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July 28, 2021The number of business leaders who believe in the power of technological innovations is constantly growing. Technology has come a long way to prove its value and undeniable positive effect on the way different businesses operate successfully while not harming the environment. Among the main of these technologies are AI, IoT, robotics, big data analytics, cloud systems, and blockchain.
Unfortunately, despite the proven positive impact of technology on boosting both ROI and sustainability, less than 60% of business leaders are ready to invest in tech for this purpose, Business and the Fourth Wave of Environmentalism 2019 report claims.
In this article, we will explain how sustainable technology actually benefits the industry on the example of agriculture and guide you through the top sustainable tech for overall energy conservation.
Sustainable Tech for Agriculture
The reason why agriculture is a great example of how sustainable technology can be effectively and successfully implemented in a business is due to this industry being one of the most blamed for many environmental issues humanity is currently facing.
The adverse impact of inaccurate agricultural practices on climate change is now more evident than ever. Luckily, there are modern solutions to change this state of things, shifting agriculture to sustainability to help eliminate or mitigate the overall effect this industry has on the environment.
The use of technology in farming is not a luxury but a necessity in the modern world. Traditional agricultural practices no longer provide the desired effect, constantly increasing production costs and decreasing business profitability. So what is the way out? The answer lies in precision farming.
Precision farming implies monitoring crop and soil health on every acre based on the remotely collected data. This data can be analyzed to identify the most suitable sowing or harvesting time and to determine the right amount of irrigation, fertilizer, and pesticide to use and when, including when applying fertigation technology. The purpose of such field monitoring is to increase yields while reducing the use of water and harmful chemicals.
Luckily, modern technology offers a variety of online tools to help farmers in making precise decisions about soil treatment, fertilization, pest control measures, and much more based on
reliable data from drones, satellites, ground sensors, and field equipment that are analyzed by different algorithms. Such digital instruments leverage the power of AI, ML, robotics, IoT, big data, and cloud computing technologies for data collection and analysis.
The urgency of using technology in farming is now higher than ever. To continue farming in the future and be able to satisfy the growing number of consumers and their needs, farmers need to shift towards sustainable farming practices. Sustainability will allow for preserving soil and water resources, preventing land degradation and water pollution. And the most effective way to become sustainable is to use the help of modern technology, adopting it on the farm.
Now that we know what sustainable tech can do for agriculture, let’s see what it can offer for energy preservation overall.
Sustainable Technologies for Energy
Here are some energy technologies that are worth paying attention to.
Green Hydrogen
Green hydrogen is called the “fuel of the future”. It is an environmentally friendly source of energy. When it burns, steam (water) is formed instead of carbon dioxide, which means it holds the huge potential of decarbonizing industrial processes.
Marine Solar
While the popularity of floating solar keeps growing due to its proven efficiency, now new sea-based PV projects are on the way. The projects imply offshore floating solar panels. The economic feasibility of such floating stations relies on their distance from the coast and the possibility of coupling to the grid connection of offshore wind.
Molten Salt Reactors
Although molten salt reactors are nothing new, they are currently gaining popularity due to the ability to solve many environmental and energy problems. The energy yield from a single molten salt reactor is significant and very efficient, which is a strong argument in favor of using these types of reactors. Besides, molten salt reactors could be the future of carbon-free green energy being cheaper than coal-fired power stations and capable of generating electricity with fewer radiation risks compared to plants working on traditional nuclear reactors.
Generally, using sustainability technologies in both agriculture and energy allows for both environmental preservation and revenue increase while also creating competitive advantages over unsustainable counterparts.
