Technological Innovation to Lead the Energy Transition
The path towards a net-zero emissions model has become a critical factor in curbing the effects of increasingly evident climate change. It has therefore become an essential condition when it comes to shaping a company’s overall strategy, but also an opportunity to prosper.
Technological innovation is going to be a very important factor in achieving this transition, and we tell you how it can be useful for your company.
What is Energy Transition?
The energy transition involves the accelerated deployment of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies.
This requires systemic innovation to combine and leverage research synergies between all parties involved: technology, policy frameworks, the market, financing instruments, etc.
This is why it is so important to improve processes through R&D and cooperation networks to overcome the barriers to a zero-carbon energy sector.
Energy Transition Technologies
With the energy crisis in which we are immersed, especially in Europe, it is crucial to find new formulas to reduce our dependence on hydrocarbons. Despite all the efforts of the last few years, this dependence has increased.
Gas imports have increased, especially in the context of the Ukrainian war, and coal-fired power plants are reopening for fear of shortages. This takes us even further away from the energy targets set for 2050. However, technology can change the situation.
Artificial Intelligence and Energy
AI is one of the technologies that can help the most in the short term in this task, especially to boost the benefits of renewable energies such as wind and solar.
There are already projects underway that are focusing on one of the major problems of wind energy: predictive maintenance. Thanks to AI and machine learning, anomalies can be detected and failures predicted before they occur, resulting in increased operational efficiency and significant cost savings.
Other research is focusing on using AI to predict the evolution of solar energy production, ensuring system liquidity and removing the need for a middleman. Estimates predict that this could increase plant profitability by about 40%.
Carbon Capture and Storage
Experts see carbon dioxide capture as key to achieving the 2050 climate goals. It puts focus on the industrial sector and its emissions, using technologies such as blockchain to trace those emissions and neutralize the footprint.
This technology, coupled with carbon footprint measurement through IoT smart sensors, measures energy consumption and generates data that can be analyzed, cleaned, and aggregated on the blockchain.
New Solutions in Maritime Transportation and Green Hydrogen
Innovations that include the use of fuel cells have the potential to reduce the high level of emissions produced by this industry. One example is the use of hydrogen.
Green hydrogen is one of the great hopes of this transition, making driving emission-free. In addition, hydrogen production makes it possible to store large amounts of renewable energy for long periods of time and transport it over long distances.
Floating Wind Technology
These floating offshore wind farms are one of the most promising innovations in the wind industry. Placing wind turbines in deeper water makes it easier to take advantage of the highest wind gusts, in a more constant and barrier-free manner.
This technology helps countries make the most of wind resources while revitalizing coastal communities and putting energy production closer to centers of consumption.
Innovative Technology Solutions
There is still much to do and research to achieve a more sustainable energy model. At Plain Concepts we are aware of this; thus, we are researching new ways to achieve this energy balance and tools to help minimize climate change.
One example is Viawind, our 3D tool that shows the most reliable, realistic, and scientifically rigorous vision of what an offshore wind farm will look like and how it will adapt to the environment.
We have also worked with Acciona to achieve, through the use of Big Data, a management system for one of the largest photovoltaic plants in the world. It offers all the tools to perform real-time analysis and historical analysis of the information, and thus solve key questions for the business.
If you have a project but do not know how to integrate technological solutions to carry it out, we help you to shape it and make it a reality.
