Renewable energy is the wave of the future. But how is it affecting the technology sector? We’ll discuss here.
As issues like a polar vortex, devastating storms, and singeing summers dominate headlines, people are looking for solutions. Climate change can seem like too big a beast to beat, and yet people continue working on new ways to stop burning oil. The biggest of them is renewable energy.
With renewable energy, there is no worry of ever running out of fuel for anything. The oil and petroleum industries’ values sway depending on their supply – nobody can predict how much companies may have. Yet, solar and wind energy is practically unlimited.
There won’t ever be a fear of running out of either source of fuel. And since renewable energy takes its fuel from renewable sources, there are fewer emissions. That means renewable energy helps combat climate change’s growth.
At the same time, they also grow the tech sector. New solutions are being found in energy every day and each can revolutionize the tech industry. Keep reading below to learn how.
Leading The Creation of Artificially Intelligent Grids
The more energy grids adopt renewable energy resources, the more they will be able to develop new technologies. These technologies usually implement some form of artificial intelligence to regulate energy distribution. This means that our energy systems are learning when we use the most energy, and when we use the least.
These artificially intelligent grids can automatically save and distribute energy as needed. When energy is automatically safe, that means the market and the company becomes more efficient. And the overall impact ends up being cleaner and more robust cities, capable of handling larger populations.
Renewable Energy Means Renewable Technology
Just as energy is becoming renewable, the technology around it is renewable, too. Upgrades are being featured in the renewable energy market that only ever improve on the previous tech. Like an Apple conference, each new generation of technology gives people new tools to maximize their time.
Yet, earlier generations also aren’t losing their value. A solar panel is a solar panel: it will always catch sunlight and convert it to energy. While newer models may do it more efficiently, there also isn’t a need to upgrade every year.
As long as someone’s energy consumption doesn’t change, neither will they need to change the way they get energy. The same applies to larger-scale grids and entire cities. Upgrading is always an option in the renewable energy market, but it’s never a necessity.
Energy Storage Is Safer and More Efficient
The development of better renewable energy production also prompted better energy storage methods. There’s no point to converting to clean energy to combat climate change if people just start polluting with batteries instead of emissions. As engineers focused on creating new energy production methods, they also sought to find new ways to store that energy.
Those new creation have dripped down into the tech industry in a variety of ways. Larger batteries, like the ones used in cars and heavy machinery, have become stronger and more durable. They last longer than ever before since they can maintain a more efficient energy throughput.
Even smaller consumer goods like smartphones are benefitting from new energy storage technology. The batteries that pulled people away from power outlets in newer generations are a result of energy storage improvements. All companies like Apple needed to do was make the tech that drove renewable energy storage smaller.
Giving People Power Over Power
One of the biggest benefits people will directly see from renewable energy tech is increased power over their electric bill. People are being faced with two options when deciding how they want to power their homes.
First, they can produce their own energy through the same kind of tech large companies use. They just need to invest in a few solar panels or smaller-scale wind turbines to have the same energy they would have by being on the grid. In fact, people can still connect to the grid while producing their own energy if they want. The choice is theirs.
Their second choice is to just control their consumption through new analytical tools being developed for consumers. Devices are being integrated directly into smart grids across the world which allow people to better understand how much energy they use. With this information, people can better control their energy bills.
Building A Bigger Internet
The devices which give people more power over how they use power are creating an entirely new kind of internet. Every Nest thermostat or smart grid system needs to connect to the internet. The recent influx of new devices has led to the development of an internet of things.
This is an interconnected web of devices which are usually used for a specific purpose, or add to existing technologies. It’s a network of devices designed for specific problems, and which handle massive amounts of sensitive information. The devices are so ingrained into people’s lives that they’re bound to know more about them than ever before.
This massive amount of intimate information will allow companies to create better technologies down the line. The information can lead to the discovery of new ways to make people’s lives easier.
Renewable Energy Is Energizing the Market
One of the biggest effects renewable energy has had is the creation of a new market. The market for renewable energy resources is still small, but it’s poised to drive massive profits. Located between the larger, traditional energy market and the tech sector, it’s bound to drive the economy one day.
Investors in the tech industry are unknowingly investing in renewable energy, too. Tech is becoming increasingly dependent on renewable energy as a way to lead an economic shift towards it. That can only mean major profits for those who invest now.
The Future of Energy Is Renewable
The best part of renewable energy is that it may save our planet. Climate change has caused devastating natural disasters and has tested our infrastructure system. Displaced people as a result of climate change is on the rise, and so are the costs associated with it.
That’s why the tech industry is adopting renewable energy more and more. Google recently announced it was run entirely on renewable energy, demonstrating the industry’s commitment to the field. Companies aren’t just investing in their own futures, but the futures of everyone else with each new investment.
That’s not all tech companies are doing though. They are on the cutting edge of what is possible in engineering and are always building the future. To read about it, just click here.