It is not a secret that Green Energy sphere has been gaining popularity lately. So it becomes quite important for many companies to create modern conditions for the proper operation of this sphere, since preserving the health of our planet and technological progress are closely linked and should work well together. But before examining specific solutions that the IT sector could offer Green Energy sphere, let’s deal with the concepts.
What is Green Energy?
‘Green’ energy is clean energy type that is generated from natural resources. We also tend to confuse clean energies with renewable energies. The key difference is that all renewable energies are clean, but not all clean energies are renewable.
How Does it Work?
As a source of energy, green energy often comes from renewable energy technologies such as solar energy, wind power, geothermal energy, biomass and hydroelectric power. Each of these technologies works in different ways, whether that is by taking power from the sun, as with solar panels, or using wind turbines or the flow of water to generate energy.
What Does it Mean?
To be called ‘green’ energy, a resource should not produce pollution, such as is found with fossil fuels. Green energy sources are usually naturally replenished, in contrast to fossil fuel source like natural gas or coal, which can take millions of years to develop. Green sources also often avoid mining or drilling operations that can be damaging to ecosystems.
Today innovation is a key driver for the energy transformation. Innovative solutions can make the power system more flexible, allowing for a higher, cost-effective use of renewables. That is why Green IT has become an important issue in the information technology. So now it’s the time to move to the question of how the IT sector can be useful for Green Energy sphere.
Actually, there are lots of solutions that Information Technologies could provide Green energy sphere with, so below we will focus on the most popular ones:
Cloud computing — the backbone for any digitization initiative, as it enables organization-wide connectivity and data-exchanges. It has transformed the way organizations store, access and share information, collaborate and manage computing resources. Rather than keeping files on a proprietary hard drive or local storage device, cloud-based storage makes it possible to save them to a remote database. As long as an electronic device has access to the web, it has access to the data and the software programs to run it.
Industrial IoT solutions enable plant operators to gather a variety of data on equipment performance (from temperature to sound and levels of vibration, etc.) and dispatch them for further analysis. Mainly IoT solutions help build massive networks of IoT devices, reducing the complexity, ensuring device efficiency, and driving innovation across industries looking for growth opportunities and operational efficiencies.
Big data and predictive analytics are new-gen algorithms which help to operationalize data collected from different sources (internal systems, IoT devices, external partners) and produce actionable insights in real-time. Such solutions can help prevent downtime, anticipate equipment failure and increase the value of energy production.
HealthCare solutions help hospitals, clinics and medical research facilities that are pressured to reduce operating costs while constantly upgrading their technologies. Innovations in healthcare methods increasingly rely on IT support. As vital parts of the community, healthcare facilities are always in the spotlight and have the opportunity to be leaders in environmental best practices.
Digital twinning is another technology highly beneficial for the renewable energy sector. It allows creating virtual copies of physical systems, assets, and processes. A digital twin is a code-powered representation of an actual wind turbine that is constantly supplied with new data from its physical counterpart through connected systems.
Wind Farm Siting Software allows companies to have a farm site design, wind speed forecasting software and operations, as well as wind analysis, automated solutions and energy management systems .
Other digital solutions could be used by companies for system integration support, lifetime extension, and cost reduction.
With a greater emphasis on finding the best green practices, companies are looking for every possible way to deliver products and services that use renewable energy sources, leave zero waste and even give something back to the environment.
Running a business that is sustainable, environmentally friendly and leaving a minimal footprint is something that we should all try to achieve. This has become an important issue for modern IT departments, but the environmental impact of technology should not be forgotten.
We all need to make a special effort to live in a world that is green, clean and healthy.
Alexandra Leshchinskaya
Business Development Manager
