Clean and green technologies are not new, but their adoption is increasing as smart cities seek to improve air quality, businesses seek to improve their environmental impact and healthcare is going all-in on tele-health which enables faster and more efficient care.
Simply defined, clean technology, or "cleantech," makes use of sensors, embedded radios, gateways, and cellular routers to improve process efficiencies that would otherwise demand fossil fuels and manual intervention, such as a person going from site to site to check on remote activities. As a result, cleantech minimizes the consumption of natural resources. Examples of cleantech include renewable energy systems, like wind, solar and hydro. They can also include smart electrical grids, smart cities, and agriculture, as well as sustainable products, services, and infrastructure in a broad range of industrial applications.
Consumer applications such as electric vehicles and charging systems, as well as smart home systems where sensor-driven IoT solutions assist make everyday activities more convenient and cost-effective, are all supported by green technology. Clean technology not only improves people's quality of life, but it also helps them save money by reducing residential energy use.
Cleantech is motivated by more than just a desire to better environmental practices. In terms of time efficiency, cost savings, and reduced usage of costly resources, there are substantial incentives for industry and government today. Meanwhile, product makers who serve this market are in a strong position to increase market share. Green technologies have a lot of proof now that they can help the environment. There is significant evidence today that green technologies can improve the bottom line. We are entering a cleantech boom.
Clean technology is a term that encompasses not just environmentally friendly equipment and technologies, but also process optimisation. Manufacturing, logistics, agriculture, and just about any large-scale industry that may benefit from process automation, for example, all have cleantech applications.
Using technology such as the Internet of Things, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, entire industries have revolutionised their operations from start to finish. Green technology in agriculture optimises water utilisation to reduce waste. It also aids farmers in increasing output yield while requiring less human intervention. As a result, higher-quality products require less fossil fuels to grow and produce, allowing for bigger profit margins and lower consumer costs.
Another great example of clean technology is city infrastructure. Cleantech works around the clock to protect residents' safety by monitoring circumstances and initiating service as needed, whether it's street lighting, waste management, snow removal, or road repair. Cleantech is used by public transportation to cut emissions while also giving other benefits such as predictive maintenance and automated fare collecting. As a result, the tools and supporting infrastructure needed for transit communications and backhaul are reduced, resulting in a value chain that resonates with transit agencies and municipal administrators.
Even in the financial sector, cleantech is at the heart of the banking apps we use every day. Clean technology is helping to keep automobiles off the road, which can assist to reduce our overall carbon footprint, by reducing the need for consumers to physically visit a bank branch. Furthermore, as these apps grow more sophisticated, customers will be able to get the answers and information they need to make wise financial decisions faster. Rather of replacing finance employees, technology is increasing the value of their work by allowing them to devote more time to customer care and developing client relationships.
In the end, any process that can be automated qualifies as a candidate for clean technology. Cleantech is a technology that uses a mixture of sensors, software, and cognitive data analysis to power our world. Every day, better environmental practices benefit the food we consume, the way we travel about, home climate management, and workplace safety.
In cleantech, the Internet of Things (IoT) is a vital component. It provides sensor-based solutions that reduce the need for human interaction while also providing a data-rich environment to aid service providers in their continuous improvement. In most sectors, safety is always a top priority. Mining, for example, may be exceedingly hazardous to employees, but cleantech has the potential to make huge improvements in terms of safety while also promoting more sustainable and environmentally friendly practices.
Autonomous vehicles can now travel to locations that are potentially dangerous to people. We can more precisely monitor conditions and assets, allowing operators to respond to issues more rapidly and reduce environmental impact - capabilities that would be hard to achieve with manual methods. Furthermore, automating data gathering greatly improves accuracy by removing the risk of human error.
IoT's ability to operate on low-power networks is one of the most significant advancements in recent years — and, arguably, what makes so many improvements possible. Because IoT sensors can capture massive amounts of data, deciding whether to run a system on cellular or traditional networks can be critical, both in terms of dependability and cost. Edge computing, machine learning, and artificial intelligence are three essential ways to reduce huge data consumption. Minimising the transmission of routine, day-to-day "heartbeat" data and focusing more on the timely reporting of outliers is an example of this.
Data collection at the edge can improve AI, machine learning, and data-rich analytics in the cloud by bringing speed and efficiency to centralised systems. This means that industries that rely on these technologies can continuously enhance processes, expand production, extend the life of important assets, and increase capabilities with less equipment and less energy use.
Today's sensors can communicate over low-power networks, which have a number of advantages over traditional networks, including longer battery life, no line-of-sight limitations, and open-source interoperability. Equipment and standards are gradually becoming more standardised, lowering the cost of deployment and operation. Installation can be as simple as adding a sensor to a machine, even when adapting existing infrastructure.
Wind turbines are a great illustration of how clean technology can be put to use. Not only do they generate green energy from a non-depleting source, but remote monitoring ensures that they are constantly running at full capacity – without the need for unnecessary site visits by field personnel.
We should expect to see a growing push by governments to adopt and develop clean technology as climate change, air quality, and resource optimisation continue to impact the innovation landscape. Many countries currently have legal frameworks in place to encourage or compel the development and deployment of cleantech solutions. It is impossible to overestimate the favorable impact on global economy. Green technology are opening doors for a new generation of learners, inventors, and workers, providing exciting new prospects for engineers, maintenance workers, project managers, and many other professionals. Automation and IoT stand to create high-value jobs and meaningful career opportunities.
Clean energy sources such as solar, wind, and wave power, on the other hand, provide long-term sustainability for communities all over the world. That is, by stimulating resource regeneration, enhancing carbon efficiency, and minimising environmental harm, these measures have a net beneficial influence on the environment. From smart appliances, thermostats, and garage door openers to connected homes, cars, wearables, and more, consumers play an important role in the adoption of green technologies. Cleantech is powering our world because of the ease and peace of mind it brings.
At Aptus, we strongly believe that we can change the world using smart technology. Technology for impact!
