I never viewed this as a privilege
Did you?
I am talking about electricity.
I never viewed it as a privilege.
I am writing this edition from the comfort of my heated condo.
It’s 1°C outside. And I am not uncomfortable at all.
It’s a privilege.
For a lot of people, sunset still means a world without light.
Many people still rely on diesel and kerosene for their energy needs.
And this is 200 years after electricity was invented.
That actually needs a newsletter edition on its own. I’ll get to that.
But for this one, I wanted to focus on the impact of electricity on the environment.
If you look closely at the above image, energy use in buildings is one of the highest emitters of greenhouse gases.
This energy helps to keep these buildings cold or warm- depending on the outside temperature.
And as it comes mostly from fossil fuels, it’s increasing the level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Here are 3 startups that are solving this in their own unique ways.⬇️
Here’s the problem & the solution…For our electricity needs, we have primarily relied on coal, oil and other fossil fuels. And as a result of burning these, greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are at an all-time high. Electricity is one of the biggest contributors to that. The solution is simple and straightforward- switch to green energy sources like solar, wind, geothermal.
Green and affordable…Branch Energy is facilitating this switch to green energy for homeowners. It is a tech-powered green energy provider that’s helping consumers reduce their energy bills and carbon footprints. For its launch, it’s focusing on markets where the energy industry is deregulated- customers can choose their energy provider. It has started with Texas, US.
Customers can choose from one of the 100% renewable energy providers on Branch’s platform.
Branch will help them with billing, payment and customer service.
It will also help the customers with installing and financing smart energy devices that save energy and reduce cost.
You can simply click and choose your energy provider
Sit back and relax…The installation rates for modern devices like smart thermostats, smart water heaters, solar arrays remain low in the US as there are various steps involved in the process- doing the calculations on the payback period, researching & buying everything and then coordinating with contractors to get them installed. Using data, satellite imagery, hyper-local weather forecasts and AI, Branch Energy does that for the users.
Difficult to navigate…Germany’s energy market is tricky and confusing. Suppliers are old school- they send physical mails and have manual processes. This increases the cost and makes it inefficient. The tariffs are based on contract length, price guarantees, bonuses, sources of electricity and level of customer support- making it really confusing for the customers. And the energy in the country is a mix of nuclear, fossil fuels and renewables, so we can call it grey at best (not green).
In just a few clicks…Ostrom is removing all these hurdles while facilitating the transition to green energy across the country. Its mission is to make the country’s switch to green energy as easy and affordable as possible. It has partnered with renewable electricity generators in the country. Every time an Ostrom consumer uses a unit of electricity, a new solar, wind, or hydro unit is produced and put on the grid.
It’s available for people in over 400 cities across the country.
It manages the cancellation and handover process from the customer’s ex-energy provider.
It offers flexible monthly contracts and a complete digital experience.
Customers can submit their meter reading through the app
Also…Through Ostrom’s app, consumers can keep a tab on their meter reading and bills. Ostrom also invests in building more renewable energy plants, thus accelerating the country’s transition to green energy.
Did you know…In Australia, the energy sector continues to be one of the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases, amounting to 75% of the total emissions. It still burns coal for most of its energy and it has one of the highest per capita consumption of coal. It’s no surprise that mining is one of the biggest industries in the country and coal is its second-biggest export. Maybe he can convince them…
Brighter & cleaner…Brighte is making it easy for customers to switch to solar energy. It has transparent, fast and affordable finance options available for Australian homeowners. It finances projects like setting up solar and battery storage systems or building an off-grid system for homeowners. Here’s how it works-
Brighte connects the customers with its solar partners and helps them get various quotes.
Customer finalizes the partner. Once the job is finished, Brighte pays the full amount to the partner.
And the customer starts paying back to Brighte in fortnightly installments.
Brighte’s transparent 0% interest payment plan
It’s all there…Brighte has a 0% interest payment plan and the only fee that it charges is a $1.50/week account keeping fee. It also provides financing for other household improvements. It has enabled over 1,800 solar and home improvement partners to serve over 60,000 Aussie households.
🙋Trivia of the week
He’s a famous American actor, former bodybuilder, film producer and businessman.
He was the last Republican Governor of California.
As a former governor of California, he has a strong environmental record from his time in office, signing the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 - the nation’s first cap on greenhouse gas emissions - and setting targets to reduce exhaust fumes.
Can you guess this 74-year-old Austria-born actor?
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Thanks and see you next week😄
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger
Not sure, but is it..Arnold Schwarzenegger??