Everywhere you turn, there are predictions about the future. But speculation itself is often a business that sells possibilities, rather than truth.
Meanwhile, news about 5G and energy alternatives beyond fossil fuels has been relatively quiet until the pandemic, despite years of technological innovation.
Here's how 5G and renewable energy are part of a broader digital transformation toward a more sustainable future.
Why 5G Is a Green Solution
The link between 5G and energy is an enabling effect on multiple social and economic processes. It strengthens and interconnects not only city infrastructure, but other realms as well. This includes healthcare systems moving toward telehealth, tourism adopting virtual reality, and remote work via the cloud across several industries. The more an operation cuts waste in its production processes, the more opportunity it has to contribute to greater economic and environmental sustainability.
Transportation companies, for example, can now monitor entire fleets over wireless connections as 5G allows for faster and broader data transmission coverage. It allows data to travel more seamlessly without delays that occur sometimes in 4G packet transfers. With the ability to operate fleets more efficiently, transportation companies can better manage its use of vehicles, and essentially, reduce fossil fuel emissions. Additionally, autonomous vehicles and delivery drones, that are dialed into a virtual private network, opens the door for safer and more efficient transport of products and materials.
Managers can also use real-time data on system performance to make technical or production adjustments when necessary. If a manufacturer discovers dangerous chemicals at its complex, for example, IoT sensors can detect the chemical data, then machine learning software provides recommendations on cleaning up the mess. This seamless access to system alerts can help businesses achieve their sustainability goals, as the new technology cuts greenhouse emissions due to its streamlining effect.
Energy Benefits of 5G and ICT
Renewable energy adoption is no longer characterized as uncertain; it's simply happening across residential, commercial, industrial, and government sectors. With the number of advantages it offers, both environmentally and economically, this growth is no surprise. Solar, for instance, can greatly reduce energy costs while cutting greenhouse gases. And when paired with storage solutions, energy independence and resilience can be achieved.
The list of benefits that 5G brings to renewable energy is becoming comprehensive. Integrating Information and Communications (ICT) technology is an extension of IT that unifies communications in computer networks. The combination of ICT, 5G, AI, and machine learning allows for greater collection and analysis of data.
Smart grids that combine renewable energy and storage, for instance, can utilize these technologies to deliver better performance and efficiency, as well as on-demand balancing services for utilities, while reducing CO2 emissions at the same time.
Conclusion
The digital transformation affecting a wide range of industries involves 5G and renewables contributing to exponentially more efficient data and power transmission. Moving forward, 5G and energy solutions beyond conventional sources will play a huge role in reshaping cultural landscapes on a global level. Renewable energy and smart storage that run on faster internet capabilities benefits everyone from large producers to small shops to consumers, while also helping to save our planet.