As the year of 2019 could not foresee what 2020 would bring, also every single industry could not predict the impacts of a pandemic in its trends. The energy sector is no exception, with different variations in the electricity demands, according to its source. As fossil fuels’ consumption has dropped in 2020, renewables have maintained, in general, a positive growth.
One of the major effects of the worldwide lockdowns lived during the pandemic was the drop in global electricity consumption. As it is expected to rebound in 2021, also renewable energy demand is expected to continue increasing in 2021, as it happened last year, along with its investment. If the collaboration efforts across this sector will, presumably, continue to increase, we’re looking to the rise of new business models and the evolution of energy transition.
Projected global change in power supply, 2020 and 2021
IEA, Projected global change in power supply, 2020 and 2021, IEA, Paris https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/charts/projected-global-change-in-power-supply-2020-and-2021
Meet Free Electrons
Free Electrons program is now on its fifth edition, so there is a very small chance you’re reading about it for the first time. Nevertheless, you should know that it represents a vision of a future where smart, clean and accessible energy is to transform lives everywhere. Considering that renewables are clearly on the rise, we’d say we continue to follow the right path, and a collaborative one:
It is an Open Innovation energy program
Free Electrons 2021
This means that the selected startups for this edition will work side by side with leading energy utilities. They will work together on pilot projects, commercially deploy products, facilitate investment opportunities and learn from each other.
Free Electrons 2021 is addressing several challenges in the energy sector. The way to do it? Innovation.
These are the challenges that the participating startups will be tackling:
- Clean energy
- Energy management and efficiency
- Customer solutions
- Smart grids and energy communities
- Energy storage
- Energy access
- Mobility
- Customer and utility resiliency
- Facility and asset management
- Cooling solutions
- Connectivity & Communication solutions
The Application phase is now ongoing, until March 29.
After an online evaluation, the selected startups will showcase their solutions and their teams through a fast-paced pitch event and participate in intense one-on-one meetings with utilities. The closing of the Bootcamp will see successful startups go on to participate in the remaining modules.
All info at freeelectrons.org