When I wrote this post last week, the weather outside felt ominous.
Hurricane Helene attacking Florida USA: ‘Unsurvivable scenario’ in coastal area as Category 4 hurricane hits Florida
The clean-up will begin later on Sunday after Storm Ashley brings high winds and flood alerts to the Western Isles and northern Scotland.
Storm destruction and 5cm hailstones hit southeast Australia. A Hail swath estimated at 120 miles damaged crops in western Victoria as winds broke windows and ripped tiles from roofs.
Here is a list of it; https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/learn-about/past-uk-weather-events
It’s just one of many extreme weather events we’ve witnessed over the last two years. From India’s scorching 52°C heatwaves and relentless floods to unexpected tornadoes disrupting regions that had never experienced them before, these shifting weather patterns highlight the era of climate change we’re living in. These changes made me reflect on my journey and why I decided to lead two companies—BrightBuilds (NetZero Homes Technologies) and Hygrid—in the fight against this global crisis.
The weather will become extreme and cause chaos with sudden flash flooding, hail, winds, and high temperatures. We humans will find a way, but it will come with the inherent challenges of GDP loss. Also, seasonal shortages of agricultural produce and disseminated supply chains will result in food shortages and inflation in the beginning as we keep up with cleaning the mess. I believe it is also best to keep working on solutions and executing solutions that do not make nature angry at us.
So what do we do about it? We can’t fight nature; the force is beyond our imagination. Instead, we accept it and live in harmony without harming the environment. I strongly believe we can do this with our insatiable needs for power, water, food and the internet.
Why I Chose This Path: A Personal Anecdote
I grew up in India, where power outages or load shedding were daily occurrences. We would go without electricity for 4 to 6 hours at a time. This experience sparked my curiosity about finding alternative, free energy sources. I began tinkering with solar panels, using concentrated solar power (CSP) for heating water. These experiments laid the foundation for my 20-year career in Renewable Energy, building services, and the built environment. My early fascination with renewable energy sparked a deeper understanding of how energy systems, especially in buildings, contribute to our environmental challenges.
District Heating system upgrade and segregation of old and new boiler low-pressure hot water.
But why did I focus on hydrogen grids and buildings? 41% of the world’s CO2 emissions come from buildings [1] [2]—the places we live, work and relax. Tackling this issue means addressing a significant part of the climate crisis. Yet, this challenge grows more pressing as we witness the impact of climate change through frequent flash floods, food insecurity, and disrupted supply chains.
My experience designing engineering systems and looking at climate models shows that temperatures in the UK reaching above 40°C will bring different types of challenges, such as flash flooding and disruption of the supply chain, resulting in food shortages and civil unrest. One thing is for sure: the art of human ingenuity, from a piece of paper to computer-aided design to build and maintain, is unique; even at today’s rate of AI development, the development is super fast, but the implementation of AI in practical, real-world applications will be slow and could follow a similar path as the internet when it came live in the 2000s. It was so personal for me when the internet was invented; I used to sit down and listen to the modem’s blipping music and hope the internet would be faster than 250kbps just to read my Hotmail.
The AI could be useful, but it is unable to replicate the amazing, unique 1.5kg brain we have, with billions of neurons and a connection highway that makes consciousness special.
1970s Chelsea London Smart Home Controls Engineering upgrade
The Reality of Climate Change and the Urgency of Action
We find ourselves at a crossroads in a new world of climate change, marked by extreme events and global disruptions. So, what do we do now? How do we push forward? The answer lies in execution and implementation. We can’t afford to wait for government subsidies or rely solely on large trillion-dollar market cap firms when their leaderships have made it clear that shareholders’ returns matter more. However, shareholders are trying their best to change the tide and demand real execution with ESG metrics rather than bullocks of greenwashing. It is instrumental in global economic development and has brought us to this precipice.
As an optimist, I believe we can become a space-thriving species with unique energy security coming from modular nuclear, ammonia [hydrogen carrier], and GenAI tagged with humans in every process to help lower emissions, just like we did for the Ozone layer hole closing. It has worked, and so will climate change mitigation, only if we act decisively.
Considering today’s data on planet Earth’s health check, and from well-presented data through the TED Talk medium [3] and my experience, it underscores the idea that we are at a tipping point. It’s sobering, but I remain hopeful because I see great leaders, companies, and governments aligning their efforts to mitigate climate change. Our journey ahead will involve baby steps, and each of us has a role to play in shaping a sustainable future.
Sustainability in the New Era of Housing
Sustainability isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a necessity. But I often wonder: What does sustainability mean to you? In this new era of climate-conscious living, what matters most? For me, it’s about indoor & outdoor air quality, efficient resources- water, electricity and the internet [Datacentres] use, and adapting our behaviours. Small actions, like segregating waste for better reuse and renewable energy production, can significantly impact than worrying about all sources of human energy consumption.
Imagine this: biogas plants right next to a community built by Brightbuilds, converting organic waste into energy. These communities, equipped with hydrogen-powered microgrids—provided by BrightBuilds smart homes that will not only help the homes operate better but also provide community visibility to what matters to them. I agree that cost is an issue to which we at Brightbuild hope to do it in 10-15 home offsite manufactured blocks and follow the traditional business model with a digital infusion and collaboration with other renewable sources and independent power producers such as hygrid, tesla and others. This approach of empowerment could drastically reduce carbon emissions while ensuring a steady, clean power supply. That’s our vision: to build self-sufficient, net-zero communities with microgrids powered by renewables with visibility and control by the community.
EV charging from a normal socket at home with saved-up energy from SolarPV-Battery setup.
Smart lock on top of an existing old lock
A Message of Hope
Despite the magnitude of climate challenges, we should remain hopeful. Humanity has always shown remarkable resilience and adaptability. As Carl Sagan said, “We must save ourselves from ourselves.” No help will come from elsewhere; it’s up to us. The good news is that many individuals and organisations are already hard at work finding solutions. We must continue adapting, innovating, and building a future that embraces sustainable practices.
I’d love to hear your perspective: How do you define sustainability in today’s world? What steps are you taking, or would you like to take, to adapt to these changes?
A digital thread combined with a digital twin pushing meaningful data that matters to you
Moving Forward Together
Our goal at hygrid & BrightBuilds is to make sustainability not just a concept but a way of life. Let’s work together, leveraging our collective skills, to make this world a cleaner, healthier place. Let’s make it simple, actionable, and, most importantly, a reality.
