Green technology is known to offer several great solutions for climate change issues. But as governments push to adopt various green technologies, the rising dietary, energy, and population needs around the globe hinder progress.
Despite the challenges, 2022 has been a big year for green tech. From breakthroughs in solar energy to the rise of electric vehicles. Here are the 10 green tech news that surprised us most in 2022.
10 Green Tech News That Surprised In 2022
There have been various developments and improvements in green technology in 2022. Here is a list of the ten best.
1. Electric Vehicles
Electric cars aren’t relatively new; you’ll be surprised to learn that the first electric car in the US hit the road in 1890. After all, they generated a lot of buzz in 2022 and have become a more viable option for consumers.
The main reason behind the popularity of electric vehicles in recent years is their ability to reduce emissions and reliance on fossil fuels. This makes them particularly appealing to environmentally-conscious consumers.
In addition to their environmental benefits, electric cars have great range and performance, making them a more practical choice for many drivers. The increasing availability of charging infrastructure also makes it easier for people to own and use electric cars.
2. Solar Panels
Solar panels have helped to change the narrative around energy production and consumption in 2022. They offer a renewable and clean alternative to traditional energy sources such as fossil fuels.
The solar panels are also cheap, adjustable, and scalable to various needs and surfaces. As a result, they have become so popular and are likely the best renewable energy technology ever invented.
Introducing thin-film, monocrystalline, and perovskite cells will make it an even more viable option. In addition, there are several other great options for solar panels, such as PV and floating solar panels.
3. Green Energy Storage
Even though green energy gained a lot of popularity in 2022, there’s still a big issue. Green energy storage is not so efficient yet expensive. Storing as little as 40 kWh for daily family use is so costly. According to ExpressVPN tech guide, we can use the rechargeable batteries hundreds of times what makes this solution so attractive.
Meanwhile, various solutions are being developed. The future of green energy storage will most probably include the following:
- Solid-state batteries
- Li-ion batteries
- Reversible hydro dams etc.
4. Solar Generators
In recent years energy consumption has become a big issue. There are various ways of generating energy, such as burning coal, etc., but most are harmful.
Unfortunately, there is a limited energy source for people who want to go green. The biggest sustainable energy source is the sun.
Today people use solar generators to harness the sun’s power, making them a viable and best alternative to traditional energy sources.
Plus, solar energy is quite affordable in the long run, making the solar generator the to-go option.
5. Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS)
This technology was tried in 2022 and showed a lot of promise. However, it has only been implemented on a small scale because of the lack of government subsidies.
CCUS technology is quite interesting; it directly captures carbon from the atmosphere, which also solves the global warming issue. However, it uses a lot of energy and water, which makes it expensive and impractical in 3rd and developing world.
6. Hydrogen Cars
People are already familiar with electric cars, but the fuel-cell electric vehicle is another of its kind. These car types don’t use batteries. Instead, they rely on hydrogen, making them much more efficient than combustion-powered cars. Like other electric cars, they don’t release any emissions.
Hydrogen cars have been largely used in 2022, and many will adopt them in the coming years. According to greenly.earth, in 2050, there will be more than 20 million buses and 400 million hydrogen cars. Although most people have already purchased hydrogen-powered vehicles globally, hydrogen fuel is expensive.
7. CO2 Reducing Robots
CO2-reducing robots have had a huge impact on the food industry. Today’s world is so fast and busy; therefore, most people find cooking hard after a long day at work. Many depend on fast food from Uber Eats and DoorDash etc.
Unfortunately, the food delivery process generates a ton of emissions. But soon, the emissions from food delivery will not be a problem anymore. In 2022 cute and compact robots that can deliver food hit the headlines.
The most popular robots are those developed by Kiwibot back in 2017. However, they haven’t been so popular up until 2022, when they made several deliveries to people. But as their technology advances, their delivery rates will also improve.
8. Wind Turbines
Solar panels and wind turbines have managed to break the cheapest cost threshold long held by coal for decades.
The wind turbines, such as the chimney-type and urban wind turbines, are set to boost the renewable energy production market.
Today wind power and solar energy are the most ideal and practical methods to use natural resources to produce electricity from fossil fuels.
9. Renewable Biomass Energy
Even though some countries have used renewable energy throughout 2022, it has been heavily criticized.
The idea of cutting trees to produce pellets and then converting the land to biomass resources is what many environmentalists object to.
The concerns are actually about the long-term practicability of this process. But getting biomass from quick-growing or annual plants can be a great option.
10. Biodegradable Food Packaging
According to sociable, humans produce approximately 300 million tons of plastic waste annually.
This amounts to nearly the entire human population’s weight. The worst bit is that almost 50% of the plastic is used once and then thrown.
The food industry is a major industry that heavily relies on plastic. Luckily, in 2022 some green-loving startups came up with the idea of biodegradable food packages.
These plastic-like wraps are made from natural silk protein that keeps food fresh during shipment. They’re safe, and you throw them away after a single use since they’ll biodegrade.
Conclusion
In 2022 there were several amazing inventions and improvements in green technology. All available green techs have notable advantages and disadvantages. The types of green tech that people will choose to achieve their environmental goals are still unclear.
However, as green technologies grow, there’ll be more efficiency and a reduction of costs. Meanwhile, combining the available green technologies and strategies will extensively decrease carbon in the atmosphere. You can check out this article to learn about green gadgets and their environmental impact.
