The green energy industry is continuing to grow as businesses invest in renewable sources of energy and technologies with a smaller carbon footprint. Although there is no nationwide policy in place, various states, cities, and entities in both the private and public sectors have taken the lead in adopting more aggressive targets to shift to clean energy and combat the effects of climate change.
According to RE100, over 400 big and small companies have committed to joining the initiative and going “100% green” in the next few years. But what stands behind such a drive? Environmental issues? Reduced costs? According to Deloitte, most companies take advantage of renewable energy sources to reduce overall energy use and increase energy efficiency.
However, behind the massive growth rate lies the challenge of product development teams managing innovative projects in this complex landscape.
To overcome these hurdles, CTOs and tech experts must understand how to efficiently navigate the emerging technology stack that is impacting green energy projects. In this blog post, we’ll discuss how CTOs can leverage their technology expertise to drive optimal product development strategies while remaining compliant with regulations related to green energy initiatives.
Quick Overview of The Green Energy Market
The global demand for renewable energy sources has reached record-breaking levels, as more and more individuals, corporations, and countries are recognizing theenvironmental, economic and social benefits of greener energy. According to McKinsey, renewable power will take over 80-90% of the global energy mix by 2050.
In 2022, the US experienced a slowdown in the growth of renewable energy due to several factors, including supply chain disruptions, trade policy uncertainty, inflation, higher interest rates, and interconnection delays. These challenges are expected to persist in 2023, creating significant obstacles. However, the industry is still poised for growth, driven by robust demand and a host of clean energy incentives included in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
Despite the challenges faced in 2022, the US added 5.7 GW of utility-scale solar generation capacity and 7.5 GW of wind capacity in the first eight months of the year. This is a decrease of 26% and 8%, respectively, from the same period in 2021. Nonetheless, wind and solar accounted for the majority of new capacity added, and renewable energy's share of the US's electricity generation increased from 21% to 23% during the same period.
Consumers in the US also recognize the benefits of renewable energy, with solar panel installations rising by 40%, exceeding 700k installations, and on track to continue this rapid growth this year. Furthermore, more than half of consumers put a large emphasis on having a certain share of their electricity supply coming from renewable energy resources. As a result, 48% of businesses are now looking into procuring more renewable electricity.
As we move into 2023, the industry is poised for significant growth thanks to several positive drivers, including competitive costs, supportive policies, and burgeoning demand.
Software Development's Critical Impact on the Energy Transition
Software development has emerged as a critical component in driving the energy transition. In the current era, where technology is evolving at an unprecedented pace, software developers have a unique opportunity to revolutionize the renewable energy sector. This new wave of software solutions promises to optimize plant operations and maintenance processes, increase energy production, reduce downtime, and improve profitability.
Renewable energy is inherently unpredictable, meaning that plant operations and maintenance processes are more complex and challenging than those for traditional energy sources. Any unfavorable weather pattern can cause severe damage to wind turbines, leading to costly repairs and maintenance. Additionally, prolonged idle time can significantly impact profitability. Therefore, it is essential to adopt innovative solutions that allow plant operators to collect real-time information on equipment performance, implement predictive analytics, and prevent downtime.
Custom software development provides renewable energy companies with a unique opportunity to optimize plant operations and increase energy production. The market leaders are actively exploring innovative solutions to reduce downtime, anticipate equipment failure, and increase profitability. The renewable energy sector, with its inherent unpredictability, requires companies to adopt new software development tools that can keep up with the evolving demands of the industry. With the right tools and solutions in place, the renewable energy industry can become more productive, profitable, and sustainable.
The Role of Data and Analytics in Product Development for the Green Energy Sector
Product development for the green energy sector heavily relies on data and analytics to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and optimize performance. By leveraging big data analytics, renewable energy companies can effectively predict weather patterns and optimize their energy production, thereby improving their bottom line. Advanced analytical tools are used for:
- Predictive maintenance. Sensors monitor equipment and analyze the data to predict when maintenance will be required and minimize downtimes.
- Forecasting demand. Advanced AI algorithms can analyze enormous volumes of past and present data to forecast the future and optimize energy production and consumption.
- Monitoring. Built-in data and analytics modules allow for constant monitoring. You can keep track of multiple metrics such as energy output, cost optimization, and performance.
- Automation. Automated systems use data to adjust energy production levels based on current needs. This helps to maximize the efficiency of your energy output while minimizing wasted resources.
- Weather forecasting. Based on the data regarding the environment, atmospheric conditions, and the current weather systems, the following technologies can provide real-time forecasting of short-term and long-term changes in weather. This information is essential for efficient energy production.
- Optimization. Predictive algorithms powered by AI can optimize energy usage based on customers' needs and preferences, while providing accurate forecasts and analysis of future requirements.
- Performance monitoring. Such software solutions can analyze data from a variety of sources, such as sensors and cameras, to provide accurate performance reviews on the energy systems in use. This helps you make adjustments for better efficiency and performance in the present while providing more reliable projections for future needs and changes.
In addition to all the benefits mentioned above, data and analytics allow for the development of better products that are more sustainable and efficient. For instance, advanced sensors embedded in renewable energy assets are used to track weather patterns, solar radiation, and energy production. The data generated by these sensors is then analyzed using advanced analytical tools to identify patterns and trends that can be used to optimize energy production and reduce inefficiencies.
By utilizing data and analytics technologies, renewable energy companies can optimize their operations, improve their products, and increase profitability while making a significant contribution to reducing our carbon footprint.
Overcoming Challenges in Green Energy Product Development
Here are a few things that can complicate the development process of software products for the renewable energy sector.
- Lack of tech expertise
The degree of complexity of a project typically necessitates the involvement of interdisciplinary experts who can provide industrial knowledge at various stages of system design and implementation.
For instance, designing and modeling tools for solar farms involve utilizing weather, GIS, and environmental data, requiring substantial expertise. Developing monitoring tools for offshore wind and ocean energy equipment involves assessing the impact on the marine ecosystem. Furthermore, software for geothermal operations leans heavily on geoscience and should be customized to meet the needs of geothermal professionals.
- Insufficient discovery phase
The absence of discovery, which is considered an industry-standard approach, can lead to serious setbacks in the development process. Without a proper discovery stage, it is challenging to gather requirements, understand the market landscape, assess possible limitations, select the right tech stack and integrations, and set achievable milestones for project implementation. Not to mention, the failure to engage industry experts during the discovery phase can result in insufficient knowledge transfer, causing delays and additional expenses down the line.
The renewable energy market is booming, and software, platforms, and tools are becoming increasingly critical components of the ecosystem. Thus, having a thorough discovery phase is vital to ensure the best development practices are implemented. Through discovery, we can identify the best solutions available in the market, which can help optimize development costs and time significantly.
- A wrong choice of a tool set, system design, and technical stack
The use of improper tool sets, incomplete system design, and mismatched technical stacks are among the most significant challenges of software development for renewable energy. The renewable energy sector is data-heavy and compositionally complex in nature, which requires a high level of tech expertise and knowledge of domain-specific information. Unfortunately, making the wrong choice in terms of tool sets, system design, and technical stacks can significantly hinder the progress of software development in this field, resulting in suboptimal outcomes.
Therefore, it is paramount to have a deep understanding of the project's requirements and the available options in the market when making these choices. This will lead to the optimal development of software solutions aimed at transforming the renewable energy sector. Using an iterative approach, access to domain-specific knowledge, and tech expertise stage by stage, we are constantly building solutions that meet expectations.
- Scalability
Scaling software is a common challenge that requires considering future expansion such as handling more data, devices, and geographic areas. While it may take several years to build and optimize a new system, planning for potential growth from the beginning is crucial. This affects system architecture, connectivity options, dashboard design, UX, and cloud service provider selection. Ignoring potential growth can have significant consequences for software development.
As a software development company with 9+ years of experience, we have the expertise to evaluate existing infrastructures, recognize potential problems, and create solutions that scale with increasing demand.
With the right team and expertise, these challenges can be overcome efficiently and effectively. From project management to quality assurance, our deep technical and business knowledge ensures our clients' success. Contact us for a free kick-off consultation, and let us help you build the software product to go green.
Green Energy Software Solutions: Enhancing Environmental Sustainability
In recent years, the green energy sector has experienced significant growth due to increasing concerns about climate change and the need to transition towards a renewable energy-powered future. This has resulted in the emergence of new and innovative software solutions that enable green energy companies to advance their operations and achieve environmental sustainability goals.
Benefits of custom software solutions for the green energy sector:
- Increased efficiency
- Optimized energy production and consumption
- Measurable ROI
- Data-backed decision making
- Better financial and investment management
- Improved sustainability
- Effective maintenance
- Significant cost savings
Techstack case
The energy balancing platform we developed is capable of working with all energy sources, whether they be traditional or renewable. With the ability to submit bids on the automatic frequency restoration reserve (aFRR) market, the platform can effectively balance energy loads and track energy metrics. Additionally, it can provide financial reports and invoices for consumed energy and energy-balancing services rendered. The platform integrates seamlessly with the existing energy balancing system, allowing for bid management and signal receipt. Its activation application connects the hardware and monitors energy consumption, ensuring optimal energy load balancing.
Summing Up
The shift towards renewable energy is underway, but more work remains in implementing new energy generation and management technologies. Streamlined software development processes and customizable software solutions are emerging as effective tools for this challenge, becoming increasingly powerful and cost-efficient as they evolve.
These solutions represent a secret weapon in the pursuit of a sustainable energy future. And we are proud to take an active part in creating a world where the majority of energy is generated by renewable energy sources. Discover our software services for renewable energy industries and explore our expertise in building, scaling, and modernizing software. Let's discuss how we can help your business thrive in the renewable energy sector.
