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New technologies and their role in energy efficiency

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dipaleedhokiya
New technologies and their role in energy efficiency

With so many cutting-edge technologies appearing in different sectors of the economy, it is only natural that some arise willing to help us solve one of the biggest challenges that lie ahead: energy efficiency.

After the industrial revolution, electronic machines and devices became a crucial part of our lives, so it is increasingly necessary to find ways to make their use efficient, both from an economic and social point of view, as well as ecological .

What is energy efficiency?

First of all, let's define what exactly this concept is.

Energy efficiency seeks, through the improvement of operation processes, maintenance or additional opportunities, to improve the efficiency of a particular site or equipment and thereby generate energy savings.

This can happen through improvements to existing equipment, the purchase of new, more efficient models, or the use of new energy sources.

In other words, there are several paths when it comes to seeking energy efficiency, which also means that we have the responsibility to do so; especially if we work in industries that require large amounts of energy to function.

Why is it so important for companies and society in general?

When we talk about "energy efficiency", we cannot consider it a topic that is far from our reality; something we can ignore.

After all, it is closely related to our commitment to the environment.

Each one of us leaves a footprint on this planet, and companies much more. One of the most important drivers has to be aimed at reducing the carbon footprint and protecting the nature that remains to us.

That being said, best of all, there is also an economic benefit related to implementing these types of initiatives, since energy consumption has increased, as well as rates.

The CFE, historically, has been increasing the amount of government subsidy, but the rates continue to rise. The future scenario in Mexico is that this trend increases, which has an impact on significant energy spending, which is increasingly significant in a company.

The truth is that implementing an energy efficiency project can generate great savings and, if it is well designed and implemented, it can give a return on investment of 1 to 5 years.

At the end of the day, no one is struggling with generating savings, the "how" is complex. If we want to achieve this, the important thing is to understand where the savings opportunities are, which is difficult to see if you are too busy in the operational part

That is where it is necessary to rely on serious companies, experts on the subject, who can recommend strategies that are really appropriate for you. Few companies are the ones that really understand the savings potential that their facilities have. Not everyone has many savings opportunities, but everyone has more than they think.

Revolutionary technologies for energy efficiency

The good news is that there are megatrends in energy efficiency. In recent years, amazing solutions have appeared that will probably take over the market very soon.

Let me share some of them with you!

1. Energy storage through batteries

Typically, many companies that implement energy generation strategies through renewables are very limited by generation schedules. For example, wind generators generate energy depending on the wind, solar generators only generate during the day, etc.

Unfortunately, the energy demand of a site is not always aligned with those times, so storage through batteries allows us to take advantage of that energy that would otherwise be wasted or not used in the periods in which it is more expensive. .

Of course, we are not talking about ordinary batteries, but ones specifically designed to be as efficient as possible. These batteries are based on lithium technology —very similar to that of our cell phones or computers— instead of lead acid, which makes them much more efficient and smaller.

This technology is being widely used in the residential part, but it is increasingly being seen in larger-scale projects, such as shopping malls, factories, or the same photovoltaic generation parks.

2. Remote monitoring and control systems on IoT platforms

The revolution that these platforms have produced is that they are capable of analyzing and creating value with the information that is being monitored.

While it is true that monitoring a site is not necessarily complex, creating value with that information is vital, as this is how inventive opportunities to increase energy efficiency are discovered.

To meet this need, various technological solutions have been developed, such as platforms that can be connected to any device from the cloud, which allows them to integrate with equipment that has communication capabilities, which are increasingly common.

These platforms can provide analytics, measurements and in some cases through the help of artificial intelligence, to detect savings opportunities and help implement efficiency policies with very fast results.

It is an ideal system to complement other systems —such as the previously mentioned batteries— that help you in a more direct way to make the use of energy more efficient.

After all, you can't control what you can't measure. With these technologies, moreover, you don't have to wait for the end of the month to find out if something is working or not.

This is something that can even be useful for your home, since there are systems specially designed for that, which can give you information directly to your cell phone.

3. Distributed generation

With distributed generation we refer to different small sources of energy generation that industries, businesses or the load centers themselves may have.

These sources can range from photovoltaic panels on the roofs of shopping centers, or emergency plants that run on natural gas during peak hours.

This allows you to enter into a scheme in which you can generate your own energy at the times you need —according to the efficiency of your generation equipment, of course—, and with that generate significant savings.

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