Automation as a Driver of Sustainable Development: Aligning Industrial Energy Use with National Climate Goals
This paper explores how industrial automation and digitalization enable U.S. climate goals with continued economic competitiveness. With targeted reductions of greenhouse gas emissions by 29-46% until 2030 compared to 2005, pioneering industrial energy management is key. Control and energy Save 10% -30 artificial control system design; real-time monitoring of smart process optimization, intelligent processes may also be optimized using Automation technology to minimize in the field of industrial systems. These systems take on significant inefficiencies, such as the running of equipment at non-production times and poor settings for process parameters. Digital enablement, such as IoT sensor data and predictive analytics, creates the data foundation for focused optimization activities and early issue identification. In high-energy-demand industries like steel, aluminum, and cement production, it allows for optimization of the combustion process and reduction of waste heat, as well as integration with renewable sources. Case studies have shown that automation cuts greenhouse gas emissions by 42%, energy usage by 20%, and boosts production by 16% – demonstrating a counter-intuitive reality where private sector profitability is consistent with public policy on the environment. With more than 8,000 companies worldwide pledging to reach net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 and American leadership in automation innovation, the nation is well-positioned to support mitigation strategies. The intersection of automation, digitalization, and sustainability is a technical challenge as well as an opportunity for U.S. industrial leadership to contribute to important environmental challenges.
