We kicked off the 2021 RTP180 season talking about different cleantech initiatives happening in the RTP area! On January 21st, four speakers, sourced in partnership with the Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster, hit the virtual stage with topics about connecting communities, smart cities, an innovative app, and smart meters. Check out the overview below to learn more about each.
First up, was Sushant Shetgeri from Hoffman Building Technologies to talk about smart buildings and IoT (Internet of Things). He showed us that the global energy problem can be divided into three parts: production, transmission/storage, and consumption. The fix is to create smart buildings, which eventually lead to smart cities. How? As Sushant says, “smart systems, when integrated together, make a smart building. Smart systems can’t exist independently.” Check out the video to learn what smart systems look like and one of the most well-known smart buildings in the world (hint: it’s local to NC).
Next up, was Kasey Gridley from Duke Energy. Continuing on the topic of smart cities, she discussed how smart communities connect together. Duke Energy is working on modernizing the power grid and solving customers’ problems through construction tech. Some of the few things they’ve done include converting vehicles to electric, creating micro-grids, and installing smart meters. As Kasey says, “In order for it to truly be a smart city, we need to establish the infrastructure… I’m excited about the way we’re using existing infrastructure instead of building more.” Interested in how we can connect communities with smart cities? Learn more here.
Then, Jeff Kirschner, founder of the app Litterati, shared how he has been cleaning the planet with data. It all started when his daughter pointed out trash while on a walk in the woods. He then found himself taking pictures of trash he found along walks, throwing it away, then posting the photos to Instagram. Jeff says that because of this, “Litter became artistic, and therefore approachable… what I noticed from that is that I’m consuming a ton of stuff.” Learn how cities and all of us can be part of the solution in the recap here.
Lastly, Andy Honeycutt, president of MeterSYS introduced us to the exciting world of meters. Smart meters give us more money, time, and options, and can help us move towards being a smart city. “Smart networks are critical and are the backbone to our customers. When we have devices and applications but can’t make those two arenas talk, we have to have that reliable network.” We’re also seeing a lot of growth in IoT and smart sensors because the costs are falling and performance is rising. Check out the video to see why Andy says that Sanford, NC is going to be one of the leaders in smart city deployment.
Ready for more RTP180? As always, thanks to our Sponsor, RTI International for helping us continue our mission month after month. Our next event on February 18 is about Equity; one you won’t want to miss. Click here to sign up!