Sustainable Energy for Industry: Navigating the World of Sustainability for a Better Future
The breakout of a novel coronavirus in March 2020 has impacted almost all sectors of our society, be it healthcare, educational, or industrial. Steadily, every country is awakening to the importance of a clean, healthy, and sustainable future. In this article, we will bring under purview why it is imperative for industries to switch to sustainable energy.
First, let us begin by understanding the meaning of sustainable energy, also known as renewable energy, and how it can contribute to creating a more clean and eco-friendly future.
What Is Sustainable or Renewable Energy?
In simple words, any type of energy that carries the potential to meet demands without exhausting integral natural resources is referred to as sustainable energy. This type of energy causes negligible environmental damage and offers sustainability in the form of safe, long-lasting, self-replenishing, and healthy energy sources.
It is important to remember that the industrial sector is a major utilizer of fossil fuels like coal, petroleum, and natural gas, which leads to heavy emissions of greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide, making the industrial sector a key contributor to hazardous environmental threats like global warming.
However, in recent years, industry owners have been stepping up and shouldering their responsibility towards society and the environment. Several industry owners are taking a keen interest in making themselves more knowledgeable about greener energy alternatives by deploying different sustainable energy sources based on their respective industries.
Benefits of Deploying Sustainable Energy in the Industrial Sector
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Sustainable Energy Lowers the Carbon Footprint of Your Industry
One of the biggest advantages of employing sustainable energy in the industrial sector is that it significantly lowers the overall carbon footprint of industries. Now, let’s first understand what carbon footprint means.
In layman’s terms, a carbon footprint is a metric used by researchers to calculate and analyze the amount of greenhouse gas emissions caused by an event, individual, service, product, or organization.
Therefore, if conventional sources used in industries are replaced by renewable energy sources, the carbon footprint of the industry is automatically decreased by replacing or offsetting the requirements for fossil fuel emissions with net-zero energy sources like solar and wind. However, what is the consequence of decreasing the carbon footprint of your industry?
As mentioned above, renewable energy generates zero greenhouse gas emissions, which drastically contributes to improving the overall quality levels of the environment, unlike non-renewable energy sources that degrade the air quality levels and cause serious health risks as they pollute natural resources like soil, water, and air.
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Utilizing Sustainable Energy for Industries Enhances Brand Reputation
The industrial sector is one of the most competitive domains of our society. Almost every product we use in our daily lives is produced and manufactured in some or the other industry. On the other hand, topics like global warming, renewable energy, and sustainable development are not limited to academic debates and research today. Fortunately, people across countries are trying to bring in a positive change by making eco-friendly choices in their daily lives.
In a consumeristic society, where the buyer’s demands are the utmost priority of business owners, switching to sustainable energy for your industry will help the environment and highlight your futuristic and thoughtful business goals, increasing the ranking of your goods and products.
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Using Sustainable Energy for Your Industry Boosts the Economy
Industries and businesses play a huge role in boosting the economy of any country by bringing in a huge amount of revenues, maintaining the per capita income, and providing large-scale employments to people from several spheres of society. But how can the deployment of sustainable energy in industries lead to the stimulation of the economy?
Non-renewable energy industry usually utilizes mechanized processes to work on its own, with bare minimum human assistance. In contrast, a green energy industry requires many workers to function and operate in an optimum manner, creating more job opportunities and stimulating the entire economic system of a country.
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Deploying Sustainable Energy for Your Industry Results in Cost-efficiency
Even though several industry owners are switching to sustainable energy for their respective industries, many industrial sites still function on non-renewable sources of energy like coal, oil, natural gas, and nuclear energy. Since every industry requires a huge amount of energy in order to operate optimally and without any hindrance, industries usually opt for energy procurement solutions that help industry owners buy energy at a more reasonable and consistent price.
Still, renewable energy sources cost a lot more than renewable energy sources like hydropower, geothermal, solar, wind, and more in the longer duration. Initially, investing in instruments like solar panels and windmills might seem a little expensive, but the cost of running and maintaining these sources is consistent and very low in comparison with fossil fuels.
Therefore, by deploying sustainable energy for their industry, owners can make higher profits and save a considerable amount of money which they can invest in other industrial activities to receive optimal results.
Find Your Way with Schneider Electric
At Schneider Electric, we aim to bridge the gap between progress and sustainability. We have a team of futuristic minds who make continual efforts to develop an array of sustainable products, solutions, and services for a healthy and inclusive world. Ranked as the world’s most sustainable corporation, we offer comprehensible sustainable strategies that measure your sustainability ROI, invest in renewable energy, and maintain your competitive edge in the market.
In addition, we also contribute to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by developing innovative solutions that deliver immediate decarbonization for a brighter future. Here is a list of all the goals that we aim to achieve under our carbon pledges that fall under our sustainability journey:
- Achieving carbon neutrality on all our operations by 2025.
- Net-zero carbon-dioxide emission by 2030
- Achieving a completely carbon-neutral value chain by 2040.
- Net-zero carbon dioxide supply chain by 2050.
In conclusion, to pave the way for a healthier future, it is crucial for industry owners to make eco-friendly choices, as it sets a benchmark that can have a positive impact on society as a whole while also ensuring business excellence. Browse through our website to learn more about how we contribute to enhancing the sustainability levels of the industrial sector on a global level.
To know more, please check Schneider Electric.
