The future of personal energy use | Scott Sklar | TEDxHerndon
## Speaker Context - Speaker identity: Presenter/Speaker (speaking about energy and technology convergence). - Audience, setting, occasion of the talk: A presentation/talk (implied setting of a conference or forum). - Framing the speaker establishes: The talk is about "energy convergence," which is described as a blend of ideas and technology. ## People - Senator John Glenn + connection to speaker + compliment/mentor figure, who stated seeing Earth from space. ## Organizations - McKenzie + Source of trends data, used for illustrative purposes. - Fuji Industrial + Manufacturer of inkjet printers, which produce the ink used in thin film photovoltaics. ## Places - Arlington, Virginia + Location of the speaker's office building, used as an example of convergence. - United States of America + Location where cellular service was initially restricted to five cities. - Africa + Market for the solar-powered plastic light technology. - South Asia + Market for the solar-powered plastic light technology. ## Tools, Tech & Products - Electric grid + System that was originally thought of with central power plants, substations, distribution lines, and buildings/manufacturing plants. - Central Station power plants + Type of plant, historically powered by coal, Natural Gas, nuclear, or a tiny bit of oil. - Transmission lines + Component of the electric grid that moves power. - Distribution lines + Component of the electric grid that moves power. - Smartphones + Device showing convergence of communications, data, camera, and GPS. - GPS + Technology integrated into phones starting in 2001, allowing use of services like MapQuest. - Vinyl records, cassette tapes, CD, DVD, MP3 players + Historical progression of portable media technology. - Wind turbines + Component used in modern energy systems, sometimes placed in water. - Tidal and wave technology + Energy harvesting methods mentioned alongside wind power. - Lithium ion battery + Specific type of battery shown, used in building walls to store solar energy. - Solar roofing shingles + Feature of the speaker's office building that produces electricity. - Insulating glass + Feature of the speaker's office building, mentioned alongside solar roofing shingles. - Wind turbine + Feature of the speaker's office building. - Fuel cell + Component in the speaker's office building. - Smart battery bank + Component in the speaker's office building, capable of monitoring and diagnostics. - LED lights + Type of lighting powered by thin film photovoltaics in the speaker's office building. - Thin film photovoltaics + Technology used in the speaker's office building's lighting that converts light into electricity using ink. - Ink (thin film) + Material produced by Fuji industrial inkjet printers that generates electricity when applied. - Electrochromic glass + Material used in a college building setting, controllable via 12 volts of current to change from clear to pure black. - Solar panels and batteries + Components used in conjunction with electrochromic glass for glare and heat management. - Standardized modular web enabled battery Banks + Type of battery bank being made by 30 companies for interface with phone systems. - Smart sensors + Technology enabling monitoring of energy systems. - Wireless cams + Type of security system integrating with smart buildings. - Onsite Clean Energy Systems + Collection including sensors, batteries, and wires for buildings. - Nest Thermostat + Example of a consumer device with Wi-Fi enabled controls for temperature, alarms, and gas/water leaks. - Electric bicycles + Emerging personal transport option, with China having 6 million units and the US projected to increase tenfold. - Supercomputers + Technology capable of analyzing data in intuitive ways for optimal energy placement. ## Concepts & Definitions - Convergence (Energy) + The single largest cause of air and water pollution in the world, and affects global climate; it's the topic of the talk. - Convergence (General) + The overall theme, demonstrated by how different technologies blend together (e.g., smartphone merging communication, data, camera, and GPS). - Material Science Revolution + The technological advancement enabling things like placing wind turbines in water and improving energy storage. - Smart Grid + The future state of energy systems, described as bringing a range of technologies together, making them seamless, and exceeding the sum of their parts. - Interoperability + Key concept demonstrated by the smartphone, showing how different components (data, phone, MP3, camera, GPS) work together seamlessly. ## Numbers & Data - single largest cause + describes the scale of air and water pollution and global climate impact. - more than 15 times + ratio describing the cost difference for cellular service vs. existing quality. - 32 years ago or 33 years ago + approximate timeframe when the speaker's initial phone was showcased. - 23 years ago + timeframe when the phone transitioned from phone to first smartphone. - 15 years ago + timeframe when the first built-in camera was available on phones. - 2001 + Year when the first GPS was incorporated into phones. - 8 + Number of potential things that could converge in a modern device. - 12 volts of current + Voltage required to operate electrochromic glass. - 30 + Number of companies making standardized modular web enabled battery Banks. - 2 A.M. + Time when the battery bank can run a diagnostic protocol. - 7.2 billion people + Current global population count. - 3 billion + Population count when the speaker was young (with hair). - 4 billion more people + Increase in population over one lifetime. - 1.6 billion + Number of people without electricity. - 1.7 billion + Number of people with electricity for less than 10 hours a day. ## Claims & Theses - Extraction conversion and use of energy is the single largest cause of air and water pollution in the world as well as emissions that affect our Global Climate. - Technology Innovation is converging to change the way we will use energy that will not require hardly any water and will become personal as transportation and Communications has come. - The original electric grid was established starting in the 1850s. - The head of the only telephone company claimed cellular was a whim and questioned spending 15 times more for a unit of communication in a country with 99.9% Quality Service. - The future of energy systems will involve local generation from solar and wind, combined with waste heat, small hydro, and battery storage. - The old folk who have the old ways, like dial phones, didn't want cellular to happen. - The traditional Energy Delivery field is not anxious for this convergence to happen. - The future will be as exciting and dramatic as the internet and the cellular has brought to us today. ## Mechanisms & Processes - Electric grid evolution: Central Station power plants (coal, gas, nuclear, oil) -> Transmission lines -> Substations -> Distribution lines -> Buildings/Infrastructure/Manufacturing plants, originating in the 1850s. - Smartphone evolution: From simple phone $\rightarrow$ adding communication/data $\rightarrow$ adding camera $\rightarrow$ adding MP3 player $\rightarrow$ adding GPS. - Energy storage process: Using batteries (e.g., lithium ion in building walls) to store solar energy. - Monitoring/Diagnostics: System allowing users to check solar/wind output, battery levels, saved money, and pollution saved via an internet-connected app, with automated diagnostics at 2 A.M. - Data Analysis for Solar Placement: Overlaying data (like Google Maps) on a building roof to determine the best spots for solar energy generation, plotted over seasons and time of day. - Wind Power Optimization: Using supercomputers to map wind patterns globally, determining optimal altitude for wind turbines to maximize energy capture. - Smart Grid function: Integrating various technologies (solar, wind, waste heat, hydro, batteries) locally within communities and buildings to create a seamless, decentralized power source. - Waste Heat Utilization: Anaerobic digestion of waste, used for heating and stoves, generating methane gas. ## Timeline & Events - 1850s + Start date of the evolution of the electric grid. - 32 years ago or 33 years ago + Timeframe related to the first phone/cellular concept presentation. - 23 years ago + Timeframe when the phone moved to the first smartphone form factor. - 15 years ago + Timeframe when the first built-in camera was added to phones. - 2001 + Year the first GPS was integrated into phones. ## Examples & Cases - The speaker's office building in Arlington, Virginia + Example featuring solar roofing shingles, insulating glass, a wind turbine, a fuel cell, a smart battery bank, and LED lights, all taking no electricity from the main grid. - Thin film photovoltaics ink + Ink applied by Fuji industrial inkjet printers used in awnings for US covered walkways/bus stops to produce power for lighting. - Electrochromic glass + Used in a college setting, controllable with 12 volts of current to shift from clear to pure black to manage glare/privacy. - Smart battery bank monitoring + Functionality demonstrating remote monitoring and automated diagnostic protocols (example: "twice as hot as the other batteries"). - Nest Thermostat + Example of a consumer product enabling remote control (temp up/down), and alarms (smoke, water, natural gas) linked via Wi-Fi. - Solar-powered plastic light + Product combining plastic, solar cell, LED lights, and thin film battery, sold in Africa/South Asia for clean, reliable lighting. ## Trade-offs & Alternatives - Electric grid structure: Centralized model (Central Station plants) vs. Decentralized/Local model (community/building-level solar and wind). - Energy source for building lighting: Traditional connection to the grid vs. Self-contained generation using solar/thin film photovoltaics. - Heating/Cooling: Using smart windows to keep cool air in summer and warm air in winter vs. relying solely on conventional climate control. - Portable power source: Traditional batteries vs. Thin film batteries integrated directly into materials/devices. - Electricity generation: Traditional methods (burning fuel) vs. Clean methods (solar, wave, wind, micro-hydro). ## Counterarguments & Caveats - The existing power structure requires trillions of dollars to build plants using coal, Natural Gas, nuclear, or oil. - People may think integrating multiple technologies into one device (e.g., 8 things) is silly. - The speaker acknowledges glitches can occur in convergence systems. - The Internet-driven nature of monitoring systems does not necessarily equal a cybersecurity vulnerability (e.g., not as complex as "Osama Ben Laden's cousin"). - The speaker notes that the new systems require enabling "the rules of the game" to change. ## Methodology - Observation/Demonstration: Showing the speaker's own office building setup as a functional convergence model. - Analysis: Comparing historical technological evolution (telephones, media) to current energy convergence trends. - Modeling: Using supercomputers to plot and analyze optimal solar energy placement on a given roof. - Diagnosis: Showing the smart battery bank running automated diagnostic protocols. ## References Cited - Book/Source Material: The concept of trends being analyzed, illustrated using McKenzie. - Prior speaker/work: None explicitly cited for the overall concepts, other than the personal anecdote of working in the Senate. ## Conclusions & Recommendations - The future of energy systems must be decentralized, featuring local generation from solar, wind, combined with waste heat, small hydro, and battery storage. - The speaker urges that the rules must change to nurture innovation. - The ultimate message is that the future will be as exciting and dramatic as the internet and cellular have been. ## Implications & Consequences - Current energy dependence causes massive global pollution and climate impact. - If convergence is ignored, reliance on older, polluting, centralized energy methods will continue. - Lack of adaptation will prevent access to clean, reliable electricity for developing populations (1.6 billion without access). - Understanding the planet and changing the "rules of the game" is necessary for positive future outcomes. ## Open Questions - What specific, actionable policy changes are required to allow this technological convergence to happen universally? ## Verbatim Moments - "so I'm here to talk about energy but I called it convergence and I want to start by saying it's a blend of ideas and technology." - "it affects our national security you know that and of course our single largest component of our trade debt so energy is very important" - "the folks talking about portable communication and now some portable thinking it's portable data" - "The goal here is that what we've seen in Communications is a convergence of ideas and Tech technology" - "it's the material convergence this energy convergence" - "it's what's going on so convergence let's talk again this college had lighting" - "it's all in the market happening now" - "I can see how everything if it's all green guess what it all works if it's yellow some of those components are working outside of the operational parameters which mean over time I should expect problems with them and if they're red I better call that service contractor real quick and get it repaired" - "I can go in on any building in the world and with a host of companies look at the top of that building okay and that you know with you know Google Maps or equivalent and I can overlay on top of that building where the best places on that roof is to put the solar energy" - "it's a sea change and it requires an understanding of our planet and understanding that the rules of the game need to change and nurture this Innovation"