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The renewable energy industry has been growing fast in recent years. As more individuals and companies aim to reduce single use plastic, and consequently, their carbon footprint, the demand for green technology solutions has increased.
Climate change has indirectly caused tsunamis, wildfires, and hurricanes that destroyed considerable areas in countries like the United States, Australia, or Indonesia. As a result, many people have been left with nothing, not even a home.
Last year was the second warmest year on record in recent times, according to a Global Climate report from The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Concerned about the climate change’s consequences, many companies started looking for innovative green technologies and systems to implement.
Here are some ways green tech solutions are helping companies and homeowners reduce their environmental impact.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Green technology solutions are now used everywhere. And the renewable energy sector is not an exception.
For all those interested in eco friendly houses, companies like Renogy, LG, and Verv Energy use machine learning (ML) algorithms to improve their products and services. For example, Verv’s predictive maintenance technology plays a key role in detecting anomalies on white goods performance.
Home appliances are in every home, but it’s difficult for homeowners to identify when they are performing poorly. Thanks to Verv’s smart diagnosis, issues are identified and resolved on time. As it increases home appliances’ lifetime, less CO2 is generated.
On the other hand, Renogy is using artificial intelligence (AI) and ML to enhance solar systems’ performance. Smart solar inverters detect when solar panels produce more energy than required. When that happens, homeowners can connect their photovoltaic (PV) systems to a utility grid, and help others reduce their carbon footprint.
Renewable energy systems like solar and wind depend on the weather to function correctly. But as weather can’t be predicted with 100 percent accuracy, companies like Nnergix and Xcel use AI to develop environment forecasting apps.
These apps analyze the atmosphere’s state in a particular region based on satellite and industry data. As the system identifies weather patterns, predictions of energy generation are made.
Green Technology Solutions Based On Internet of Things
The integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) has allowed companies in the renewable energy sector to make significant developments in innovative green technologies. By allowing them to monitor and control systems using smartphones and other portable electronic devices, remote management has become a new industry standard.
In PV arrangements, customers monitor real-time energy consumption. One of the biggest issues in solar systems is keeping the PV array in the right direction to the sun. By using automated control systems, users can change the orientation of PV arrays and track the sun.
In tech development facilities, IoT has allowed companies to increase energy efficiency. With the use of smart sensors, companies can gather energy consumption data from machines. As detecting abnormalities becomes much easier, they can implement new strategies to provide one-stop solutions.
Some power companies around the world are using IoT for utility grid management. By placing sensors along distribution lines and substations, they can gather energy consumption data to make better decisions. No matter the issue— voltage control, load switching, or network configuration—companies can provide the best outcome.
Damaged power lines that are not disconnected quickly can cause electrocution, fires, and other hazards. IoT sensors allow power companies to receive outages alerts and detect damaged lines. As these companies can turn off the power right on time, the chances of adverse consequences are reduced.
Energy Storage
Energy storage plays an important role in power usage. And in our zero waste journey!
No matter how much energy a system can produce, there’ll be energy waste if the power demand isn’t equal. Thus, providing very efficient green technology solutions for storage has been one of the biggest challenges in the renewable energy sector.
However, in recent years, companies like Tesla and LG have invested large amounts of money into designing and developing better solutions. Tesla claims its Powerwall allows customers to stay connected 24/7 during an outage. By providing a noiseless solution, customers can relax comfortably at home.
Tesla’s Powerwall uses sensors to detect when a utility power station is off. Then, it makes an instant switch to keep customers’ devices turned on. Powerwall reduces customers’ reliance on the grid. As the tech can be recharged using PV systems, customers can reduce their carbon footprint. However, what makes Powerwall special is that it allows users to track and optimize their energy consumption. By using Tesla’s mobile app, users can set personalized settings to increase their savings.
Thinking further ahead, LG has developed ESS batteries which allow companies and homeowners to store electric energy. The company claims their state-of-art energy storage system is the most optimal innovative green technology solution for customers. LG ESS batteries allow power companies to reduce peak loads, regulate frequency, and improve power quality.
For household applications, LG provides similar benefits to Tesla. With the help of PV systems, LG’s ESS battery allows homeowners to use stored energy at night and reduce the electricity bill. But, LG applies lamination and stacking technologies to create high energy density batteries. In other words, their batteries are much more compact and store more energy.
Self-Charging Vehicles
When discussing green technology solutions, we need to mention the car sector, too.
Toyota and Kia are implementing a new braking system in their hybrid cars to reduce vehicles’ carbon footprint. Plug-in hybrids like Mitsubishi Outlander can be recharged by connecting them to the grid. By using a recharging braking system, Toyota and Kia hybrids can recharge their batteries while moving.
Both types of hybrids have a lower CO2 impact than full petrol vehicles. But, since self-charging hybrids don’t require an external source to recharge, their CO2 impact is even lower.
Blockchain Grid
Blockchain allows users to build peer-to-peer energy markets. Customers whose demand is lower than their own production can trade excess energy with neighbors and peers. As customers can buy and sell energy depending on their needs, control from central authorities is reduced.
In Australia, companies like Power Ledger are creating connections between communities to create “microgrids”. Today, microgrids are not very popular, but many blockchain energy companies are willing to build larger microgrids to create self-sustaining “micro-cities” in the future. As they can be separated from the primary utility grid, their footprint is reduced significantly.
Innovative Green Technology On The Rise
The use of green technology solutions will hopefully continue to increase in the future. Not only they provide users with comfort and efficiency but for companies, new, innovative technologies can mean a greener world. And to help save the planet, they are willing to make a digital transition. However, automated systems are vulnerable to cyber-attacks, and the demand for cybersecurity experts will increase.
Found the above information useful? Discover more on our blog for many more eco-friendly tips you can apply in your life.
