Technologies Driving the Energy Transition

Over the past ten years, global electricity generated by solar increased 10x. Another 10x increase is possible by 2034, providing abundant clean energy. In today's episode, I detail how A.I. can help us get there. 10x ☀️ GROWTH: • Solar panels cover an area the size of Jamaica, providing 6% of global electricity. • Solar capacity doubles every three years, increasing tenfold each decade. • Projected to provide 60% of world's electricity by 2034 if trend continues. • Solar could become the largest source of all energy by the 2040s. VIRTUOUS ECONOMICS: • Cost of solar-produced electricity could drop to less than half of today's cheapest options. • Virtuous cycle: Increased production lowers costs, driving up demand. • No significant resource constraints unlike all previous energy transitions (i.e., wood to coal, coal to oil, oil to gas). • All of the main ingredients (silicon-rich sand, sunny places, human ingenuity) are abundant... so the virtuous economic cycle can proceed unhindered. KEY CHALLENGES (and how to address them with data science): 1. Energy Storage and Grid Management: • Complementary storage solutions needed for 24/7 energy demands. • A.I. can optimize battery management systems. • Machine learning can enhance energy-grid management. 2. Heavy Industry, Aviation, and Freight Electrification: • Machine learning can optimize battery architectures. • A.I. can enhance synthetic fuel (e-fuel!) production processes. 3. Solar Energy Production Optimization: • A.I. for discovering new photovoltaic materials. • Generative A.I. to predict successful solar project locations. • A.I. to optimize solar-panel production processes. IMPACT: • Cheaper energy will boost productivity across all sectors. • Improved accessibility to essential services for billions. • Breakthroughs in drinking-water access through affordable purification and desalination. • Opportunities for unforeseen innovations in an era of energy abundance. Hear more on all this (including about a dozen resources for learning more about how you — yes, you! — can address climate/energy challenges with data science) in today's episode. The "Super Data Science Podcast with Jon Krohn" is available on your favorite podcasting platform and a video version is on YouTube (although today's episode's "video" is solely an audio-waveform animation). This is Episode #804. #superdatascience #machinelearning #ai #climatechange #solar #energy

🌬️💡 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆, 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝘂𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗯 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲-𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀? 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆'𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗱. As we build toward a net-zero future, the technologies that deliver, balance, and optimize energy will matter just as much—if not more—than those that generate it. In my latest article, I explore the unsung innovations quietly powering the energy transition: → Grid orchestration platforms → Virtual power plants → Advanced demand response → Edge intelligence → Interoperability standards These aren't future concepts—they’re already reshaping the grid today. 🔎 Curious about the tech that’s driving clean energy behind the scenes? Read the full article below. #CleanTech #EnergyTransition #DigitalGrid #SmartGrid #VirtualPowerPlants #Sustainability #NetZero

Today, I’m excited to launch a new research series we’re calling We Would Invest. Periodically, we will spotlight an overlooked frontier or specific tech that Space VC would fund tomorrow if the right founder knocked. Our first feature: HVDC - The Invisible Bottleneck of the Energy Transition The U.S. electric grid is undergoing the largest transformation in a century. Surging demand from data centers, EVs and renewable energy is colliding with aging infrastructure and a severe transmission bottleneck. At the heart of this crisis is HVDC (High-Voltage Direct Current) which enables long-distance, high-capacity power transfer but remains constrained by outdated materials, limited manufacturing, and long lead times. Without innovation here, we believe the energy transition stalls, and along with it, technology progress. The next wave of HVDC innovation could be at the intersection of advanced materials, novel thermal management & cooling systems, and automated maintenance. To create cheaper and better HVDC systems, especially for large-scale transmission, the most likely & highest-impact technical innovations will span the following: ⚙️ Advanced Conductors - aluminum composites, graphene-infused or carbon nanotube conductors, and superconducting wires ❄️ Thermal Management - Liquid cooling systems adopted from GPU cooling, self-regulating conductor jackets, and thermal insulation wraps 🏭 Manufacturing Automation - Robotic cable winding & layer stacking, computer vision QA, or even modular fabrication plants ⚡ Power Electronics & Converters - Silicon Carbide (SiC) or Gallium Nitride (GaN) power semiconductors, AI-enabled converter control systems The U.S. grid will need hundreds of GWs of new transmission capacity over the next decade. Globally, demand for power cabling is expected to rise ~60% by 2035. We’re looking at an immediate $10B–30B domestic market for advanced HVDC technologies. Yes, HVDC solutions exist. But we face a severe manufacturing bottleneck, 2–5+ year lead times, and minimal domestic production. There’s an urgent need for a new entrant with speed, vision, and execution to emerge. We believe a founding team that understands the complexities of the HVDC market, sees the opportunity to streamline installation and permitting, and prioritizes near-term commercialization could build a generational infrastructure company. At Space VC, we would invest.