The future of energy: not just renewable but also digital

Renewable energy has emerged as a promising and clean solution to the continuously spiking global energy demand. However, in order to meet the challenge of sustainable energy generation, renewable is indeed necessary but in no means enough; appliances need to also be smarter, innovative and energy efficient. It is this combination of clean energy and IoT that has the potential to greatly reduce fossil fuel usage and wasted energy.

Inevitably, appliances based on renewable energy need to join our watches and phones in getting smarter. And indeed, they are. I want to illustrate this general idea using one simple example of a commonplace appliance that all of us are familiar with- the solar geyser. Our CBS alum Mr. John Kornik, through his company Plentify, has developed a “smart” solar geyser, the role of which is not just limited to using solar energy to schedule hot water by the touch of an app. In Africa, 60% of monthly household bills are due to hot water consumption. The Plentify geyser is a digital device that helps households in Africa economize on their energy usage- and thereby cut down their monthly electricity bills. In a country prone to power cuts, it provides consumers an efficient alternative. But how does this geyser work and what all does it do?

First and foremost, the geyser saves energy by using IoT to optimize the solar heating system so that minimum electric backup is required; backup is taken at a time when there is excess load on the grid. Controllers can also sense water temperature to cut electric power supply when it rises above a certain level. As a result, it enables each household connected to the grid to save so much electricity that the cost of the geyser comes entirely out of the savings. Plentify gets paid 80% and the household retains 20% of the monthly savings arising from the reduced electricity bill of a more efficient digital appliance.

Next, a digital appliance is a pleasure to use for the consumer. Imagine being able to specify the exact temperature of water you need or the exact time at which you need warm water or your shower. The app also lets you keep close track of your savings from reduced dependence on the grid as compared to if you were using a regular geyser.

Further, the collection of resulting data facilitates detailed data modelling of how energy is being used by the household. A simple analysis can give you a recommendation saying that changing your shower time to the evening will save you electricity. Forecasting models can give a sense of anticipated usage over weekly or monthly horizons or highlight times when usage was higher than average. It can even highlight when you used more energy than usual for any particular daily activity or give comparisons of your usage with respect to other households. The analysis of data usage provides an opportunity to the household to understand and optimize their usage behavior resulting in additional savings.

It doesn’t end here. The data repository creates an additional benefit for risk mitigation, appliance maintenance and after-market support. For instance, sensors can transmit real-time signs of potential leaks in the geyser and forewarn about any likely disruptions to the system based on analysis of the surroundings. This can enable a much more proactive response to mitigate problems, minimize appliance damage and prolong the life of the product.

I believe that the company vision of Plentify also summarizes the role IoT must play in advancing renewable energy. It is to build sustainable, intelligent cities, one home at a time, by providing reliable internet-connected energy, water and waste services more affordably. Smart appliances such as the Plentify geyser, which combine renewable energy and IoT, are game changers for the consumers, for power authorities and for the environment. Each smart appliance has the potential to not only save energy and reduce dependence on the grid but also improve affordability and accessibility of necessities to all.

Renewable energy sources are the future of electricity production with their usage likely to increase by around 40% by 2022. In turn, the future of these renewables belongs to IoT; IoT is helping transform the sector through remote asset monitoring and management, better automation and control, improved efficiency, better load management, and improved cost-efficiency. Today’s smart cities need smart energy- to ensure reliability and efficiency. But, using clean energy to power these smart cities is equally important. The implementation of IoT in renewable energy production will play a pivotal role in improving the dynamics for not only a clean but also an efficient energy source.