Carbon-Neutral Energy Solutions

FountainBlue's May 10 VIP roundtable was on the topic of 'Carbon Neutral Energy Solutions'. Below is a summary of the conversation.

Carbon neutral energy solutions might range of from Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage to Green Hydrogen and Distributed Energy Resources, and Data Analytics, from Grid Edge, Electric Transportation, and Energy Efficiency to Waste Heat Utilization, from Advanced Materials and Electrochemical Systems to Fuel Cell and Energy Storage Technologies and Renewable Hydrogen Production. But the emphasis on our conversation was around the technology, the hardware and software which help drive these wide range of carbon neutral energy solutions.

We started the conversation with some very big questions:

• How do we minimize power usage while maximizing performance and flexibility?

• How do we leverage GenAI to optimize climate tech solutions which benefit us all?

• How do we keep our energy solutions safe and secure when bad actors are so motivated by the prospect of financial returns from successful cyber attacks?

• How do we decarbonize while also energizing a power-hungry, processing-heavy expectations of a growing customer base?

We found that there were no pat, one-size-fits-all solutions for everyone, yet were fascinated that the questions were raised by all around the virtual table. We did mention some potential opportunities for carbon-neutral energy solutions:

• consider solutions for providing micro-grids in remote areas

• consider how we can more broadly adopt electrification options

• consider how we can use EVs as mobile storage units

• consider more options for leveraging our current grid

• consider how we can better fuel transportation - on the air, on the ground, under water

• consider how we can better store, distribute, and optimize the renewable energy we are already generating, but at scale

And ended by talking about some larger questions:

• How do we develop policies and provide incentives which would encourage infrastructure upgrades at the corporate and local levels?

• How do we connected across a fractured and disjointed ecosystem of stakeholders so that we can more efficiently and more collaboratively innovate and create carbon-neutral energy solutions?

• How do we shape and influence the policies which fund research, support collaborations, and facilitate implementation of carbon neutral energy solutions?

• How can we fund the decades of research necessary to fund the innovations which are truly transformational?

It's dizzying to consider these very big questions, yet I also know that innovation and leadership will be the heart of the solution. And I'm glad that I'm doing my part by bringing key leaders and innovators together to contemplate these opportunities and challenges ahead.