8.4 Sustainable innovation
Essential idea:
Sustainable innovation facilitates the diffusion of sustainable products and solutions into the marketplace.
Nature and Aims of Design
Nature of Design
Sustainable innovation yields both bottom line and top line returns as developing products, services and systems that are environmentally friendly lowers costs through reducing the resources required. Designers should view compliance with government legislation as an opportunity for sustainable innovation. (2.9)
Aims
Aim 1: As energy security becomes an ever more important issue for all countries, designers, engineers and inventors need to develop new ways of efficiently generating energy. As new energy production technologies become available, designers need to harness them to be used in new products to improve their energy efficiency.
Guidance
As a student of Design Technology, you should be able to:
Examples of top-down and bottom-up strategies and the advantages and disadvantages for consumers/users
Government intervention includes regulation, education, taxes and subsidies
How macro energy sustainability can be influenced through international treaties and energy policies, instruments for change and disincentives, and national systems changing policy when government leadership changes
How micro energy sustainability can be influenced by the role of the government in raising awareness and changing attitudes, and promotion of individual and business action towards energy sustainability
How energy security can be influenced by energy demand/supply trends and forecasting, demand response versus energy efficiency, and smart grids
Complexity and timescale of sustainable innovation
Sustainable innovation is dependent on cooperation between governments and manufacturers. However, this can be challenging as each group may have different perspectives. For example, transitioning to a sustainable approach is typically time consuming and expensive, taking place over many years. Manufacturers may be unwilling to absorb the additional costs associated with sustainable innovation.
Sustainable innovation can be complex, require the cooperation of different stakeholders and changes to social and business practices. Consumers may be required to change their day-to-day habits, spend more money, or adopt a new product or service.
Strategies for Sustainability
To achieve a sustainable balance requires a collection of strategies.
Top-down strategies come at the national or international level. These typically involve legislation, goals, or measures for sustainability. Top-down strategies aim to change behavior through policies.
Because of the support at such a high level, investment, funding and subsidies are readily and reliably available. Examples include:
banning of plastic bags
mandating take-back of old products
Bottom-up strategies for sustainability happen at a more local level, like a region or city. They are typically led by enthusiasts and consumer groups. Bottom up strategies aim to change policy through behavior. Examples include:
bringing a re-usable tumbler to a coffee shop
biking to school or work.
Government intervention in innovation
Governments may use a several strategies to promote sustainable practices and innovation. Designers need to be aware of these strategies as they can influence how a product is designed, manufactured, used, and disposed of. Additionally, as political and economic climates change, so do the strategies - a change in ruling party or economic downturn, for example, may mean some strategies are eliminated.
REGULATION
Regulation is the setting of rules that companies and consumers must follow. The goal of these regulations is to limit or eliminate environmental impact.
EDUCATION
Education of consumers of the environmental impact of products and services is one way governments encourage sustainable consumption. Eco- and Energy-labels are one such example;
TAXES
Taxes can be imposed on technologies or products that are damaging to the environment. The associated cost, which is usually passed on to the consumer, creates pressure to increase the sustainability of the technology or product
SUBSIDIES
Subsidies can be provided by governments to consumers and manufacturers in order to stimulate sustainable innovation and consumption. Companies may receive a subsidy to research and develop sustainable technologies. Consumers may receive a subsidy to adopt a sustainable technology. In the early day so of hybrid and electric cars, manufacturers such as Tesla relied on their customers being eligible for subsidies to offset the higher cost of purchasing an electric car. Likewise, companies might take advantage of local or national subsidies to switch to renewable energy by installing solar power systems in their factories.
Macro and Micro Sustainability Strategies
Energy sustainability focuses on the sustainable use of energy, and is divided into macro- and micro- sustainability strategies.
Macro Energy sustainability strategies are implemented at the national or international level. These are government policies, international agreements or treaties that seek to promote sustainable energy production and consumption. The setting of greenhouse gas emissions in at the Kyoto Protocol is an example of a macro energy sustainability strategy.
International climate change initiatives to promote sustainable energy production and consumption are examples of macro energy strategies.
Micro energy sustainability strategies are implemented at the local or regional level and involve individuals and companies. These strategies can be in the form of installing solar panels on roofs to the building of wind farms or CHP (Combined Heat Power) to supplement the local energy energy supply.
Solar panels installed on a college campus to provide electricity directly to the campus are another example of micro energy strategies.
Energy Security
Energy security is the association of national security with the availability of energy supplies. Not all regions have access to domestic energy sources, either renewable or non-renewable. Access to affordable and reliable energy supplies has become essential for every local and national economy. Resilient energy grids that can meet fluctuating demand in a sustainable manner are becoming more important as
Energy Demand is not consistent, and changes according to the time of day and season. Hot or cold seasons will see a spike in energy consumption as consumers use more energy to cool or heat their homes. During the day, energy use may vary, with demand low in the early mornings and late evenings.
As massive amounts of energy cannot be easily stored, energy produces must carefully manage the amount of energy they produce. Too little and they cannot meet consumer demand; too much and the excess is wasted. Thus energy producers attempt to forecast energy needs, to a minute by minute basis, in order to meet demand.
Smart grids are emerging as viable alternatives to national grids because of their ability to meet changing demands.
The Tesla Powewall are one product that can address energy security and demand issues. It is, essentially, a large battery for the home. It allows users to store energy generated from their solar panels, and to use it on demand.
