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Ask HN: What is the business opportunity of climate change for startups?

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Re: Ask HN: What is the business opportunity of climate change for startups?

#11

Post by diafygi »

I'm in a climate change startup, and here's how I look at it: 87% of the energy sources we use are fossil-based[1] and will need to be replaced with non-fossil alternatives in the next 30 years. That's trillions of dollars worth of infrastructure and technology growth opportunity for clean energy and energy efficiency[2]. The next Google will be an energy company[3].

To answer your question more specifically, in order to actually pull the 87% energy transition off, clean energy sources face huge financial and engineering challenges. This presents a lot of business opportunities for tech startups that can improve efficiencies for those clean energy companies. Energy efficiency, electric self-driving vehicles, solar, wind, nuclear, geothermal, public transit, etc. all need to grow by 100x in 30 years, and a huge chunk of that growth will be software driven.

The advanced energy industry is already a $1.4 trillion industry (larger than airlines and fashion industries)[4]. So there is, right now, a ton of market size for climate change tech, and it will grow by several orders of magnitude over the next few decades. Now is one of those rare moments where you can save the planet and have a business model.

For example, my startup is a SaaS company that is used by tons of distributed clean energy resources to smooth out the process of collecting energy data for feasibility analyses. We shave about 5-10% off the installed cost of energy audits and distributed solar, and make money doing it.

So if you're interested in doing tech startup in climate change. Do it! We need all the help we can get. If you're interested in the Bay Area professional clean energy scene, check out the calendar https://bayareaenergyevents.com/ (I run it) and start showing up to stuff!

[1]: https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=11951

[2]: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97...

[3]: http://www.pvsolarreport.com/the-next-internet/

[4]: http://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2016/03/advanced-energy...

Re: Ask HN: What is the business opportunity of climate change for startups?

#12

Post by cdoelling »

This from Peter Wadhams, one of the first people to discover the shrinkage of the ice caps.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/aug/21/arctic-w...

"As far as I can see, it will have to take the form of some sort of device into which you pump air at one end and you get air without carbon dioxide coming out the other end. It can be done, I am sure, but at the moment we do not have such a device. However, without something like that I cannot see how we are going to deal with the carbon dioxide that is getting into the atmosphere. We are going to have to rely on a technology that has not yet been developed. That is a measure of the troubles that lie ahead for us. I think humanity can do it, but I would feel much better if I saw governments investing in such technology."

Re: Ask HN: What is the business opportunity of climate change for startups?

#13

Post by ThomPete »

diafygi wrote: post #11

I'm in a climate change startup, and here's how I look at it: 87% of the energy sources we use are fossil-based[1] and will need to be replaced with non-fossil alternatives in the next 30 years. That's trillions of dollars worth of infrastructure and technology growth opportunity for clean energy and energy efficiency[2]. The next Google will be an energy company[3]. To answer your question more specifically, in orde…

Amazing! Thank you so much for taking the time to write this.

Great to see some of the thinking that goes into the industry. and your company is exactly the kind of companies I was thinking when it comes to software.

Very interesting stuff and best of luck (You could use some help with the design though ;) so much potential to visualize and do interface work there)

I am in NY so Bay Area is only when I have meetings.

Re: Ask HN: What is the business opportunity of climate change for startups?

#14

Post by ThomPete »

cdoelling wrote: post #12

This from Peter Wadhams, one of the first people to discover the shrinkage of the ice caps. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/aug/21/arctic-w... "As far as I can see, it will have to take the form of some sort of device into which you pump air at one end and you get air without carbon dioxide coming out the other end. It can be done, I am sure, but at the moment we do not have such a device. However, witho…

No one investing in this?

Re: Ask HN: What is the business opportunity of climate change for startups?

#15

Post by logiclabs »

cdoelling wrote: post #12

This from Peter Wadhams, one of the first people to discover the shrinkage of the ice caps. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/aug/21/arctic-w... "As far as I can see, it will have to take the form of some sort of device into which you pump air at one end and you get air without carbon dioxide coming out the other end. It can be done, I am sure, but at the moment we do not have such a device. However, witho…

This device, isn't it basically a plant? :-)

Seriously though, microalgae carbon capture sounds like it was a good way forward.

http://bioscience.oxfordjournals.org/content/60/9/722.full

Re: Ask HN: What is the business opportunity of climate change for startups?

#16

Post by TillE »

ThomPete wrote: post #14
cdoelling wrote: post #12

This from Peter Wadhams, one of the first people to discover the shrinkage of the ice caps. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/aug/21/arctic-w... "As far as I can see, it will have to take the form of some sort of device into which you pump air at one end and you get air without carbon dioxide coming out the other end. It can be done, I am sure, but at the moment we do not have such a device. However, witho…

No one investing in this?

Why would they? Where's the profit?

Capitalism (even hip tech startup capitalism) can't solve all problems, particularly not the tragedy of the commons on a global scale.

Re: Ask HN: What is the business opportunity of climate change for startups?

#17

Post by ThomPete »

TillE wrote: post #16
ThomPete wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No one investing in this?

Why would they? Where's the profit? Capitalism (even hip tech startup capitalism) can't solve all problems, particularly not the tragedy of the commons on a global scale.

The profit is in the same place as weapon or rockets? Governments.

Re: Ask HN: What is the business opportunity of climate change for startups?

#18

Post by anentropic »

baron816 wrote: post #4

The biggest problems brought on by climate change will be 1) water shortages 2) crop failure and 3) flooding of low-lying areas, probably in that order. The "solutions" for 1 and 2 (water desalination and vertical farming) are being worked on by plenty of organizations. A few are also working on fast and efficient construction of housing, but I think that's where the biggest business opportunity lies. People are goin…

hasn't that been true forever though?

isn't the problem that these people can't afford even cheap housing, and no one is buying it for them?

these are already current social problems and don't appear to be enough of a business opportunity to be getting solved by capitalism

Re: Ask HN: What is the business opportunity of climate change for startups?

#19

Post by ThomPete »

anentropic wrote: post #18
baron816 wrote: post #4

The biggest problems brought on by climate change will be 1) water shortages 2) crop failure and 3) flooding of low-lying areas, probably in that order. The "solutions" for 1 and 2 (water desalination and vertical farming) are being worked on by plenty of organizations. A few are also working on fast and efficient construction of housing, but I think that's where the biggest business opportunity lies. People are goin…

hasn't that been true forever though? isn't the problem that these people can't afford even cheap housing, and no one is buying it for them? these are already current social problems and don't appear to be enough of a business opportunity to be getting solved by capitalism

I think the point is that access to clean water wont just be a problem for the poorest.

Re: Ask HN: What is the business opportunity of climate change for startups?

#20

Post by baron816 »

anentropic wrote: post #18
baron816 wrote: post #4

The biggest problems brought on by climate change will be 1) water shortages 2) crop failure and 3) flooding of low-lying areas, probably in that order. The "solutions" for 1 and 2 (water desalination and vertical farming) are being worked on by plenty of organizations. A few are also working on fast and efficient construction of housing, but I think that's where the biggest business opportunity lies. People are goin…

hasn't that been true forever though? isn't the problem that these people can't afford even cheap housing, and no one is buying it for them? these are already current social problems and don't appear to be enough of a business opportunity to be getting solved by capitalism

I'm not really talking about the poorest of the poor who don't have any skills, although I'm sure there are plenty NGOs who are interested in finding cheap housing solutions for them. I'm talking about those who are emerging from poverty and have found a place in the economy. Climate change will pull them back down into poverty if the place they've settled in is flooded, or no longer has access to clean water, or can't grow enough food.

Climate change isn't going to just affect the poor, it will affect the rich too--people who live in places like Southern Florida and New York City. If thousands or millions of those people get displaced, they're going to want to find a decent place to live quickly, and will have funds (either savings, insurance, or from government aid) to afford it.

And you're also forgetting the #1 rule of economics, lowering the price for something means more people can afford it. There is a price point where everyone can afford housing, it's just that for many that point is very near zero. Still, the closer you get to zero, the more people fall under that umbrella of being able to afford it.

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