Empty Building to Battery Tower
As the world lessens its dependence on oil and Calgary looks to create more diversification in its economic approach were going to start seeing far more innovation from this once conservative metropolis.
We’re currently in a technological convergence whereby seemingly seperate, unrelated industry are making such headway on their development that innovation is overflowing into adjacent industries. 3D printing, for example, is now being used to reduce costs and parts in the rocket industry. Quantum computing will intertwine with mobile phone technology when Intel releases its first quantum chips. And AI is interfacing with the likes of Uber and Tesla who are quickly increasingly the quality of autonomous vehicles and aerial taxis which are already released to the surprise of many.
Another fast increasing tech development has occured with batteries. Seems a lot of people don’t realize just how far this technology has come. And with Alberta being historically partial to oil and gas battery tech for electric vehicles has been mostly left out of the conversation. Even fewer have heard about Honesdale Power Generation systems made by the likes of Elon Musk in Australia.
Owned and operated by French renewable energy producer Neoen, the wind and battery systen acts as a back up and has saved Australians approximately $75 million USD in 2019, tripling from the year prior.
Calgary is having issues with filling empty building downtown. Some corporate building owners are switching to apartments rentals, others creating shared co-epace for entrepreneurs and small business’. Another approach has yet to enter public discussion, battery towers.
Imagine an electrified city that could pump out electricity to the grid from its core outward. Lowering the costs of tax payers, creating more jobs and ensuring a sustainable approach to energy.
Solar cell advancements are quickening like many tech sectors. Building windows could be replaced with solar windows that draw in the sun’s power and feed the internal system which is comprised of the newly developed graphene batteries pouring off the shelves out of LA start up Real Graphene.
Graphene remains cool, is 2 atoms thick, bullet proof, charges 5x faster than a typical lithium ion battery and has approximately 1500 charging cycles compared to 200 to 300. Graphene is expected to change the face of battery tech in the near future.
Calgary could also start producing these types of materials if deemed feasible. Create factory jobs to sustain the necessary supply chain like electric car battery manufacturing, be the next gigafactory for Tesla. Or we could stay smaller by leading battery production in cell phones, or design graphene power bank cases. The possibilities are endless.
By looking around the globe we can meld ideas together, build off new tech, and create relationships that will benefit everyone. We just need to use our imagination and start acting on future trends.
By Christopher Holwell
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