Climate Action 2017-2018

INNOVATION
INNOVATIVE
TECHNOLOGIES
PROVIDE THE
ANSWER TO
CLIMATE CHANGE
Dr Roland Busch, Chief Technology
Officer and Member of the Managing
Board of Siemens AG
Follow me on Twitter @BuschRo
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On sunny days some residents in
Brooklyn generate more electricity
from the solar panels on their roofs
than they can consume. Fortunately as
members of the Brooklyn Micogrid project,
they can trade this electricity with their
neighbours on a blockchain platform. While
helping to reduce their community’s carbon
emissions, these residents also benefit
through lower energy bills. And with plans
to install battery storage, should a big storm
hit, this Brooklyn community won’t be left
in the dark.
Every time a severe storm strikes,
the issue of climate changes raises its
head. There is a growing acceptance
that the effects of climate change
are happening now and not in some
distant future. This year alone several
extreme weather events have damaged
infrastructure, caused economic losses
and put lives at risk. Business as usual is
no longer an option. Like the residents of
Brooklyn, governments, companies and
communities need to act.
Digitalisation can make the energy
transition happen
If we want to limit global warming to 2°C
as outlined in the Paris Agreement, then
renewable sources will have to play a
bigger role in meeting energy needs. The
progress made is encouraging. Who would
have thought 10 years ago that renewables
would be as competitive as fossil fuels, not
to mention the positive effect on job creation.
Given the scale and their intermittent nature,
digital technologies will be a key enabler to
increasing the share of renewable energy
generation. Innovative technologies are
already available today for grid integration,
stability, demand management and storage.
Governments will need to bring forward
policies for electricity markets and carbon
pricing to foster long-term investment.
Switching to electric power also offers
enormous potential to decarbonise our
economy, from heating for buildings,
to power for industrial processes and
transportation. Public transport in many
cities, such as metros and trams, already
operate as electrified systems. While
road transport is still heavily reliant on
combustion engines, several automotive
companies recently committed to
producing more hybrid and electric
vehicles. Meanwhile Siemens has been
working on an innovative solution to
electrify freight transport, known as
eHighway, with demonstration projects
in Germany, Sweden and California.
Energy efficiency measures, like building