On June 5, 2020, World Environment Day is being celebrated with the theme on ‘Time for Nature’. The concept encompasses the development of infrastructure for the overall development of life. Over the years, conventional sources of energy have been used for the fulfilment of the energy requirements of the world. However, they adversely affected the environment.

The focus has shifted toward reducing the adverse impact on the environment. Consequently, there is a shift in the demand for clean energy resources or renewable sources of energy. Renewable sources of energy are comparatively less polluting than conventional sources of energy. It has been recorded that as of November 2019, renewable sources of energy contributes to more than 20% of the U.K.’s total electricity production and going by the target set by the European Union, this percentage is likely to go up by 30%, by 2020.

In the U.S. as well, a 15% drop has been observed in the carbon dioxide emissions since 2005. The Energy Information Administration further expects these emissions to reduce by 11% by the end of this year.

Further, it has been observed that the development of renewable energy projects is done on a large-scale to cut down the cost of production. Several initiatives have been taken by governments across countries and several organizations. They are also investing and developing future energy systems, which consist of renewable sources of energy, such as solar, biomass, hydropower, and wind. One of the recent advancements in the field of solar energy is the floating solar photovoltaic (PV) plants. These plants float on the surface of the water,  such as that of lakes, rivers, and irrigation canals. The structure is sturdy in nature to hold the solar panel in place.

The development of these renewable energy plants is considered highly beneficial, especially for developing countries, as the total cost of production of energy will be lower than the cost of production for conventional energy sources. Also, the energy produced will be cleaner. Recently, due to the global pandemic caused by the spread of novel coronavirus and the consequent complete shutdown of economies, the demand for energy has suffered drastically. However, post the lockdown period, the demand for energy is expected to be gradually restored to its previous level.

In addition, the complete lockdown due to COVID-19 led to a reduction in air pollution, which has further enhanced the efficiency of solar panels. Indirectly, the lockdown caused by the global pandemic is helping in balancing the nature by restoring it, with the absence of carbon emissions produced from factories. In a recent scenario, Sheffield Solar, a project of the University of Sheffield observed that the solar energy production in the U.K. was 9.68 GW in April 2020, higher from a previous 9.55 GW recorded earlier during the same month. It is projected that solar energy production increased due to sunny yet cooler weather (solar panel perform best in cooler temperature) with a sharp decline in emissions produced by the industries along with vehicles that are to stay away in the pandemic.

Furthermore, it has been observed that by harnessing benefits offered by the latest technological advancements and coupling them with energy production, the increasing demand for clean energy can be fulfilled, globally. Sustainable technological advancements related to ocean energy, off-shore wind energy, and recycling of plastics, are some of the ways the adverse impact on the environment can be reduced. The development of infrastructure that can harness the ocean’s energy through wave energy converters, ocean thermal energy, and tidal current systems can be of extreme importance.

Likewise, tapping into offshore wind power is considered a highly efficient source of energy among all renewable sources of energy. Neither does it emit any toxic substances or waste, nor does it contaminate the air and sources of water. These offshore wind farms can be established in both sea and freshwater. The offshore wind energy market is projected to reach $50,450.9 million by 2023, witnessing a significant CAGR from 2018 to 2023.

The use of biofuels for producing energy, including all three forms, such as solid, liquid, and gas, has the potential to produce energy. The demand from Asia-Pacific and Africa regions is expected to increase due to increasing growth opportunities and the growing population in the countries of these regions.

Though the renewable sources are clean form of energy, they have a variability factor, i.e., a dependency factor. For instance, the generation of wind energy is dependent on the speed of the wind. It is due to this factor this form of energy cannot be included directly into the ecosystem. However, with the help of digital technologies, such as smart grid technology the energy produced can be stored and introduced into the ecosystem. Further, the use of smart technologies, including Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and blockchain, in the energy industry has paved the path for tracking, recording, and managing the chain of energy supply across locations through connected devices. With the help of IoT and connected devices, smart and energy-efficient homes are now a possibility. For instance, the intelligent lighting systems that are embedded with sensors help in reducing energy wastage. Other technologies, such as Internet of Energy (IoE) technology, help in enhancing the operational productivity by minimizing manual labor and providing efficient platform for proper data management of production inputs in case of power generation. BIS Research predicts that the global Internet of Energy (IoE) industry is projected to grow at a significant CAGR of 21.05% during the forecast period from 2019 to 2024.

The artificial intelligence (AI) technology can help in managing the supply chain of power grid to further reduce the load on the grid. As per the market study by BIS Research global AI in energy market is projected to reach  $7.79 Billion by 2024.

The virtual power plant solutions with the help of supporting technologies, such as demand response, distributed generation, and mixed assets, helps in optimization of grid and aggregation of distributed energy resources.

Indeed, certain challenges are expected to persist. However, with the help of renewable sources of energy and advanced technological solutions, these challenges can be mitigated. The clean energy produced through renewable sources helps in lowering down the level of emissions in the environment and help in reducing the pollution. Lastly, clean energy system with the help of smart technology can fulfil the expected increase in demand for energy in the future, globally.