The Trend of CleanTech Companies

A solution to tackling climate change lies in managing companies. Big businesses have a big impact on the environment, and to make sure it is a positive one, taking into consideration its production process is key. With all that is possible with technology, getting this done is well within our grasp. And as technology continues to evolve, it just might be powerful enough to help take care of the environment. But so far, we will make do with what we have, and what we have that could make a sure difference, is cleantech.

CleanTech (in case you can’t guess, short for clean technology) is a general term that encompasses anything that supports a sustainable business approach. Be it a product, service, or process that reduces waste or uses as little non-renewable resources as possible, it is considered cleantech. The Technology Trade Alliance also states that it includes, but isn’t limited to, pollution control, resource reduction and management, end-of-life strategy, waste reduction, energy efficiency, carbon mitigation, and profitability.

Besides cleantech being a beneficial tool in helping reverse the effects of global warming, there are other factors that are driving the use of clean technology. Consumer attitude, which is largely in response to the state of the environment, has brought environmental concerns to be a popular point of focus, which then drives clean technology forward. Along with that, China’s growing middle class is forcing its government to do more investing in alternative energy sources. And lastly, there being a competitive global marketplace and the money being invested in research and development by large corporations, are also other factors driving cleantech.

With that said, there are several newly established companies that have come along now that cleantech is on the rise. Alter5, an institutional marketplace for clean energy strives to speed up energy transition by connecting capital providers with renewable energy projects in an entirely digital space. Starke Energy, another start-up, has a goal to move toward cleaner, more affordable, and flexible energy systems through local integration. To even out the grid, lower CO2 emissions and make CO2 credits from sustainable innovation, the most recently established company, Bechained provides a renewable energy marketplace to help balance and control the relationship between supply and demand through artificial intelligence. FlexiDAO has a software that tracks where a company’s electricity comes from and their actual CO2 every hour of the day, with the goal of achieving net zero emissions.

In 2022 there are 4 trends happening in cleantech, and one of them is increasing the use of renewable energy. Despite the pandemic, it rose by 1.5% proving it to be a resilient energy source. Next are electric vehicles (EVs) and charging stations. Since the emission regulations in the 90s, they’ve become a renewed interest, and to encourage the production of more EVs, the U.S. government plans on investing $5 billion in its charging stations over the next 5 years. Circular waste management is gaining popularity as it is a sustainable system where materials are reused and recycled, and the waste is turned into energy. And sustainable automation’s artificial intelligence is on trend because of its mindfulness of energy consumption, by shutting down when not in use.

With the presence of technology in business, not only does it make work and production more efficient, but it sets us on the right track to help improve our relationship with nature.

Sources

“Cleantech Trends.” Softtek, 30 Dec. 2021, https://softtek.eu/en/tech-magazine-en/digital-transformation-en/cleantech-trends/#:~:text=The%20main%20clean%20technology%20trends,operations%20cleaner%20and%20more%20sustainable.

VertueLab. “4 Cleantech Trends in 2022.” VertueLab, VertueLab, 31 Mar. 2022, https://vertuelab.org/blog/4-cleantech-trends-in-2022.

Contributor, TechTarget. “What Is Clean Technology (Clean Tech)? - Definition from Whatis.com.” WhatIs.com, TechTarget, 15 Oct. 2010, https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/clean-technology-clean-tech.