Forbes – How The Internet Of Things Will Help Fight Climate Change

The Industrial Revolution and the technology underpinning it has been one of the primary drivers of manmade climate change. Yet it’s another industrial revolution and another set of new technologies that looks set to help humanity avoid the worst effects of anthropogenic global warming.

On the one hand, the biggest positive effect will be delivered by green technologies and renewable energy sources, yet on the other, the Internet of Things (IoT) and smart connectivity will function as a vital enabler of the above solutions, enabling green microgrids to be brought online when non-renewable utility networks fail or aren’t available. At the same time, the use of the IoT and smart devices will enable energy networks and consumers to become more energy efficient in general, thereby reducing energy consumption at a time when the future of our environment depends on it.

Numerous companies and organisations are working in the area of energy and the IoT. One of these is the Massachusetts-based Ameresco, a provider of energy infrastructure services that focus on energy efficiency and renewables, and that serve public- and private-sector organizations. This June, it announced the completion of an extensive infrastructure project at the United States Marine Corps Recruit Depot in Parris Island, South Carolina.

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