How Will Technology Support the Future of Sustainability and Renewable Energy
Sustainability and renewable energy are two areas that have gotten a good amount of global attention the last few years, and for good reason. The investment into making our world a cleaner, healthier place for everyone to live in is a worthy goal, and some great work is being dedicated to this; but there’s still more to be done. As the U.S. is projected to dedicate more resources and form global alliances starting in early 2021, we thought we would concentrate on how these new policies and actions translate to those working in technology.
There are many states within the US that have already taken action to decrease our carbon footprint. For example, California is leading the charge in the production of electric vehicles, and is even offering rebates of up to $7,000 for purchasing or leasing an eligible zero-emission or plug-in hybrid vehicle*; that goes on top of Federal incentives like Tax Credits on EVs**. However, there are also many other states that rely on traditional energy sources that aren’t eco-friendly. As you can see in a recent report put out by the U.S. Energy Information Administration*** (EIA), there is room for growth in expanding our renewable energy efforts:
So what does this mean for the technology industry? We believe that there will be a surge in activity for building more sustainable products that last longer and aren’t made from harmful materials, as well as relying on energy that is wind, solar, and hydroelectric. As they say, all companies are tech companies these days, and need systems and software in place to make sure they operate efficiently and effectively.
Here are a few ways we see engineers and developers being an integral component to these sustainability and renewable energy efforts:
- Building the Infrastructure — As renewable energy and sustainability efforts become more commonplace, organizations are going to need a solid technical foundation for making sure systems and processes are in place. Building a sound tech stack that works seamlessly and is set up to meet company goals and initiatives will save a lot of time and effort in the long run.
- IoT Hardware and Software — The emergence of IoT over the last decade has put the power of technology, and specifically automation, into the hands of both consumers and enterprise companies. Organizations today operate on real-time data, so connecting the physical (hardware) with the digital (software) is what separates good companies from great companies. Being able to monitor and gain insight into every detail of operations, from device health to quality control, will help drive the effectiveness of sustainability and renewable energy ventures.
- Interoperability — One of the biggest challenges in harnessing IoT on a global scale, especially for sustainability and renewable energy solutions, is the interoperability of the hardware and software. With so many different programming languages and platforms used in IoT products, it’s critical that the systems will need to talk to each other at all times. Technologists will be responsible for building this infrastructure and ensuring a seamless, cohesive system. Additionally, tech investors will need to begin having conversations about utilizing strategic technologies and platforms in order to make future solutions interoperable, instead of resulting in siloed or separated products.
- Security — The integrity of digital environments is always at risk, with black hat threat actors causing numerous devastating hacks on large, publicly-traded enterprise companies over the last few years alone. These sustainability and renewable energy companies will need to ensure not only common hacks and intrusions are safeguarded, but that emerging and evolving threats are accounted for as well. Bringing in a team that is in-tune with the industry and can provide the necessary security will go a long way in advancing the success of these industries.
WillDom has experience working in this industry. For example, we are working with a US-based client that provides turnkey business energy solutions that cut costs and improve bottom lines for a variety of small and medium-sized businesses such as convenience stores, grocers, restaurants, and offices. WillDom supports this client by extending its software teams with software developers and QA engineers so that their customers can take advantage of next-gen energy-saving solutions.
To learn more about WillDom’s expertise in this sector as well as what the growth of renewable energy and sustainability efforts will mean for those in technology, we invite you to visit our website at www.willdom.com, or contact a WillDom rep at hey@willdom.com to speak directly regarding your business needs.
*Source: https://cleanvehiclerebate.org/eng/eligible-vehicles
**Source: https://www.edmunds.com/fuel-economy/the-ins-and-outs-of-electric-vehicle-tax-credits.html
***Source: https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/us-energy-facts/
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