Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
Clean and affordable energy is a right, not a privilege. Earlier this year Awesense published our Corporate Sustainability Report. This report outlined a few of the core goals we are working on as supporters of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. These goals aim to address the many areas of development that humanity is working on optimizing. Working together on these goals will help make our world a more egalitarian and sustainable place to be.
One of these goals is to provide affordable and clean energy to anyone that needs it. As outlined in our report, we are committed to supporting the growth of renewable energy and encourage the responsible use of all energy sources.
Why is this a focus for Awesense and the United Nations?
Currently, 789 million people lack electricity. With only 17% renewable-share contributing to global energy generation, more efforts in renewable energy are needed. While the world is making progress with increased energy efficiency and accessibility, there are still unserved populations of those living in remote, hard-to-reach communities. These communities are connected to a frail and overburdened grid which is causing inevitable issues of equity. As for renewable energy, the technologies have shown a consistent increase. This is largely the result of the rapid expansion of wind and solar power in specific. In order to reach the SDG target, immediate action is needed for the deployment of these modern renewables and for the government to set higher energy efficiency ambitions.
What have we been doing to address this Sustainable Development Goal?
From our inception, Awesense has driven the energy transition and advancing the use of renewable energy through our powerful technology. One of our biggest impacts is our contribution in improving the efficiency of the BC energy grid. With BC Hydro, we have helped improve efficiency by close to 80% during our work with the utility. This helped save 680 GWh of energy per year and returned significant savings to the people of BC. We have also played a pivotal role in developing a Cleantech ecosystem in Vancouver, further accelerating the development and adoption of clean-energy-focused technologies.
Awesense started with a single number, 100 million. That is how many tonnes of CO2 we aim to remove from the earth by 2025. According to the World Health Organization, air pollution causes around 7 million premature deaths every year. We strive to work with utilities that source their energy from renewable generation. This is part of our commitment to reducing the use of fossil fuels that are harming the planet and its most valuable resource- its people. Moreover, Awesense enables increased adoption of EVs and renewable energy integration, thus accelerating air pollution reduction.
Are our efforts making a difference?
Awesense is running a variety of projects with utilities and large industrials. This is done to enable a better understanding of the grid and the impact Distributed Energy Resources are having. The electric grid was not built to withstand the large number of renewable devices expected to connect to the system in the coming years. As power generation shifts from large, centralized sources owned by single entities, and moves towards smaller-scale distributed generation, the complexity of the system increases dramatically. Some regions are already seeing significant impacts due to a high penetration of small-scale renewable resources, storage, and electric vehicles. As the complexity increases, so does the need to understand the impact these devices are having. Awesense enables the visibility, analysis, and prediction necessary to drive renewable growth in the grid. This practice underpins our commitment to enabling the energy transition and a cleaner environment.
By working on projects in North and South America, Europe, and Africa, we have been able to drive significant global impact and improve the affordability and sustainability of energy for many people.
We are confident in the positive impact Awesense has made with our customers. Because of this, our product continues to develop in order to reach the ambitious goals we have set for ourselves. Bringing reliable and sustainable energy has been the hallmark of our business that we continue to offer to our partners.
What Can I Do to Help Advance the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals?
The number one thing any of us can do to help advance the SDGs outlined by the UN is by educating both ourselves and the people around us. Only by acknowledging the gaps in our systems can we address those deficits properly. If you can’t afford or don’t have the ability to install renewable energy to power your household or business, encouraging your utility or energy provider to use more renewably sourced energy is a great way to have an impact. Making the world a better place is not easy, but it can be if we all do our part. As the age-old adage goes, “think globally, act locally.”
