A defining characteristic of the remarkable industrial development experienced over the last 100 years has been a ‘make-use-dispose’ approach to resource utilization in industrial processes. While this ‘linear economy’ approach has resulted in enormous advances for societies, it also has created an unsustainable demand for and use of resources and materials. With global population expected to swell to an estimated 9 billion by 2050, the intelligent use of limited resources in production and consumption has become a subject of socio-political, environmental, and economic discussion.
The rise of the smart city will rely on the ability of stakeholders to collaborate, engage citizens and act on data. Partnerships are hard at work and planning is under way to overcome the legacy of siloed services, focus on integrated systems that will ultimately be more adept at delivering critical services, empower communities and elevate our quality of life.
W. Scott Tew, executive director of the Center for Energy Efficiency and Sustainability at Ingersoll Rand, recently discussed with Energy Digital the ever-increasing need to embed sustainable practices in business to drive profitability.
Historically, most utility capital investments focused on regulated generation and transmission assets that provided the basis for customer rates structures and returns. But the growing interconnectivity within utility assets and electric distribution networks now requires a more holistic approach to planning, and many regulators are requiring utilities to invest in distribution under similar reliability mandates to those governing generation and transmission markets.
Answering the call for increasing energy self-reliance, a grassroots electricity-sharing model is emerging. “Community microgrids,” comprising community-owned or subscribed solar PV and other renewable energy sources, offer participants and surrounding consumers the security of energy resilience in times of grid failure and protection from energy price increases driven by volatile energy markets.
We are at the dawn of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, defined by its velocity and volume, scope and scale, and systems impact. The foundation of this new era is squarely built upon the success of the "digital grid." The first three revolutions—defined by the introduction of steam and mechanization, electricity and computing, respectively—all had profound societal impacts, but they lacked the exponential rate of technological breakthroughs and complexity that define the fourth.
GreenBiz editor in chief Joel Makower spoke with Tam Nguyen, the global head of sustainability for Bechtel. He lets us into the engineering firm's efforts around green infrastructure in the Philippines, the SDGs and building resilient communities.
Disaster recovery remains a driving force for Asia, which experiences more natural disasters than any other region in the world. Floods, earthquakes and cyclones continue to wreak havoc—killing people, wiping out homes and livelihoods, and leaving economies in distress. However, there may be a solution that will help mitigate loss going forward—making small investments in the power grid today by embracing emerging smart grid and microgrid solutions will save these ever-expanding cities’ resources while critically improving disaster resilience and recovery of life in times of human tragedy.
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