real-time, data-driven decisions to drive energy efficiency and improve the customer experience.

Prioritizing Sustainable Energy Sources

According to the World Economic Forum, nearly 20% of the world’s carbon emissions come from manufacturing facilities. Even more astounding, they consume 54% of the world’s energy sources. This double blow to the earth’s environment needs to be significantly reduced.

As we move through 2023 and into 2024, developing sustainable, replenishable energy sources is one way that manufacturing plants can reduce their environmental impact. Manufacturing companies need to look into ways to invest in sustainable energy. For example, many plants have large roofs on their plants and large parking areas for their employees. Both these areas can be enhanced to support large sections of solar panels.

These facilities can produce electricity on their own, eliminating their need to use the world’s limited resources. The AI technology and automated cleaning tools discussed earlier can help these plants optimize their energy yield by up to 30%. While every plant has different energy needs, many manufacturing facilities would be capable of becoming energy self-sufficient.

The return on investment for these facilities will be paid back in three ways. First, by developing their own power sources, businesses will save significantly on their operating expenses. Second, as they move toward becoming a green manufacturing plant, they will have opportunities to work with new markets that prioritize green manufacturing. Finally, they can use their new green status as a marketing engine to reach new customers and grow sales.

How Governments Can Enhance their Energy Independence

While it takes large tracts of open space to create wind energy or powerful water currents to develop hydroelectricity, every home, building, and available space can be used to capture solar power.

Regional and national governments and municipalities should put solar energy generation high on their list of priorities for 2023 and beyond. They can offer tax credits, subsidies, and other incentives, as well as change zooming laws where required, to encourage the construction of solar panels on every residential home and apartment building.

Governments should also encourage commercial establishments, from office buildings to shopping centers, to invest in their own solar energy micro facilities.

These government-led efforts won’t change things immediately, but they can go a long way toward creating energy-independent homes, businesses, cities, regions, and countries. Massive coverage of rooftops will take some investment, but it will democratize energy, improve the environment, and reduce the hold international oil suppliers have on other countries.

Of course, this type of change requires a change in public policy. Research has shown that fiscal incentives help stimulate radical innovation in renewable energy. Germany created one of the first renewable energy tariff programs in Europe. The program helps the industry turn into a cost-effective program. When the state decided to drop its feed-in tariff levels, the market was large enough and stable enough that it wasn’t noticeably affected.

Building on Change for Renewable Energy

Globally, there were over 300 gigawatts of renewable energy created in 2022. This is a positive step forward, but unfortunately, it is just a small step.

In 2021, the world’s total energy supply was 14,500 gigawatts, which means that renewable energy makes up about 2% of the world’s energy supply. We need to see significant R&D and investment from the world’s governments if we will make a lasting dent in our reliance on fossil fuels.

There are several countries leading the way forward with renewable energy. Renewable energy provided Germany with 49% of its energy use in the first half of 2022. Costa Rica, Scotland, Norway, Uruguay, and Iceland’s energy use is nearly 100% renewable. These success stories are built on commitments from governments to get started and eventually are taken over by the private sector.

This past year showed positive signs toward the expansion of renewable energy. We need to continue to build on those successes as we move ahead into the future.

Featured Image Credit:  Provided by the Author; CEO of BladeRanger; Thank you!

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It’s easy to get wrapped up in stressful moments of life. You may feel like you’re constantly on edge, with no time to relax. But if you don’t take some time for yourself, you’ll quickly find yourself burned out. One of the best ways to keep your mind calm in every situation is by practicing meditation.

This blog post will discuss how meditation can help you stay relaxed and focused under pressure. We’ll also provide some tips for getting started with meditation. So whether you’re a seasoned pro or a complete newbie, read on for everything you need to know about keeping your mind at ease.

How to get rid of stress in the first place?

The first key to getting rid of stress is understanding what causes it in the first place. Most people feel overwhelmed when faced with a situation that feels out of their control. The problem could be anything from a looming deadline at work to a family conflict.

When you’re feeling stressed, your body goes into “fight or flight” mode. Fight or Flight mode means that your heart rate and breathing quicken, and you may start to feel anxious or panicked. This feeling is a normal reaction designed to help you deal with a threat.

However, the problem is that many of the things that cause stress in our lives are not actually life-threatening. In other words, there’s no need to run away or fight. So when you don’t have to fight or run away, but the feeling of stress or anxiety is present and continues — this is where meditation comes in.

When you meditate, you train your mind to focus and be present in the moment. Keeping your head (thoughts) in the now helps you see stressful situations for what they really are: not threats but challenges that can be dealt with calmly and logically. As a result, you’re better able to manage your stress levels and stay calm in every situation.

What are the causes and symptoms of stress?

There are many different things that can cause stress. However, common causes include work stress, family, and financial problems.

Symptoms of stress vary from person to person, but they can include both physical and emotional symptoms. Physical symptoms may include headaches, muscle tension, and difficulty sleeping. Emotional symptoms may include anxiety, irritability, and depression.

If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, it’s essential to take some time for yourself and find ways to reduce your stress levels. Meditation is a great way to do this.

Is it really possible to keep your mind calm in every situation?

Yes, it is possible to be calm in every situation — but it takes practice. Meditation is a skill that you can learn and improve with time. The more you meditate, the better you’ll get at it. And the better you get at it, the more easily you’ll be able to keep your mind calm in every situation.

Of course, there will always be challenges and stressful moments in life. But with meditation, you’ll have the tools you need to deal with each situation as it comes calmly and effectively.

How to get started with meditation

If you’re new to meditation, don’t worry – it’s easy to get started. There are many different ways to meditate, so you can find a method that works best for you.

One of the simplest and most effective ways to meditate is to focus on your breath. Sit in a comfortable position with your eyes closed. Then, simply focus your attention on your breath. Notice the sensations of each inhale and exhale. If your mind wanders, simply bring your attention back to your breath.

Start by meditating for 5-10 minutes a day. Once you get the hang of it, you can increase the length of your sessions as desired.

Do I need to attend classes or go to a spiritual guru to start meditation?

No, you don’t need to do anything like that. Meditation is a simple practice that you can do on your own, in the comfort of your own home.

If you’re interested in attending meditation classes or working with a spiritual guru, there’s nothing wrong with that. But it’s not necessary. You can start meditating today without any special equipment or training.

What are the benefits of meditation?

There are many benefits of meditation, both for your mind and your body.

Meditation can help you learn to control and focus your thoughts. This can lead to improved mental clarity and decreased stress levels. Meditation can also help you become more aware of your thoughts and emotions, which can help you manage them in a healthy way.

On a physical level, meditation can help to lower blood pressure and improve sleep quality. It can also reduce stress-related symptoms such as headaches, muscle tension, and difficulty sleeping.

In short, meditation is an incredibly effective tool for managing stress and promoting overall health and well-being.

Meditation is a simple and effective way to reduce stress. It’s also free, easy to learn, and can be done anywhere. If you’re looking for a way to improve your mental and physical health, find ways to deal with your stress or anxiety, or want to sleep better — meditation is a great place to start. Give it a try today.

Inner Image Credit: Provided by the Author; Thank you!

Featured Image Credit: Photo by Greta Hoffman; Pexels; Thank you!

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With much of the world now focused on the goal of net zero carbon emissions by the year 2050, industry leaders are asking: How can businesses be more sustainable?

Sustainability has gone from being a nice to have to a mission statement, and businesses are transforming their operations to ensure they’re headed in the right direction.

At the same time, another revolution has sprung: digital transformation. Companies are busy adopting tools and technologies to make processes more efficient and competitive. In the pursuit of global optimization, businesses have a lot to gain from thinking about these two movements in conjunction.

What Does a Sustainable Business Model Look Like in Action?

Let’s say a company with sustainability baked into its business model has decided to invest time and focus on driving more efficient operations and reducing waste. This can look like using cheaper products, which means less packaging, less waste, and more efficient utilization of raw materials — all leading to lower costs of materials. So, for example, the company might choose to quit paper mail or move customer service from an expensive downtown office to an online hub.

Part of creating a sustainable business model is being transparent and communicative about it.

Being open about how much energy it uses helps the business create change internally and in its community. And showing these decisions to employees and customers helps nurture a brand with a strong set of values, which builds trust, motivation, and well-being. Additionally, funds flow to companies with high ESG ratings, resulting in higher valuations.

Businesses Benefit From Sustainability

Businesses that adopt this kind of sustainable model are going to reap several significant benefits:

First, they can better meet consumer demands.

Now that sustainability is a very visible public concern, a large portion of the global population cares about seeing businesses take action. For example, 81% of global consumers feel companies should help tackle climate change.

They can improve efficiency.

A business carving out a new efficiency area saves money and time. So creating a sustainable business model essentially means freeing up resources — whether that’s human resources, energy, paper, or time — to make a less harmful impact.

They can attract skilled talent.

Like today’s consumers, today’s employees are looking to commit to sustainability. Almost 64% of Millennials say they would turn down a job if the company didn’t have strong corporate responsibility practices.

How Can Digital Transformation Create a More Sustainable Business?

Transforming business processes to be more data-driven and efficient inevitably makes sustainability easier. Here’s how:

1. Eliminate physical processes.

Businesses can eliminate a lot of carbon emissions by automating physical processes. Cut out costly trips, unnecessary overheads, and longer hours. Then, you can reap energy savings. Digital transformation also empowers research and development.

To do sustainability successfully, we need new tools and innovations.

Alternatives to plastic. New drugs. More efficient vehicles. Even natural disaster forecasting. Mining data and leveraging AI can make these innovations possible.

2. Identify areas for improvement.

You can find improvement areas by using big data and analytics and honing them. By doing this, you can get more wins out of fewer resources and benefit from moments of high demand.

For instance, one of our clients used our predictive AI models to calculate which of its clients would need refueling in the next week, optimizing their fuel distribution routes and saving CO2.

3. Save energy with automation.

Automated production and service steps save time, and time means energy. Automation even led one Spanish automotive supplier to cut 50 gigawatt-hours of energy in a single year. Moreover, the increased efficiency of these savings led to further savings the following year.

4. Accelerate learning.

Digital innovations can aid human learning, so we can understand and take action on problems far quicker. This has inevitable benefits for sustainability.

AI tools can democratize education, connecting anyone who needs it to knowledge and expertise. This way, you don’t have to wait for an environmental specialist to come along; anyone with a passion for your company can become a sustainability warrior and innovate solutions for your unique workplace.

A Tale of Two Transformations

Digital transformation and sustainability impact one another in tandem. Both are synonymous with innovation. We must renovate our economic models, work processes, communication, and more to make both kinds of transformation work. That’s why thinking about a sustainable business model alongside a digital business model makes sense.

What About Carbon Emissions From Digital Systems?

Though digital transformation can aid sustainability efforts, it also comes with its own environmental impact. Setting up digital systems is not a carbon-free endeavor, so how can companies manage or offset these unwanted emissions? The good news is that although digital transformation has a carbon cost, the benefits usually far outweigh it.

The CO2 saved by increased efficiency is enough to make sustainable digital transformation a reality.

There are also ways to offset electricity production by choosing cloud providers instead of office power suppliers and monitoring partners’ energy sources. Digital tools and machine learning techniques enable companies to find the areas in their processes that use the most carbon and reduce unsustainable metrics.

The Takeaway

Sustainable digital transformation is possible. Not only that but digital transformation and sustainability work in tandem. For example, evaluating processes for their energy efficiency, monitoring sustainability metrics, and implementing digital tools and automation to save time and resources — all these actions form a powerful loop by which sustainability drives digital transformation and vice versa.

Featured Image Credit: Joshua Sortino; Unsplash; Thank you!

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As the world struggles with significant environmental changes due to industrial pollution, fossil fuels, and the primary reason for climate change, cryptocurrency has become in the discussion of climate change.

Bitcoin and many other cryptocurrencies are being produced by mining, and mining takes a lot of energy to create bitcoins or any other cryptocurrency. 

There has been a race for becoming crypto millionaires, and everybody wants to win in this race, creating a good amount of electronic waste than fat bank accounts.

Here’s how you can know how much energy is being consumed that can cost significant changes in climate change.

How Much Energy is too much?

The apparent reason for the environmental impact of Crypto on climate change is how they are being generated, and they are being caused by electricity to what we call digital coins.

As we know that many types of cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, hardly rely upon mining, and after Bitcoin’s release, it has become harder to mint new units through the mining process.

So the total amount for bitcoin to mint is 21 million, and the more mint takes place, the more computational power needs to mint the left ones.

Bitcoin is the most expensive cryptocurrency (The price of one bitcoin is 42,000$, checked by this bitcoin calculator as of this writing). Since it tops the prices and other currencies, everyone wants to mine bitcoin to have some or a good portion in their pockets.

Therefore, it takes more computational power and electricity to mint new ones. The Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index states that bitcoin mining uses more electricity power globally than Netherlands and Pakistan.

The current miners with considerable income are Antminer S19j Pro, Antminer L7, Innosilicon A10 Pro, and others.

The environmental concerns come due to the production of carbon footprints by the power plants. A single bitcoin transaction takes 2,292.5 kilowatt-hours of Energy which is good enough to deliver electricity to a typical US household for over 78 days.

How come Environment concerns in Crypto?

Many countries use fossil fuels to generate electricity, resulting in carbon mixing in the atmosphere and worsening the climate. 

Approximately 35% of bitcoin operations occur in the USA alone, 

and the University of Cambridge has estimated that 60% of power is generated through fossil fuels.

There’s also an issue with the physical waste. As everybody is in the race to build more coins, miners use graphics cards, computers, and purpose-built ASIC rigs to mine bitcoin. They usually through away the old products and buy new ones.

Which produces physical waste, and therefore there has been a lot of electronic waste.

Why Crypto Uses So much Energy?

Digital currencies consume so much electricity that no group of people or network could control them. Therefore, they are called decentralized currencies, which means they have no single control point.

Popular cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum are based on the proof of work (PoW) system. It relies on users having to solve problems of varying difficulty to create new coins and add new blocks of data to the blockchain of a cryptocurrency.

The idea behind this system was developed to protect against cyberattacks in which a person creates numerous fake identities and then uses them to control most of the network.

Conclusion

Despite the benefits of cryptocurrency, the environmental impact of cryptocurrency mining is still a controversial issue. In addition to the fact that the industry consumes a large amount of energy, it is not only an inefficient form of money.

The digital infrastructure of the currency industry is also energy-intensive. The mining computer needs massive amounts of Energy. Further, data processing on these computers requires large quantities of Energy. Therefore, it is not surprising that the environmental impact of cryptocurrency mining is so high.

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AI has become the buzzword of the world, and an integral part of almost every company’s digital transformation agenda. AI users have become producers of AI tools and services. Corporate leaders and even the White House have come with forward with a directive on promotion, promulgation, and advancement of artificial intelligence.

On February 11, 2019, President Trump signed Executive Order 13859 announcing the American AI Initiative. Executive Order 13859 is the United States’ national strategy on artificial intelligence. 4000+ companies in the world are in the business of producing AI tools, products and services.

AI and its impact on climate change.

Gartner projects that by 2021, AI will create $2.9 trillion in business value and generate 6.2 billion hours in worker productivity. In light of these assumptions, it’s no wonder that PwC forecasts that A.I. could contribute $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030.

While the whole world is optimistic about AI-led use cases and championing huge investments, one thing is probably getting far less attention than it ideally should: AI – induced climate change.

Artificial intelligence advancement needs two key ingredients (other than passion):

1. Tons of training data.

   Machine learning models are nothing if there is no historical data to train them. Example, to train computer vision models to detect, identify and label objects that they see if a photo or a video, they need to be trained on corresponding, labeled and annotated data first for elongated periods of time, till they begin to use the learnings to then identify objects they might have seen before.

2. Correspondingly a lot of storage and computing power.

   Now, multiply this with millions of use cases companies are developing using computer vision to detect, identify, label, and then predict some, to get an idea of the amount of infrastructure being used.

At a very conservative level, there were more than 4000* companies around the world in 2018, and growing, dedicated to developing one or more specific uses cases using AI to automate human work in one form or another.

What these 2 ingredients mean is that humungous amounts of energy requirements to store, backup and feature engineer this training data.

To give you an idea, few brainy folks @ University of Massachusetts Amherst measured that an average car produces 126,000 pounds of Co2 over its lifetime. Training a single transformer model to achieve acceptable levels of accuracy with 1 GPU over a neural architecture requires energy that would produce 626,000 pounds of Co2.

That amount of Co2 is approximately equal to about 5 cars running their engines altogether for 10 years. That stat is teaching us that merely to train a single transformer model for AI is 5 cars running for 10 years.

Extrapolating this to model building and training showing that those 4000+ AI companies are doing 24/7, it’s mind-boggling to see equivalent Co2 production and also the energy diversion towards ML training.

3 obvious questions arise.

1. How ethical is this AI process — especially when more than 940 Mn people in the world do not have access to electricity?
2. When corporations say they support ‘green’ initiatives, how credible is that statement, when the same corps invest billions into AI? How is it possible to be still green when you invest in AI research? Google seems to be interesting– it uses 56% of its total power needs via renewable sources of energy. In comparison, Microsoft is at about 32% and Amazon at 17%. (Cook et al., 2017.)
3. Is AI progression worth it, given the climate change impact due to such levels of Co2 production & energy diversion away from the lower sections of society?

The counterargument that AI progression is creating more jobs.

So we have the counterargument that AI progression is creating more jobs and helping countries achieve a higher GDP and per capita rate. Is this a valid claim? Yes, but what remains to be examined closely is whether this is indeed new job creation or re-skilling existing manpower.

The argument with every wave of technology, from the automatic weaving looms of the early industrial revolution to the computers of today, is that jobs are not destroyed, but rather an employment shifts from one place to another as entirely new categories of employment are created.

The Luddites might have wrecked the mills as a protest against machine-enabled automation, but today, those same workers would be defending manufacturing against the disappearance of those jobs.

So are these additional jobs helping lift individuals out of poverty?

More importantly, are the additional jobs — if any. Are these supposed extra jobs actually lifting people out of poverty? Can someone work and finally have the money to finally get access to electricity? My thought is — is this the same electricity they could have had in the first place — had it not been diverted for purposes of advancing AI? Think about it.

Climate Change

Perhaps, the most fundamental of all is — What is it with AI that we can achieve that’s MORE important and precious than preserving our climate?

Is investing in AI a really good bet for a socially responsible leadership? I don’t have an answer to this, but am often intrigued by this question.

I interestingly belong to that category of the society which has been propagating the cause of AI, and I am at my wit’s end to find balance against this question. Please weight in with your thoughts on this subject. I’d love to hear from you.

These are personal views, and do not represent those of my current or previous employers.

Top Image Credit: Denniz Futalan; Pexels

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The world is rapidly urbanizing. As populations increase and technology brings everyone closer together, more and more people are becoming urban dwellers. China alone is on track to have a staggering 221 cities with over one million inhabitants within the next five years.

With the importance of cities on the rise, it’s worth considering how this trend in urban size and scope will impact the development of the modern phenomenon commonly referred to as the “smart city.”

The Historical Importance of the Metropolis

Historically, cities have long served as the central hubs from which most human advancements took place. The Roman Republic conquered the ancient world from a single urban center. The Renaissance flourished as it rapidly spread throughout Europe from one major city to another. Christianity found incredible early success primarily due to the urban contingent of its followers.

The point is, cities have been instrumental throughout the human narrative, as they have often served to concentrate political and industrial power, nurtured forward-thinking development, and pioneered advancements and ideologies that have shaped what the future will look like.

When you bring the subject up to the modern era and take the IoT and the concept of the “smart city” into consideration, the sheer vision of what’s possible begins to grow exponentially.

That said, here are a few of the ways that smart cities may help to forge a technological path into humanity’s future.

Smart Food for Smart Cities

While the concept of a “smart city” typically invokes a sleek, metallic, Asimovian cityscape with flying cars and solar panels galore, an actual “smart” city looks to incorporate more than just a simplistic sci-fi decor.

Along with the flashy, cutting-edge technology, smart cities of the future must look to embrace a holistic, sustainable mindset that takes all aspects of life into account — including food. Until humanity can figure out how to build replicators in Star Trekkian fashion, growing food, the old fashioned way will have to do.

Traditionally, this has been done in rural areas. The food is being harvested and shipped into cities to feed urban populations that are primarily focused on the industry. While this has worked in the past, it has hardly been an ideal system, as countless quantities of resources and man-power are required to transport and sell the relocated food. In addition, this naturally creates a “jugular vein” that leaves overly-dependent cities vulnerable.

Smart cities of the future must look to overcome this handicap by increasing their own food production. Urban agriculture is already commonly practiced by many individuals and can include a variety of different approaches, such as:

• Rooftop gardening.
• Container gardening.
• Window and balcony gardening.
• Green wall and vertical gardening.
• Raising chickens.
• Beekeeping.

While there is no doubt that urban agriculture is diverse and can be quite effective, currently, the bulk of the urban gardens in existence consist of small, hobby-level operations that have been created by individuals or small communities.

With this untapped potential in mind, smart city governments must learn to harness the power of urban farming and scale it in order to increase the sustainability of entire urban centers.

This concept of growing “smart food” right in the heart of smart cities can also be extrapolated to include the entire biodiversity of a city-center. By protecting greenery, maintaining parks, and legally and financially supporting urban agriculture on a government-wide scale, smart cities of the future may be able to successfully create what would, in effect, equate to healthy, self-sustaining biodomes.

Sustainable Transportation

A few years ago, the carbon-reducing agreement known as Paris COP21 set cities on a path towards environmentally sound objectives. This emphasized climate change, sustainability, and resilience as key performance indicators (KPIs) in their efforts to improve in the near future.

Initiatives like these have a clear and obvious target in the transportation industry. Fossil-fuel vehicles are already a bane on the environment in general. However, in cities, the concentration of gasoline-burning cars, trucks, planes, trains, ships, and so on has had a devastating effect on both the local and the global environment.

Fortunately, developing technology such as electric cars, efficient public transportation, and even ride-sharing services have already helped to dramatically reduce the number of vehicles being used to commute on a regular basis. Future smart cities will likely be able to take advantage of this trend — coupled with the dawning era of self-driving vehicles — to steer their metropolises towards effective transportation solutions that require little to no vehicle ownership and minimal emissions through ultra-efficient use.

Conscious Capitalism

Urban agriculture and sustainable transportation are both rather specific ways that smart cities can develop in the future. However, one of the less tangible yet arguably more important developments that bode well for the smart city of the future is the concept of conscious capitalism.

Modern business trends like corporate social responsibility have helped to bring awareness in recent years to many irresponsible and harmful business activities. However, conscious capitalism takes this concept of businesses looking “beyond the bottom line,” a step further.

While they can and should still value profitability — after all, that’s why they’re in business — companies that practice conscious capitalism adopt values and ethics that reflect humanity’s progress, needs, and current condition as a whole. It takes into account silent partners like the environment that cannot speak for themselves and functions on four guiding principles:

• Having a higher calling beyond simply making a profit.
• Considering the entire ecosystem of their business and not just the upper echelon of investors and owners.
• Leading with a “we” mentality.
• Purposefully cultivating a culture of trust, care, and cooperation.

What does all of this have to do with the future of smart cities? Urban centers are dominated by businesses, many of which have historically given little heed to their surroundings. However, as more and more companies see both the short- and long-term value of adopting a conscious capitalist mindset, they will likely become more open to proactively improving the cities that they cohabitate.

This may lead to a greater focus on development, charitable work, and investment in sustainable practices like Fair Trade all, of which can be crucial to the further development and health of smart cities across the globe.

New Frontiers in Energy Efficiency

Smart cities have already become nearly synonymous with efficiency. In fact, there are many energy-efficient best practices already in use, such as:

• Using energy-efficient appliances.
• Washing clothes in cold water and hanging them to dry.
• Installing smart thermostats.
• Taking cooler, shorter showers.
• Lowering the temperature on water heaters.

One way that the cities of the future will likely take the concept of energy efficiency to the next level is through the common application of thermal energy imaging via drone (dronegenuity dot com). As the price of the equipment needed to use it has dwindled, thermal energy imaging has become increasingly accessible to smaller operations and even homeowners.

This remarkably simple yet effective practice uses the thermographic camera to scan a building and find precisely where the most energy is being lost. The increasing use of this technology will enable smart cities in the future to continue to increase their energy efficiency and, by extension, both their sustainability and their eco-friendly nature.

Smart Cities Leading the Way

It’s impossible to accurately predict how the future will unfold, especially in detail. However, observing modern trends like urban gardening, thermal energy imaging, and sustainable transportation can help to project an approximate idea of what the future could hold.

In addition, when one takes into consideration the growing trend of conscious capitalism, it’s difficult not to conclude that cities, in particular, will see unprecedented breakthroughs in sustainability and efficiency in the years to come.

The concentration of business leaders and forward-thinking minds that takes place in urban centers leads to a natural convergence of progressive thinkers. This creates an incubating effect that leads to a constantly-evolving, cutting edge pattern of development that will likely lead to some of the most sophisticated, efficient, environmentally friendly cities possible in the not-too-distant future.

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Technology is booming in the home. Technology Convergence and the Smart Home recently reported that US broadband households now own more than ten connected devices. A shortlist of the home connected devices include connected consumer electronics, connected health devices, smart locks, thermostats, security cameras, sprinkling systems, and more. But long-range wireless power promises less waste and lower cost with these smart home systems.

Interoperability and connectivity are two key deciding factors in purchase decisions. As the number of devices increases in the home, so does the need to keep them consistently charged and working (no one wants the smart lock on their front door to lose power).

For those smart home devices that still call for the use of traditional batteries, consumers are faced with both an enormous amount of battery waste and high replacement costs. Also, because batteries only have a small total energy capacity, manufacturers are forced to sacrifice device functionality just to extend battery life.

Taking Charge Without the Waste

The proliferation of devices is driving the need for a sea-change in how those devices are powered. Batteries are expensive, wasteful, and often die quickly, leaving our smart home devices unusable, sometimes for days.

Annually, Americans discard approximately 180,000 tons of batteries (more than three billion batteries), of which 86,000 tons are single-use alkaline batteries that cannot be recycled.

Placed end to end, the dead alkaline batteries alone would circle the world at least six times. Much of this waste ends up in landfills, not only taking up precious land but also allowing harmful chemicals to leach into the surrounding soil and waterways.

Despite advances in battery and charging technologies – like longer-lasting lithium-ion rechargeable batteries — a new Zogby report talks of, “Charging America 2019.” The Current State of Power Options for Smart Home and Mobile Devices, found that 40 percent of consumers have to replace smart home device batteries multiple times per month.

A New Path – Long-Range Wireless Power

Not only do we need a more sustainable energy delivery approach for the benefit of our planet, but consumers are also hungry for alternative energy options. They want possibilities that will give them more excellent reliability and reduce their costs associated with having to purchase a plethora of batteries continually.

25 percent of consumers that are investing in smart home technology said that they would spend an additional 10 percent or more for a smart home device with long-range wireless power if that meant making the device more mobile, easier to install and less of a hassle to service on a reoccurring basis.

Long-range wireless power is the disruptive technology that is cutting the cord.

Long-range wireless power is the disruptive technology that is cutting the cord on a soon to be an archaic system of powering devices, especially in the smart home.

The process? A wireless power transmitter sends safe infrared beams to a receiver (typically embedded in the devices to be powered), and a small photovoltaic cell in the receiver converts the light to electricity. The concept is similar to solar panels converting sunlight into electricity.

Infrared beams can travel with little degradation over a distance, efficiently and safely providing wireless power across a room. The infrared process dramatically reducing the need for batteries, and thus decreasing the environmental footprint caused by battery waste.

The infrared method of charging frees up manufacturers to create the smart home devices that consumers desire, free of the power limitations imposed by batteries.

Long-range wireless charging will turn the tide on battery waste with a more sustainable way to charge not only smart home devices, but mobile phones, tablets, wireless speakers, and industrial sensors.

Long-range wireless eliminates the need for batteries and power cords altogether. It’s a win-win for consumers, manufacturers, and most importantly, our planet.

The time is now for this disruptive tech to enter the entire industry. The long-range technology will innovate and prepare for a new way of charging the growing prominence of smart devices in our daily lives.

Just like WiFi-enabled a new class of products — long-range wireless charging can usher in the next generation of powered, eco-friendly smart devices.

Image Credit: Hilary Halliwell; Pexels

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Founded in 1933, Saudi Aramco is the owner of one of the world’s largest oil reservoirs, containing 260 billion barrels — that’s more than ten times the entire United States’ crude oil stockpile. In addition, Aramco has a natural gas reservoir of 186 trillion cubic feet, making it the largest integrated oil and gas company in the world, ahead of other international oil companies.

The Saudi Aramco IPO

While reports of the company going public on the financial market have been present for quite some time, in early November, Saudi Arabia’s market regulator officially announced that Aramco will hold a domestic listing on the Riyadh Stock Exchange. As with all IPOs, Saudi Aramco enlisted several major banks to serve as underwriters for the offering. Among these banks are major names, such as Goldman Sachs, and the Bank of America.

It is estimated that the company will raise at least $25.6 billion, giving it a minimal market cap of $1.6 trillion. The market cap instantly positions it as one of the world’s largest publicly-traded companies and the largest of the national oil companies.

Following the domestic listing in Saudi Arabia, the company is reportedly planning additional offerings in 2020 on the New York, London, Hong Kong, and SingSaudi Aramco. Witnessing that the world’s largest energy provider, biggest oil producer, and the largest investor-owned oil company is going public is expected to be seen as the largest initial public offering (IPO) in history.

The IPO date is set for December 4th, 2019. Saudi Aramco will be available for trading on eToro once proper liquidity is provided. Until then, you can add it to your watchlist. Once the market opens, it will be traded like any other market on eToro. Aramco is hoping to raise more than $25 billion as part of the IPO, overtaking the previous record set by Alibaba in 2014.

What is Aramco?

Saudi Aramco is a government-owned crude oil production company, which is estimated to be worth as much as $2 trillion. Almost twice as much as Apple or Microsoft’s market cap, Aramco is also the most profitable company in the world. Earnings reached $111 billion in net income in 2018. That’s as much as Apple, Google and Exxon Mobile earned, combined.

What Impacts the Saudi Aramco Stock?

As one of the biggest oil groups in the world, the Saudi Aramco chart could be impacted by various factors. For example, global demand for oil could have a tremendous impact on the SAOC share price, since it will most likely be impacted by changes in oil prices.

Oil is a major part of the global economy, so international political happenings, such as trade agreements, conflicts, and the like, could also generate volatility for the Saudi Aramco stock.

Trading Saudi Aramco on eToro

If you would like to take part in this historic event, online trading platform eToro will be one of the first in the world to enable its clients to invest in Saudi Aramco stocks. On eToro, the SAOC stock will be available via Contract for Difference (CFD), which means you will be able to utilize, leverage, and carry out short orders.

eToro is a pioneering trading and investment platform, leading many groundbreaking innovations in the Fintech revolution. It is a multi-asset platform, offering more than 2,000 financial assets across various categories, such as stocks, cryptocurrencies, commodities, indices and more.

The platform prides itself on its social features, such as its patented CopyTrader system, which enables traders to allocate some of their funds to replicate another trader’s actions in real-time. eToro has a strong global presence, with more than 10 million users in 140 countries.

The trading platform also places great emphasis on localization, offering trading and investment services in 21 languages.

To trade Saudi Aramco, open an eToro account for free and fund it. Note that when you open an account with eToro, you also receive a virtual account with $100,000, enabling you to experiment with the platform before making your first deposit.

The eToro platform is accessible both on the web and as a mobile app, which interacts seamlessly with one another.

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Technology affects every aspect of our lives. It affects the way we communicate, and how we travel, but it also determines how we learn, how we bank, and the way we run our businesses. Futurist speakers think about those changes and try to understand how they’ll affect us. Here are the top five issues faced by futurists and the areas to which they’re paying a lot of attention.

The Top Five Issues Faced by Futurists

Artificial Intelligence 

Stephen Hawking has warned about its dangers. >Elon Musk has called it humanity’s “biggest existential threat” and recently announced a new brain-computer interface to combat its effects. But Artificial Intelligence is coming, and some people are talking about what it means, what it will do?

What do we need to do to prevent ourselves from being locked out of the airlock door by future Hals? Adam Cheyer isn’t just a futurist speaker. As one of the founders of Siri, he’s also one of the people who has helped to create that future. Neil Jacobstein chairs the Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Track at Singularity University and talks about AI and robotics.

Both are grappling with a future world not dominated by human intelligence.

Education

The future belongs to those who know. If robots take over the dull, repetitive jobs, most of the work remaining will require specialist knowledge. That means improving education and training will be vital. Phill Nosworthy is the founder and managing director of Switch L+D, a bespoke learning and development company that helps teams level up.

Tan Le is the founder and CEO of EMOTIV, a “neuroinformatics company” that researches the human brain and makes brain-based wearables. While Phill Nosworthy focuses on how people should use their brain, Tan Le looks at ways to make more use of it.

Big Data

We surrender private data every time we walk with our phones, make a purchase, or open a website. As that data continues to build, companies will need to get better at safeguarding it. Governments will need to get better at regulating it. And we all need to get better at understanding it.

Mike Walsh is helping with that understanding. He’s written about the power of algorithms and how data is transforming industries. François Bourdoncle is CEO of FB&Cie, a strategy consultancy focused on transformations driven by Big Data.

Fintech

The way we bank and move money has already changed. We used to have to line up for hours at local branches, balance checkbooks, and pay with cash. Now we do all our banking with our thumbs, from cashing a check to applying for a loan. The blockchain has moved currencies out of the control of national banks, while companies like Paypal allow us all to pass money around with no more than a swipe.

As the future becomes increasingly cashless, Ayesha Khanna is helping us to prepare. She wrote her first book on the topic back in 2007. Fintech Asia has called her a leading fintech influencer, and she continues to discuss the relationship between AI and finance.

Christer Holloman is the CEO and co-founder of finance platform Divido and has worked with companies including Visa and BMW. His talks on the future of finance are filled with real examples and case studies.

Clean Energy

Are we leaving the age of fossil fuels? Can clean energy meet all our needs? What do we need to do to make renewables work, and how will a new energy source change our lives? As car companies focus on electric vehicles and researchers look for more efficient ways to power our houses with the sun, Peter Zeihan includes the energy sector in his geopolitical analyses.

Vivek Wadhwa has won numerous awards for his contributions to technology and written several books on technology’s effect on our lives. He has also written and talked about the rise of clean energy and what it will mean, especially in the developing world.

The post The Top 5 Issues Faced by Futurists appeared first on ReadWrite.

With vast amounts of data, smart buildings can play a huge role in energy consumption reduction. Building management has to control the aspects of energy consumptio,n especially with the growing number of energy regulations and certifications. But oftentimes enterprises turn to energy management considerations rather than taking an all-encompassing enterprise management view. You can get smarter about enterprise management with AI.

Switching to the approach of enterprise management is simple. The answer: convergence.

Making the transition.

The convergence of IoT, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning with building systems can help convert data and information about the building into actionable resources. Smart, connected buildings that implement enterprise management systems can collect data from the building’s energy-based assets – such as lighting, HVAC, air ventilation, elevators, room equipment, and more.

Enterprise management systems help collect, analyze, and convert energy data into insights that help building managers improve energy efficiency.

This enterprise-level approach even introduces more connected devices like fire alarms, security cameras, and motion sensors, so analyzing data can happen under one system, helping to maximize enterprise savings and ROI. With energy, IT, and security operations monitored under a comprehensive platform, data is more seamlessly and automatically collected.

When data from multiple systems is collected with manual analysis, desired results are scarce due to the variety, velocity, and sheer volume of data.

Manual changes are considered a Big Data problem. When technologies like machine learning and AI are implemented, they can help automate the data collection and analyzation process. Patterns can be identified easily, helping to forecast, predict, and optimize building operations and increase energy efficiencies. With this self-aware, self-regulated and optimized ability, smarting buildings can improve sustainability efforts and deliver a better occupant and operating experience.

The Benefits of AI.

AI is used to increase sustainability in several ways. It helps sort through all of the data to find patterns and identify trends, especially when buildings have to make predictions about future energy demand or consumption. Enterprise management systems that incorporate AI and analytics offer a granular look into how a building is being used and the energy its consuming, whether it by floor or employee. By monitoring building usage, AI can identify patterns and provide recommended actions to the building managers.

For example, if a conference room is not regularly used, building managers can implement schedules, so the lights don’t need to be consistently on throughout the day.

Leveraging AI can also help provide insights into other factors that could affect building energy consumption, including changes in weather, natural disaster, and building occupancy rate. AI considers all elements to identify faults and opportunities to them provide recommended action for how a building manager can address the situation or adapt for a predicted future occurrence.

Keeping Gen Z in Mind.

In the age of smart buildings and connected technologies, employees are empowered to create better environments for themselves. With enterprise management systems, employees can control their environment during the workday or after-hours. Whether looking to adjust the level of light or control the temperature in their workspace, employees can enhance their comfort and productivity for a customized experience.

Along with savings will be increased productivity and improved building operations.

By leveraging enterprise management systems and utilizing accompanying data, smart buildings and owners can reap the rewards of reduced energy costs. All actions toward better building enterprise management support sustainability efforts and enhancing decision making across the organization. This new wave of sustainability is causing building managers to look at how their tenants engage with facilities.

Work cultures are changing, and technology and younger demographics are bringing a lot of change. Younger generations, like Gen Z, work differently. They prefer more collaborative environments and having the flexibility to work remotely, whether it’s from home or a nearby coffee shop. 

The Path Toward Smarter Buildings Starts Today.

Smart buildings exist today but leveraging enterprise management systems is critical to the success of reducing energy costs, increasing the productivity of staff, improving building operations, supporting sustainability efforts and enhancing decision making across the organization.

When a business makes the transition to a more holistic management platform, their building’s ability to be self-aware, self-regulated, and optimized transforms it into a smarter building. That improves sustainability efforts and delivers a better occupant and operating experience.

The post Get Smarter About Enterprise Management with AI appeared first on ReadWrite.

Over the past 10 years, rooftop houses with solar panels have evolved from curiosity to a common phenomenon. This technology has been available for decades – astronauts have been using solar-powered satellites since 1960, and in the Second World War, passive solar heating systems, which convert solar energy into heat instead of electricity, have been used in U.S. homes.

However, the introduction of active solar systems as a consumer good turned out to be an issue. Active solar energy uses photovoltaic panels to convert sunlight into electricity, and this has traditionally been a prohibitively expensive technology.

The advantages of solar-powered residential buildings are obvious: solar energy is infinite (at least for the next 5 billion years approximately), provides clean energy without emitting greenhouse gases, that may save people’s money on their electricity bills.

But there are factors to consider when deciding on solar energy – and the cost is just one of them.

In this article, I will consider 6 of the most important issues that need to be addressed when you think about investing in solar panel installation. The use of photovoltaic energy is a very “green” solution and a potentially useful step, but it is not as easy as getting energy from a conventional power grid.

Solar Panels Installation. The first factor is the one that you, perhaps, weren’t even considering:

1. Maintenance

Turning your home into a solar energy station requires more than using a conventional old power grid. But not much.

Solar panels have no moving parts. They are a part of a complete stationary system. So, once they are installed, there aren’t many things that can go wrong. Almost the only one a house owner should do is to keep the panels clean. That’s important because too much snow, dust and bird droppings on the panels can reduce the amount of sunlight. Dust accumulation on the screen can reduce the amount of electricity produced by the system by as much as 7 %.

There’s no need to do this once a week, though. It is sufficient to water the panels with a hose once to four times a year. You don’t have to climb on the roof to do this. The hose with a nozzle works perfectly from the ground. If there is construction work in your area, you need to clean the panels more often to avoid additional dust accumulation of building debris.

Also, periodically check that all parts are in working order. You need to replace the batteries as well, but this is once a decade.

2. Surroundings

The location of your house has a great impact on your solar energy efficiency. It’s an obvious problem – if your electrical power depends on sunlight, things like tall tree shadows and high building shadows will be a drawback.

This is an even bigger issue than some people realize. Different types of panels differently react to shadows. While polycrystalline panels can significantly reduce the output of electricity, any part of shading on a mono-crystalline panel will stop electricity production completely.

Thus, to build a solar-powered house, it is necessary to make sure that there is no shade on the roof panel during sunshine hours per day (usually from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and preferably during all solar hours. The more hours the panels are exposed to full sunlight, the more efficient the production of electricity will be.

Achieving the greatest efficiency can mean trimming or completely removing trees on your site. If your home is surrounded by high-rise buildings that block the sun, you should pull them down too If you can’t do that then that’s a big problem.

3. Insolation

Sunlight is obviously the key when it comes to solar energy, and not all regions have equal conditions in this regard. It is important to know how much sunlight reaches the ground in the area where your potential solar home is located.

What we are talking about here is called “insolation”, a measure of how much solar emission will fall to the ground in a given area over a given period of time. This is usually measured in kWh / m2 / days and it will show you how much sunlight will be available for your solar panels to turn into electricity. The higher the insolation value in your region, the more electricity each of your panels will be able to generate. A high insolation value means that you can get more energy from smaller panels. A low value means that you might end up spending more to achieve the same output power.

So you have to build your solar home in the southwest, not the northwest? Far from it. This simply means that you will probably need more panels to achieve the same output power.

4. Coverage

Contrary to what most people think, the size of a solar power plant has nothing to do with the size of a house. Instead, only 2 parameters should be considered:

• insolation which we have just discussed;
• the amount of energy you need.

To get a very rough estimate of how big the system you need should be, look at your electricity bill and find out how much kWh you use per day.

The average house uses around 900 kWh per month or around 30 kWh per day. Multiply this by 0.25 and get 7.5, so we need a 7.5 kW system.

A typical solar panel produces up to 120 watts or 0.12 kW per day. To provide 7.5-kW, you need about 62 panels. One panel can be about 142 x 64 cm, so that the 62 panels will occupy about 65 square meters.

You should also consider the insolation and how many hours of sunshine peak-hours you get per day, make adjustments if you use rechargeable batteries with the panels as well. Therefore, it is best to contact a professional.

5. Costs

In 1956, solar panels cost about $300 per watt. The 7.5 kW system could only be afforded by the very rich.

Today, prices have fallen significantly. In most areas, solar panels operate at around $3-5 per watt. You will pay closer to $3 if you install it yourself, and closer to $5 if you have professionals to do so. For 7.5-kW or 7500 watts panels, you could pay from $22,500 to $37,500.

If you need less electricity, of course, the number gets lower. If you only consume 600 kWh per month or 20 kWh per day, you could install a system with a capacity of up to 5 kW which would cost around $15,000.

Of course, you could partially supply the house with solar energy. If you want to invest $10,000 in solar panels, you can add electricity from the grid with a 1.5-kW solar system.

However, tens of thousands of dollars for solar panels are still quite exorbitant, especially since it can take decades before the money is redeemed.

You can rent them (the panels), though. There are no advance payments. Homeowners pay a monthly rent for the use, and the rental company owns and supports them.

6. Recycling

The service life of solar panels is 40-50 years, the controller and inverter – 15-20, batteries (depending on their type and usage) – 4-10 years.

Although the issue of disposal of solar panels remains open, only 30% of all manufacturers take them back for recycling.  But nevertheless, the demand for spent solar panels is growing every year. As extraction of rare metals becomes more and more expensive, and processing of the panels will lead to their reuse.

In addition, there is a secondary market for photovoltaic and wind-electric sets, where already used equipment can be further used.

In countries in transition, former solar modules can be used. Due to the more intense solar emissions, these modules can produce more electricity. An example of this is the second solo project – an online platform for the purchase and sale of used modules.

Thanks to The Home Dweller for Image.

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In the renewables sector the ultimate goal has always been self-reliance. The idea of homes and businesses using purely renewable forms of energy is what the entire industry is working towards – a carbon-free future.

For years, this has been little more than a pipe-dream, a utopic conception of ideal modern living. There’s a reason why the green idea of ‘doing your bit for the environment’ exists. We know the industry can’t expect people to completely abandon traditional energy sources and go green just like that.

It’s a bit here and a bit there – modest, everyday efforts that, in the bigger picture. These efforts count for something.

In the past few years, though, technology has emerged to bring the solar industry closer to realising its dream of self-reliance. How? Battery storage: everyone from Tesla to Duracell is throwing their hat in the ring and has hit the market with a range of innovative products.

It signals a shift in approach for the solar industry. It’s a time of opportunity, and here’s why.

Sky-high demand for solar energy.

There is a demand for solar power in today’s energy market.

It’s on the rise: a recent survey commissioned by environmental law group ClientEarth. This survey shows that 71 percent of the UK’s general public would be interested in joining a community energy scheme but they want more support and guidance from the government. A further 62 percent would be keen to have solar panels installed onto their properties, and 60 percent express interest in battery storage. In other words, the UK is full of households that would gladly “go green” if they received more support from the powers that be.

This demand reflects a growing popularity for solar, and renewables.

In general: the latest Bloomberg NEF (New Energy Finance) report shows that both solar and wind power will generate 50 percent of global electricity by 2050.

The ‘battery-storage boom’ is responsible for a large chunk of this growth. Speaking about the Bloomberg report, Seb Henbest – Head of Europe, Middle East and Africa for BNEF – said, “We see $548 billion being invested in battery capacity by 2050, two-thirds of that at the grid level, and one-third installed behind-the-meter by households and businesses.

“The arrival of cheap battery storage will mean that it becomes increasingly possible to finesse the delivery of electricity from wind and solar, so that these technologies can help meet demand even when the wind isn’t blowing and the sun isn’t shining. The result will be renewables eating up more and more of the existing market for coal, gas and nuclear.”

Herein lies the vital solution.

When the sun goes down, those with solar panels won’t have to rely on the National Grid for their nighttime electricity. Instead, they can be fully self-reliant because they will have stored surplus energy throughout the day.

Battery storage across the world.

The battery-storage boom is shaking up solar energy on a worldwide scale. Across diverse economies, solar batteries have become a far more viable choice than when they were first pioneered by a handful of high-price market-dominators (Tesla being one of them).

They’re now cheaper and are provided by recognized household brands at a time when more people want to go green than ever before. Most persons are willing to wriggle out of the grasp that fossil fuels and the “Big 6” energy providers have maintained for so long.

Here’s what battery storage is doing for some of the world’s biggest renewable markets:

Solar energy and battery storage in the UK

The Feed-in Tariff – pioneered by Germany is a way to incentivize homeowners to switch to solar energy. This has been in return for regular payments made for the solar energy that they generate. This process is set to end in the UK. Come March 2019 there will be no incentive scheme and no similar replacement.

Fortunately, existing Feed-in Tariff customers will continue to receive their payments as normal. What the UK will not have, however, is an incentive scheme as successful as its Feed-in Tariff has been.

The argument of the UK government is one which recognizes the scheme’s success – which has delivered over 800,000 solar installations over a relatively short eight-year period. The UK government is saying that such a generous subsidy is no longer needed in the UK.

The official consultation states the following:

“Our energy system is changing; technologies such as storage are expected to play an increasingly important role and government seeks to move away from driving deployment with direct subsidies. “It is our view that the current FITs [sic] flat rate export tariff does not align with our vision for the future, given our desire to move towards fairer, cost reflective pricing and the continued drive to minimise support costs on consumers, as well as supporting the vision set out in the Industrial Strategy and Clean Growth Strategy published last year.”

The consultation is right on one thing, at least. Battery storage is the UK’s answer to the end of the Feed-in Tariff, allowing homeowners and business to use solar energy 24/7 so that National Grid prices can be avoided.

Solar energy and battery storage in Africa.

Perhaps not the first location that springs to mind, but solar energy is gathering momentum in developing nations across Africa (as well as others across central and southeastern regions of Asia). Although solar energy has huge potential for mass application across uninhabited desert regions of Africa (residential areas too), battery storage has long been too expensive and impractical for use.

Until very recently, that is. The World Bank has announced plans to invest $1 billion to boost developing countries’ energy-storage capacity from 4.5 gigawatt hours to a huge 17.5. The initial $1 billion investment will be bolstered by a further $4 billion. Africa is said to benefit the most from the battery boom, with vast swathes of land currently unoccupied.

Riccardo Puliti, Head of Energy Practice at the World Bank, said:

“We want to develop the market for batteries in developing countries. Storage has a great future.” The vision for Africa’s solar future will be centered around batteries that are both affordable and adaptable to village life. These batteries are capable of lasting seven or eight hours at night, and they are resistant to extreme temperatures with next to no maintenance required.

Here’s what the President of World Bank, Jim Yong Kim, had to say:

“Battery storage can help countries leapfrog to the next generation of power generation technology, expand energy access, and set the stage for much cleaner, more stable, energy systems.” So we know these batteries are helping underdeveloped countries. Solar batteries are ushering in a new era for solar energy in the United States, where lithium-ion batteries have long held sway. New technologies look to replace lithium-ion batteries with a safer, more affordable alternative.

Solar energy and battery storage in the USA.

In the United States, lithium-ion batteries have long been used to power electric cars as well as solar batteries. Their drawbacks have become increasingly clear over that time: they use scarce minerals, they’re vulnerable to fires and explosions, and they’re incredibly expensive.

Last month, an energy company run by California billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong unveiled its latest innovation. They have come up with a rechargeable solar battery that operates on both zinc and air. The new batteries are said to store power much more cheaply than the current lithium-ion products.

The new products have already been tested in Africa and Asia, and have even powered the majority of America’s cell-phone towers for the last six years.

This has been without any support from the traditional grid system. According to Soon-Shiong:

“It could change and create completely new economies using purely the power of the sun, wind and air.”

It’s clear that more people across the world are looking for ways to be fully reliant on solar energy. With the solar-battery boom, we are getting closer to this being a reality. As battery storage becomes more affordable, we can expect to see more homes and businesses getting involved. It’s an exciting time for the renewable sector, which seems to be seizing the moment with both hands.

The post How Battery Storage Is Revolutionizing the Solar Energy Industry appeared first on ReadWrite.

Energy sector improvements have the capacity to affect almost every other industry. We all recognize the importance of a reliable energy system — after all, no business runs without electricity. As DataRPM, a Progress company that uses anomaly detection and prediction to provide a stable energy supply, notes in its recent e-book, “Since energy literally drives everything in the industrial world, the energy and utilities industry itself is under constant pressure…to tackle efficiency problems and perform 24/7 without disruptions.”

Another thing we all know is that electricity costs money. Thankfully, the Internet of Things is empowering companies to better understand their energy consumption and adapt, so as to reduce both their consumption and their costs.

Industry represents a huge proportion of U.S. energy consumption – about a third of the total — and that figure is projected to increase further. With consumption on the rise, energy companies are incentivized to improve efficiency in order to decrease their total operating costs, and opportunities for these improvements are abundant.

According to independent studies, U.S. industry could introduce measures that cut energy consumption by between 14 and 22 percent. IoT technologies that either exist or are being developed are among the tech-based solutions that promise to address efficiency and security issues for the energy sector.

Startups are exploring IoT-oriented solutions

Entrepreneurs often look for areas to make a difference, and the energy sector represents a substantial opportunity. Companies such as WIFIPLUG, which produces a smart plug that currently works with four IoT platforms, are helping both businesses and consumers reduce energy consumption by learning their routines and making it easier for them to adjust their energy usage. The company was part of the 2017 cohort of the Ameren Accelerator, which is currently accepting applications for its second annual cohort in hopes of finding other energy solution-focused startups.

BlocPower, a tenant at the Urban Tech Hub in New York City, is another promising project. The company is utilizing the IoT to build a platform meant to grow clean energy usage in the nation’s inner cities, which it feels are often overlooked by large companies.

See Also: How startups can work with cities to innovate for a smarter future

Energy-demand forecast data is improving

Renewable energy sources are becoming increasingly capable, but they’re not always easy to incorporate into the grid. In addition, weather has a big impact on the success of these energy sources, making them less reliable than those based on fossil fuels. Right now, renewable sources can’t always meet peak demand on their own.

Scientists at the Cooperative Institute for Climate and Satellites-North Carolina (CICS-NC) are taking steps to improve data analysis and create more accurate forecasts of energy demand. Knowing the demand for a specific area is an important part of determining how best to meet its need. As artificial intelligence and the IoT further develop, the predictive capabilities of both will aid the energy sector as it seeks to balance the grid and meet industry and consumer demands.

Industrial companies are using tech to increase efficiency

Industrial companies wanting to improve their operations naturally turn to tech solutions. In the case of Honeywell, the New Jersey-based company is improving its IIoT abilities in oil and gas by partnering with air emissions firm Aereon of Austin, Texas, with the goal of helping its customers increase the efficiency of their supply chains and decrease unplanned downtime.

In addition, the IoT and AI are obvious partners when it comes to achieving energy efficiencies. Google’s DeepMind technology — the same AI that taught itself to play Go and beat the best players in the world — has helped the company predict increased demand on cooling systems at its data centers. That information helped Google reduce its energy usage by 40 percent, which will save it hundreds of millions of dollars over the next several years. The U.K.’s National Grid is in the preliminary stages of talks with Google about putting DeepMind to work as well.

There’s no denying it — the IoT has had an impact on the energy sector, and its influence will continue to grow. Tech innovations promise to bring the grid into the 21st century and create a safer, more efficient system while reducing costly reliability issues. By making investments in a smart grid and fully utilizing the IoT, we’ll be able to take full advantage of renewable technologies such as solar and wind power and create a brighter future, both literally and figuratively.

See Also: Industrial IoT and energy efficiency will slash carbon emissions

The post How the IoT and Related Tech Are Helping to Update the Energy Sector appeared first on ReadWrite.

Jason Elliott, 5G market development manager

Samuele Machi, marketing manager, 4th industrial revolution

ReadWrite: When we talk about networking around IoT there’s a lot of smaller networking models e.g mesh networks and protocols. Everything from that to large networks talking about 5g deployments. So, there’s a lot of issues for large enterprises to plan around IoT. For you two, what are the biggest issues to consider for an executive that’s choosing the network for their own IoT deployment?

Jason: It depends on the business need.  You need to ask yourself questions such as:

• Do you have an immediate business need such as a one plus year time frame?
• Are you looking at a strategy type decision over the next five years?
• Do you want to build expertise?
• What’s your investment model?
• When thinking about digital automation and connectivity and automating your enterprise your enterprise, do you want to control the entire set of infrastructure?
• Are you actually building your staffing resources and infrastructure to control and manage the network yourself?
• In terms of spectrum, are you going to build it yourself or are you going to partner with a wireless provider to do that?

These are critical, strategic business decisions that you need to address and then you decide upon the underlying technology that will help you realize the individual use cases.

There are existing technologies that can be used today that could meet certain business requirements at a limited scale, which can then be expanded and extended to include more mission critical functions when you deploy 5G.

You definitely want to apply the right piece of technology for that particular business case. And then there’s different types of investment cycles.  For example, obviously there’s a lot of mature technologies out there today that may be mid to lower cost that you could invest in.  This decision may yield shorter term operational savings that you are looking for.  However, for longer term needs such as providing new use cases that increase revenue it may be necessary to invest in a bigger and better technology such as 5G.

Samuele: There are major things that executives should take into consideration before planning connectivity for an IoT project and in fact, it isn’t easy. The first consideration is the type of use case you want to enable because they are all different and require different levels of reliability and different types of latency.  For example, say you want to connect your parcel which is traveling the world and you want to know where it is, this is different from connecting an autonomous vehicle in a factory or maybe in a harbour.  They are both IoT use cases but completely different.

The next consideration is what connectivity networks are available in your area? The key questions to ask yourself are: Do you have a public IoT cellular network available (eg. NB-IoT or LTE-M), or will/can you purchase/lease spectrum so that you can build a licensed LTE private network, or do you have to use some unlicensed /shared spectrum LTE based technology (e.g. Multefire and CBRS)?

The final consideration is about the existing ecosystem. If you want to use a very new technology which has not been associated with that many devices yet, you have to have a plan. Maybe you need to galvanize your local ecosystem into action to speed up things. You have to be aware of how long it might take for you to get the pieces that you need to build your use case.

I would say these are the three key steps to think about (use case, connectivity and ecosystem), but of course, there are many sub items And details associated with them.

ReadWrite: I think we’ve dovetailed into number 2. Can you elaborate on the types of use cases that you see and how those networking use cases might start out?

Jason: We’ve been talking a lot about the industry 4.0 because that’s where we see the potential for a lot of transformation. If you look at it, there’s different types of industries such as: manufacturing, construction, power generation, and distribution. . Let’s look at a new possible business model for the ‘process’ industry like chemical manufacturing. Instead of taking raw materials and just creating a final product that is sold, they could provide tighter integration into their customers operations. Allowing them to make tailored products or offer analysis services.  The ability for a business to interact with partners and customers at different parts of the value chain is important. Building flexibility into the infrastructure allows you to be able to do that. It is critical.

Today proprietary systems are in place because a business has one specific part in the value chain. However, what should be done is take a big step back and ask yourself, ‘OK how could I sell my product or my services that I create at any part of that value chain. What do I need to do with my infrastructure to be able to enable that and become a much more flexible and agile business?”  Once these are addressed, then the conversation changes to things like building a flexible network architecture, using fundamental technologies like NFV and SDN, being able to automate all those processes using advanced analytics (AI) and ensuring security. Looking at the problem from a business perspective is the first step and then identifying the right set of technology tools comes next.

Samuele: You also need to take into account whether you are going to ask your network operator for a dedicated piece of their public network, or will you build your own network. Think of when you do speed tests.  Your “score” does not really depend on you, does it? Basically, if your business model is that you want to use the mobile network so that you can easily deploy whatever use case or device whenever you feel like, you have two choices.  You can either make the wireless network a part of your IT infrastructure so you have full control over it (e.g., you go and place your access points and you provision the devices, and so on) or you can ask a communication service provider to do it all for you.

You need to start playing in IoT today and gain some experience with the technologies that are available now (eg LTE based technologies + edge computing) in order to be ready to capture the full potential of the 4^th industrial revolution that will be powered by 5G.

ReadWrite: We talked about edge computing. We know that around IoT everything seems to be covering at the edge and it’s not just connectivity or compute capacity but also energy as well. When you think about an IoT network, you think of them meeting all these utilities. I use the example of an autonomous vehicle because it happens to be the largest, sexiest appliance in an IoT network that everyone likes to talk about, but it’s also one of the biggest consumers of all of those three things, those utilities if you deploy a network. 

How do you see energy and compute capacity factoring into a connectivity network of choice for an executive? 

Samuele: Regarding mobile edge computing, we see more and more IoT data being processed at the edge and this is estimated to reach around 40% of all data within the next couple of years.

ReadWrite: Do you know what the percentage is now?

Samuel: I do not have the latest figures but it is negligible.  Also, a number of cloud providers are now rolling out solutions working at the edge clouds.  It’s a big growth area and the EDGE concept may mean something different depending upon who is talking about it. Nevertheless, we all agree it means we want to essentially minimize the distance from where the data is generated to where it is collected and processed. There are a few reasons why we do that:

1. It’s related to the speed of light. Even if the speed of light is very fast, there are some applications where milliseconds delay, say a control system, might not be feasible. If you imagine something like a system control in a factory, you need a millisecond or less to make sure everything runs smoothly.
2. When you think of the amount of data that is created, for example, an airplane creates a lot of data during each of its trips. It’s not very meaningful as most of that data is raw data.  The significant data may only be an outlier taking place, such as a warning, and that is the part you have to pay attention to. Edge computing provides the capability for the data to be analysed locally and only a small amount is actually transferred.  In the end, there is cost reduction in the transmission bill.
3. Another aspect is related to the privacy of the data. Edge computing makes sure that data that is created locally stays local. There are many cases where regulators make data stay in the country where it was generated.  Also, certain companies may feel more comfortable when they know the data stays in the company and never goes out.

For us, the edge is a data center because you need a lot of processing power available.  Not every IoT application needs this. Edge computing makes sense when one or more of the above 3 requirements exists. You hear a lot about Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN) that are designed to minimize energy consumption of smart objects so that you won’t need to change billions of batteries every year.

Not all IoT use cases aim at minimizing energy consumption. This might be a priority for a gas meter but not crucial at all for a remotely controlled vehicle.

Jason: Back to the flexibility point of view, because with Multi-access Edge Compute (MEC) not only are you processing the data closer to the access network, it’s accessible and controlled by the enterprise, so deploying an application on a MEC server becomes simpler and faster.  Flexibility and local control is very powerful in the case of IoT when dealing with the type and quantity of data that gets collected and the applications that get hosted rather than having to go back to a centralized cloud that might be 3rd or hybrid owned.

Samuele:  By the way, edge computing is the key component of what we call Future X network.  Once we get to 5G, cCore edge cloud it’s a natural evolution of Nokia Edge Computing.

ReadWrite: Networks require constant upgrading to keep up and that requires investment from whoever your partners are going to be or new participants to come in and disrupt the services or technology but those all have time frames as well. Will today’s IT technology look dramatically different in 5-10 years?

Jason: From my perspective, we’ve had cellular IoT out for a while.  What you’re seeing now is some wireless providers turning off their 2G networks and it is taking a long time to get there. Previously, networks were designed for different specific purposes. So, if you think about 2G, it was designed for voice, 3G for web and data, and 4G for video. When you make an investment in IOT, you’re making an investment for a number of years. Particularly when you’re deploying large number of devices and they’re embedded in the ground. In those individual use cases, you will use the existing technologies that you have today and they will serve their particular use case within their lifecycle.

In terms of 5G, we see the fundamental design criteria differently from before. We are going from just a few bits per second to gigabits per second. We see 5G as more of a unifying technology in the longer term. So you might deploy IoT using today’s technology and once that’s served its lifecycle you can swap those devices out using 5G.  By the time we get to a certain point, we might see maturity in a 5G environment where you would have that capability and you start to transition those devices piece by piece and that’s just purely from the radio access side.

Instead of having a separate networking technology environment, the goal would be to have this underlying access technology that could cope with all of them. Once we get to a critical mass to scale from a cost and overage perspective that’s when it becomes very powerful.  However, critical mass acceleration and adoption won’t happen overnight.  It takes a while.

ReadWrite: What should you expect from your provider and what are the main concerns they should address as a partner?

Samuele: A few things to think about are:

• Spectrum coverage
• The types of interference you might encounter in your IoT deployment
• What capacity is the operator providing
• What level of security is guaranteed

These are the key parts I would want to ensure with an agreement with a connectivity provider.

Check coverage: check if the service is everywhere for everything you want to connect to. For example, can you get every corner of your factory connected? Is there some kind of connectivity hole? You might need to go and check with the right tools on the field. Interference or poor connectivity will jeopardize your IoT applications. Also, you want to check if the bandwidth you need is available at any time you need them.  If you don’t have a (semi or fully) private network, it means that anyone could be using the some of the uplink capacity you need.

Then, finally, security is extremely important, connectivity as well as every endpoint needs to be secured. You want to avoid data manipulation or loss.

Jason: I’d add the management of the device as well. Can you do diagnostics on it, firmware upgrade, getting information out of it. How that device is managed and how you extra that data from it is also very key.

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One of the biggest causes of downtime and data loss comes not from hackers or other nefarious activities, but from massive power blackouts that are caused by faulty equipment or machine “downtime”. In fact, loss of power leads as the top IT related disaster most organizations face. San Francisco’s massive April power outage, for example, brought high-tech companies throughout the city to a screeching halt, along with the city’s traffic lights, buses, and BART system.

Most businesses haven’t revealed exact losses because many are still negotiating with PG&E Corp., the utility company responsible, but some have claimed losses in the neighborhood of $100,000 to $300,000, meaning overall losses in the millions of dollars for the city’s busy IT sector.

See Also: eleven-x marches its low-power IoT network across Canada

Power and Infrastructure

San Francisco wasn’t the only city to suffer from a major power outage last April, either. New York also saw widespread blackouts this year, leaving passengers stranded in subway tunnels during the height of the morning commute. This comes after New York had received low grades every year on their Infrastructure Report Card. Still, New York has consistently received higher grades from the organization than the country as a whole, which is worrisome.

Many are asking if this kind of thing will become more common moving forward as the already-strained power infrastructure systems in America’s big cities get older and are overburdened by growing populations. Will power outages be something that companies just have to accept and deal with? I don’t believe so. While these challenges are real and present a serious challenge to power systems, embracing new technologies will allow for utility companies, and their customers, to be better prepared and perhaps avoid power outages altogether.

There is a Crystal Ball

Despite these challenges, power outages potentially not only become rarer but possibly avoided altogether. Using predictive analytics, technology’s crystal ball, both utility companies and the organizations that depend on them will be better prepared to deal with these issues. Predictive analytics will allow personnel to receive early warning notifications when issues appear imminent, allowing them to solve the issue before the power outage event occurs.

Some problems may be identified days or weeks before the power outage would take place. In using predictive analytics to identify these problems, loads could move, and planned outages could occur to minimize damage. Organizations would be able to receive advanced warning of these issues, and take the appropriate steps to mitigate losses during that time frame. Additionally, power companies would be able to identify necessary maintenance costs in advance with predictive analytics. For example, before the system requires maintenance, parts could already be en route.

Maintenance windows would also extend, as predictive systems could monitor equipment conditions to provide more accurate insight into when certain systems need to be replaced. That’s happening now in the service industry. “Using AI and machine learning, we are now able to optimize maintenance schedules, designate high-risk parts for replacement, and ensure technicians have the correct tools and replacement parts so they don’t need to make unnecessary and repeat trips” said Shahar Chen, co-founder of NY-based Aquant.

The real-world benefit of such systems would be difficult to quantify but substantial. The increase in equipment life, improved efficiency, and a boost to productivity would be felt not only for the power company, but for all customers of that company as well.

Predictive Analytics and Acts of God

We may even be able to anticipate the effects of natural disasters on power systems thanks to AI machine learning. Texas A&M University researchers recently developed an intelligence model that can predict the effects of high-speed winds during severe weather so that trees which might come down on power lines in critical areas will be trimmed first. At the moment, this sort of work is done on an arbitrary basis. Predicting an optimal tree trimming schedule is only one of the model’s applications. “Any kind of environmental data that has some relevance to the power system can be fed into this prediction framework, says Dr. Mladen Kezunovic, who developed the system with several grad students.

In areas where recurring severe weather is a factor, Exacter, an IoT company that deals with electrical systems, says its algorithms can identify equipment that’s degraded or showing signs of failure before a major storm strikes. Utility companies then prioritize preventive maintenance to the locations most densely populated and affected. After the storm, they provide health assessments to get electrical systems up and running as soon as possible.

See Also: Nokia helps make Chengdu region into a smart powerhouse

A Win-Win Scenario

Predictive analytics provides a win-win scenario for utilities companies and the organizations that depend on them. By notifying teams of impending risks (potential power outage), they can take the necessary action to mitigate damage and complete repairs. Additionally, companies will have advanced warnings of upcoming downtime and be able to take their own steps. Productivity and efficiency will improve across the board.

What’s really exciting is how AI and machine learning is able to provide such immediate actionable insights. Utilities companies have already started to embrace predictive analytics and will be ramping up their spending in the area in the years to come. According to Navigant Research, utilities will be spending $50 billion on grid monitoring equipment by 2023. So while infrastructure and systems do have a necessity for upgrades, our advancements in tech may solve these most issues before another costly, inconvenient outage can occur. At any rate, that’s my prediction.

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