The energy landscape is constantly changing and with the new year come new challenges based on the lessons learned from 2018. Not only is the way we consume energy changing (think of energy efficient products at home but also the shift from gasoline to electricity for vehicles) but production is also morphing and changing our grid infrastructure with renewables and distributed generation coming online. Here are some of the things to look out for in 2019:
Data security
With smart technology comes big data. Data security and privacy are big concerns for many governments, individuals and company. The field is largely unregulated in the energy landscape and we can expect the industry and governments alike to focus a lot of resources on data security and ensuring that data flows efficiently but also securely and for its intended purposes between the various stakeholders.
Electric Vehicles
What started a number of years ago continues in earnest in 2019. More infrastructure is being built to allow for our roadways to become increasingly electric. With many national governments and automakers taking steps to encourage and promote EV use, expect 2019 to be a year of shifts in the automotive industry as the sector fully embraces electric propulsion.
Energy Storage
With a rising number of electric vehicles, comes a rising number of mobile energy storage devices. Not only the batteries in the vehicles themselves, but auto manufacturers are starting to embrace the technology for other consumer uses and coming out with their own standalone battery storage solutions.
A smarter grid
From demand response to energy efficiency, we’re not done yet talking about the smart grid. Though the novelty has worn off, there is still much to be said and debated about the shape of energy in the future but one thing that’s certain is that it will be more technologically advanced and smarter. If you’re in the smart technology sector, don’t expect to be able to catch your breath in 2019 as it’s full steam ahead.
