Energy Magazine February 2021 | Page 37

● The tech sector should “ lead by example ” and make data accessible

● Tech companies should further promote the use of renewable energy for computing activities

● Regulators should develop guidance about the energy proportionality of digital apps

● Action is needed to build digital and net zero skills at all levels

● The UK government should use COP25 as an opportunity to lead the way in establishing ambitious programmes

● UK government policies should be updated to reflect the net zero imperative

● Regulators should provide frameworks to help business innovating in the space of digital apps for net zero

● There is a need to create a stronger innovation ecosystem for net zero and distribute the benefits

Digital ’ s growth is not without its energy challenges . It contributes between 1.4 percent and 5.9 percent to global emissions , and more scrutiny is being placed on energy-hungry data centres , although more are now running on clean energy . In 2018 , 51 percent of the world ’ s population was online – which is expected to jump to 66 percent by 2023 .

A digital twin is a virtual representation of a physical asset which can be used to understand , predict and optimise the performance of this asset . Simulations can be run before an asset is built or during its use , with then the possibility to feedback real-time data .

The application of digital twinning has enabled the real-time digital simulation of factories , which enables the optimisation of its operations as well as predictive maintenance , reducing downtime and thus saving energy and emissions .

By modelling the availability of different energy sources , and forecasting supply and demand across the system , technologies such as AI and digital twinning can help integrate intermittent renewable energy sources into the grid . Digital twins deployed on a local level ( such as smart homes ) will be fed into whole-system modelling and twinning .

37 energydigital . com