In the last few years, GreenTech (Green Technology) has gained a lot of traction across multiple industries. GreenTech refers to the technology that is considered as environment-friendly based on its production process or supply chain. This type of technology can also refer to clean energy production, which uses alternative fuels and technologies that harm the environment in a very less manner compared to fossil fuels.
The use of green technology seems to be a life-saving approach as the planet’s natural resources are drying up at an unprecedented rate. Greentech is not restrained to a specific number of technologies, it extends to all the technology that is an innovative initiative that may or may not have seen the light of the day. It is somewhat the application of environmental monitoring, green chemistry, environmental science, and several technological processes for environmental protection.
The term GreenTech can also be used for sustainable energy production technologies such as wind turbines, bioreactors, recycling, photovoltaics, and more. In the information technology field, it is the application of gadgets in addition to other devices that minimize energy consumption and save the environment. These include the hybrid and electric cars; solar cells/panels; smartphones or smartphone car technology; energy-efficient monitors; computers and tablets that utilize less battery power; Industrial Internet and cloud computing. Though, the number of these green devices and gadgets is continuously growing with each passing day.
Importance of GreenTech
Every year, pollution produced by fossil fuels in factories, and cars, take over 9 million lives. On the other hand, water pollution kills 100,000 sea mammals and 1 million seabirds on a global scale. Groundwater is also not safe as more than 20,000 uncontrolled hazardous waste sites on record in the US alone. Global warming too harms today’s daily lives. In January 2018, it was recorded a temperature 0.71°C (1.28°F) higher than 12.0°C (53.6°F), which was the 20th-century temperature average for the month. In this year’s opening month showed the 5th highest temperature for January during the period of 1880–2018.
Thus, there is a need for green technology that is armed with the aim of making the environment pollution free. It will also make sure that clean and renewable sources of energy are leveraged to thwart the complete exhaustion of the other non-renewable sources.
Future Developments in GreenTech
As the active use of green technology can assist significantly reduce pollution, the developed and some of the developing countries as well as several private companies are now turning to this to help protect the environment from aggressive impacts. Here are some trends in GreenTech that will shape the future of mankind.
Autonomous Greenhouses
Autonomous or self-sufficient greenhouses make use of artificial intelligence in order to operate independently and sustain vertical farming systems. In this regard, intelligent yield predictor systems are a vital component of digital farming, where machines gauge when vegetables are ripe enough to pick or leave on the branch. Thus, technology could foster a breakthrough in how industrial farms operate concerning efficiency and accuracy.
Distributed Energy Resources (DER)
DER is a small-scale power generation facility located close to the end-users and provides an alternative to or an enhancement of the traditional electric power grid. It is a faster, less expensive option for the construction of large, central power plants and high-voltage transmission lines. DER also enables lower cost, higher service reliability, high power quality, enhanced energy efficiency, and energy independence for consumers.
Static Compensators
Static compensators are a technology that provides fast-acting reactive power on high-voltage electricity transmission networks. Energy grids relying on renewables often entail static compensators to establish a frequency-response mechanism. Static compensators are designed to mimic the action of rotating masses typically supplied by thermal turbines, thus helping to maintain a continuous frequency across the electricity network.
