Real Estate Opportunities In Energy Efficiency And Carbon Markets: Fill & Download for Free

Hi, for different sectors it will have the difference impact, so in this answer, I will try to describe how it is used now and how it changed these sectors by time.Most of the time, blockchain and cryptocurrency come bundled together; people’s perception tends to be that one can’t exist without the other. This situation is changing though, as blockchain technology finds more and more “mainstream” applications. Another popular conception regarding blockchain is that it can be used “mainly” in fintech. It is widespread in the banking and financial services industries of course, but other sectors are also looking at opportunities this new technology provides.Sharing EconomyThe sharing economy is itself a disruptive way of doing everyday things, like commuting, finding a place to stay or even eating. It’s not surprising that the most exciting technology is finding its place in this area. DLT can keep track of the use of shared physical objects, be it a car, a bike or a house. Renting — which is not limited to real estate — can use blockchain to secure the flow of rented (shared) goods. The technology is able to keep constant track of items used by a large number of people from anywhere in the world. This idea lies at the core of the sharing economy model.CrowdfundingThere are three main types of traditional business funding: Self-funding, bank funding and venture capital. While the ideas behind them are different, the three have one thing in common: they are hard to get. There are either too many limitations or too many requirements. Crowdfunding — or crowdsourcing — emerged as an alternative to traditional business funding, and Kickstarter’s success story proved the concept to be durable. Moreover, it attracted regular people to investing. Still, the model is not that efficient and more than half of all projects don’t reach their target goals.This situation is changing with the implementation of blockchain. The technology allows crowdfunding platforms to make the funding process secure, transparent and globally accessible. Not just crowdfunding benefits from blockchain; organizations like the UN and UNICEF are already applying blockchain to their projects.Environmental ProtectionThe World Economic Forum (WEF) believes that blockchain-based solutions could completely change the way we tackle environmental problems. There are more traditional solutions like new financing models for environmental outcomes, more efficient and cleaner decentralized systems and the like.In addition to options improving existing practices, there are completely new approaches as well. Decentralized energy and water management systems, carbon markets, sustainable fundraising sources, transparent (“see-through”) supply chains — these are just a few examples of more than 65 projects outlined by the WEF.ManufacturingThe idea of “smart manufacturing” came into realization less than a decade ago. Manufacturers are looking for innovative ways to cut costs and to improve overall efficiency of the process. AI, IoT, robotics are technologies which can be used to eliminate manual errors. Blockchain can actually rebuild supply chains.According to Alibaba co-founder and chairman Jack Ma, the technology could be applied as a data processing system and decentralized database for the whole industry. There are already Ethereum-based projects that enable developers to build applications on top of the blockchain, thus making them available to a large-scale industry like manufacturing.GamingThe gaming industry seems to be a logical adopter of blockchain technology, just like the sharing economy. Aside from more the obvious uses of crypto incentives and rewards, gaming can apply the technology in more creative ways. Blockchain can help smaller companies to develop their gaming products and gain followers via crowdfunding (token sales, for example). Aside from raising early funding for projects, companies can also grow their communities and react to feedback immediately.Blockchain can address another real-life problem for the gaming industry: In-game cheating and fraud. This is especially important for online lotteries where security and transparency are vital requirements. Blockchain enables all transactions to run and be listed on a ledger, which makes cheating almost impossible. Moreover, smart contracts are able to conduct lotteries automatically, thus eliminating the need for human intervention.More and more industries are starting to adopt blockchain-based solutions to make their routine processes efficient, transparent and secure. Insurance, medical and real estate companies are currently following the fintech sector very closely. The entertainment and media sectors are also looking into the options this new technology can provide in addressing copyright protection and “fake news” problems. Many are comparing the future impact of blockchain to that which the internet has made on our lives.

The Internet of Things is a phenomenon that is impacting many areas of society and is changing the way business is conducted in numerous industries. Real estate is one of the industries that promise to be substantially changed by the IoT. The technology will be used in a variety of ways to make it easier for all parties when buying, selling, and renting properties. The IoT will also change the way individuals interact with their surroundings and offers financial and environmental benefits to property owners.The connected network of sensors and smart devices that make up the IoT presents opportunities that were previously only imagined by participants in real estate transactions. Using IoT technology, real estate agents can safely show properties without being physically onsite. This saves time and makes them more productive as they can be working with multiple locations simultaneously. Eliminating the need to travel to each structure also cuts down on greenhouse gases generated by the agents’ vehicles and saves money that would have been spent on fuel.The possibilities for IoT technology to be used inside residences, hotels, and office buildings would seem like science fiction just a few years ago. Self-regulating lighting, heating, and cooling make it more pleasant for building inhabitants and can help save money and reduce the property’s carbon footprint. Smart technology based on the IoT can result in more efficient building management and help schedule predictive maintenance to avoid unnecessary outages that impact tenants. Implementing smart solutions in individual dwellings can increase their resale value and make them stand out against competing options.Real estate is the world’s biggest industry and touches virtually every individual on the planet. New IoT use cases in real estate promise to change how business is conducted in the industry and the way people relate to their home and work environments.House HuntingMost of us will need to find a house or apartment at some point in our lives. The growth of IoT in real estate includes new methods with which to locate our next home. Many people are already familiar with viewing apartments or properties through mobile apps to avoid having to physically visit each site. They save a lot of time and energy by enabling potential customers to focus on a few locations to check out in person.Smart HomesEnhanced security – Through a smart home app you can view video from security cameras and lock doors remotely. Security can be customized for the specific needs of a homeowner.Saving time and energy – Smart appliances can save up to 15% on energy bills as the devices optimize the use of electricity or heating capacity. Users can control many aspects of their home from a centralized or remote location for more convenience and time savings.The market for real estate IoT startups is booming with opportunities to capitalize on society’s need for housing and workspace. Tying together the power of the IoT and mobile devices presents developers with the potential to create apps that can revolutionize the market. From using the IoT in property sales and management to further honing the smart home concept, there is plenty of room for new software solutions using the Internet of Things to streamline our lives.Added is doing the best in the market providing the best services at the best price | Book for a free demo.

Thanks for the A2A. I’m not usually comfortable with questions directed at me, but I’ll make an exception for this one. I’m passionate about these firms.Fiscal engagement of 2–3 typesAgora Energy TechnologiesAgora is founded by a couple of brilliant PhDs of chemical engineering up at UBC, Christina Gyenge who has had stints at Stanford, UBC and tech companies, and Elod Gyenge, who is a full Prof at UBC. About a decade ago, they realized that it was possible to store energy using carbon-based chemistries as electrolytes. The result of that is a CO2 eating redox flow battery that can be configured to manufacture very pure carbonates and bicarbonates, industrial chemical inputs with a global market in the tens of billions. Clean renewable electricity in when it’s cheap, CO2 in, electricity out when it’s expensive or needed and a bit to power the manufacturing process, carbonates or bicarbonates out to sell on the commodity market at $200-$500 per ton. Quiet, room temperature, clean. Amazing stuff.I started engaging with them just under a year ago after they reached out to me. I helped them (pro bono at the time) to realize the value proposition of the chemical output vs the pure battery model, something that they have been able to capitalize on in international discussions and opportunities in Europe and Japan.Patents in 52 countries, finally publishing their core paper in a peer-reviewed journal (watch this space), rock solid tech, global connections.Now I’m engaged with them as a strategic advisor to assist them as they get through their major global deeptech competitions and next funding round over the next year. Great people, and I’m going to be working with them for a long time, I’m sure.Distnc Technologies IncI co-founded this firm with two collaborators this year. One is a long-term collaborator, David Clement who I worked with on pre-IPO projects with firms in the dot-com era, did research with on swarm-based robotics and generally have been deeply nerdy with on and off for 20 years. The other is a long-term collaborator of David’s, Chris Wiesinger, who is also CEO of GeoSim Cities, a company which does very cool but hard to sell lidar-based data captures and renderings of cities and airports. Great people again, very bright, incredible resumes, and very sympatico.Distnc is solving the complex problem of people in buildings having both physical distancing and good opportunities for social interactions.We’ve developed a sophisticated underlying data set for occupancy of office, residential and other building types, along with goals that people will achieve during the day. We do deep Python, machine learning and Unity work for simulation, pathfinding, statistical analysis and sophisticated rendering and visualization of results.The primary thrust of what we put the firm together for is COVID-19 physical distancing. We determine maximum safe occupancy of buildings with physical distancing and interventions so that people can move around, not just huddle at their desks. We simulate both operational and physical interventions in the built environment. There are about 10 million office and academic buildings in Canada and the USA alone which are struggling with this problem, and about 500,000 design and renovation firms which need sophisticated support for their physical interventions related to COVID-19.We’re also engaged with another great firm, Human Studio Architecture and Urban Design, to assist them with a product delivery on the sociability side, something they received funding for through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Bruce Haden and his team are leaders in sociability in the built environment, so it’s been fascinating to work with them. Of course, in addition to the basic services that they engaged us for around simulation — something we beat 800-lb gorillas in the space during a relatively lengthy procurement bakeoff — I’m providing some framing on major strategic decisions that they need to make to fully capitalize on this. More great people, passionate about architecture, urban design and human health. Very rewarding to work with them.Our Advisory Board is a stunning group. I brought on an epidemiologist I’d worked with in building the world’s most sophisticated public health surveillance solution in the late 2000s, something that’s used across Canada and in the Middle East, including for the pilgrimage to Mecca. I also brought in a public health pandemic modeling PhD who I worked with this year on a climate adaptation project for Natural Resources Canada. Chris and David brought in others who are equally powerful. We have a PhD in agent-based virtual reality whose research has been on making humans’ lives better through VR. We have a marketing and finance experts. It’s a great group to work with. Their insights are amazing.Return2ProsperityThis is a US-based firm focused on COVID-19 reopening for businesses and schools in the USA. I’m co-founder of this one along with John Fentum, a serial entrepreneur and deal maker in technology and pure business ventures with a global resume. Distnc’ technology is a core component of an intelligently assembled suite of solutions for businesses which need to return gradually to full operation. R2P provides solutions for the seven questions businesses must answer, provides employees the assurance that they will be safe returning to the office, and provides clear Board-level assurance that due diligence has been taken and that they are protected from liability should something go awry regardless of precautions.The Advisory Board for this one is stunning too. The depth of health industry, mental health, real estate industry, deal making, financial and branding expertise in the group is unreal. Amazing team.Occasional pro bono discussionsKeith Hirsche is doing something really cool. It’s basic, simple and very understandable. He’s putting small solar farms on top of orphaned oil wells in Alberta. The solar farms are about 700 kW each, so not very big.The trick is, there are a lot of orphaned wells. A conservative analysis has 155,000 non-producing wells in various stages of reclamation. The one township Keith is working with most closely has 1,500 defunct wells by itself. And those wells used to provide leasing dollars to the farmers and tax dollars to the municipality. For a variety of highly predictable reasons, a lot of them have been abandoned by bankrupt oil and gas companies and are just sitting their rotting, fiscally unproductive and making the land unusable.As soon as a stage 1 remediation is complete, however, they are sites with access roads, distribution grid power lines to them, level and very suitable for a small solar farm, as one of the choices for life after oil and gas. Keith and his collaborators have built the municipal handbook for dealing with the transition from an approvals and regulatory process.The model is simple. Ship a container or two of solar panels and electrical bits to a site. Have a few van loads of installers rotating from site to site, spending a week to set each up. Highly parallelizable. Straight into the distribution grid at manageable levels in a region which require lots of distribution-side electricity to run irrigation pumps, in a regulatory regime that has made transmission very expensive. But also in oil and gas country during COVID-19 and an oil and gas recession.Pro bono conversations so far, but if this takes off — and it should — possibly a Board position.He’s looking for a hard-driving business person to execute the operations. If you know someone like that in eastern BC, Alberta or Saskatchewan, let me know and I’ll hook them up with Keith. I’ve connected him with a couple of people, but they haven’t been the right ones. I know a lot of nerds, PhDs and tech entrepreneurs, and fewer hard driving execution construction leaders.Tracy Livingston and his partner are trying to develop a closed-loop pumped hydro storage facility in New Mexico. They both have energy backgrounds, having developed both solar and wind projects over the past three decades. Tracy is a fun deep nerd to talk with as well. He built the firm that innovated a fabric-wrapped space-frame tower for wind turbines, eventually selling the firm to GE. I wrote about that one a decade ago, and then ended up talking to Tracy about a year ago for the first time.Tracy was winner of the US DoE FAST competition for pumped hydro. The FAST competition wanted to reduce the technical barriers for pumped hydro, accelerating its delivery. Tracy’s insight was that the new oscillating disc cutters from mining could be used for accelerated tunneling for the pumped hydro facilities. Since the tunnels are 30 feet wide and have to travel sometimes for miles through multiple rock formations, it’s the biggest capital cost portion of pumped hydro by far, introducing the most economic risk.I introduced him to my long-term collaborator David Clement so that we could work through the opportunities for machine learning optimization of the tunneling process, underground navigation with visual GPS-equivalent technologies and autonomous fully electrified mining equipment. I also brought him together with a floating solar expert from Australia so that we could assess on-reservoir solar for additional generation and evaporation prevention (sad to say, not really a worthwhile endeavor). Finally, I brought him together with a cleantech social license expert buddy of mine, Mike Casey of TigerComm, who helps major cleantech initiatives get through the social license hurdles and related local council approvals. I also connected him with the Scottish entrepreneur developing three pumped hydro solutions in Scotland, including one on Loch Ness.Very cool learning about all of that stuff. It led to a series of articles and podcasts on the subject, but no other personally lucrative fallout yet.Elon Musk Should Build Pumped Hydro With Tesla Energy, The Boring Co., & Coal MinersPumped Hydro Social License, Pt 1: Wind Energy Experience Says Don't Expect You Have Full ApprovalPumped Hydro Social License, Pt 2: The Usual Suspects Will Raise The Usual Fears That Must Be Countered EarlyThe Boring Company + Pumped Hydro: Proposal For Elon Musk — CleanTech TalkA Modest Pumped Storage Proposal For Democratic CandidatesPSH FAST, Pt 1: US DOE FAST Competition For Pumped Storage Picks 4 WinnersFloating Solar On Pumped Hydro, Part 2: Better Efficiency, But More Challenging Engineering100% WWS Part 2: Jacobson's Latest Study Covers Storage, Transmission, & MoreThere are a few more, but that’s been much of my last year any way. It was fun thinking back on it, so thanks for asking.