Three companies that are changing our world
What would the world be like without the technological changes we have seen in recent decades? Disruptive innovations have created significant value and wealth. "Profits are the premiums paid for innovation in a capitalist society," wrote the famous national economist Joseph Schumpeter back in 1939, in his book "Business Cycles." Today, we would agree that the major trends of the future offer enormous potential for society and for investors.
However, it is not easy to identify those technologies and services that will replace the old and change our lives completely. Disruption is by no means limited to the tech sector. We present three examples that illustrate this.
The revolution of seawater desalination
Have you ever heard of Energy Recovery? Headquartered in sun-drenched San Francisco Bay, the company is a global leader in energy recovery. It is considered a hub for technical innovation. It focuses on designing and manufacturing solutions that reduce waste, improve operational efficiency and lower production costs for clean water as well as oil and gas. What began as a breakthrough invention for water desalination has evolved into a global business. Energy Recovery's water desalination processes save customers $2 billion in energy costs year after year. The patented "VorTeq" technology for the oil and gas industry, currently in development, is expected to deliver significant savings by protecting pumps from erosion and reducing equipment failures that often occur during well completion.
Energy Recovery takes disruption literally. "Our PX Pressure Exchanger is a breakthrough process that has revolutionized reverse osmosis seawater desalination and reduced energy costs by up to 60%. It is now the most widely used reverse osmosis energy recovery solution, with installations in desalination plants on all seven continents," the company said. Through their water supply solutions, the Californians are helping to eliminate the global shortage of this precious commodity, while avoiding more than 12.4 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year. This is the equivalent of taking more than 2.5 million cars off the road.
In line with Energy Recovery's strategy, the company has been committed to providing efficient and sustainable products to its customers since its inception. To underscore its commitment to responsible corporate governance and transparency, the company published its first ESG report last year.
Using the power of the sun
The second company that has what it takes to turn our world around is active in the field of solar technology and - how could it be any different when it comes to sun - is also based in California. With 550,000 customers, Sunrun is one of the leading providers of residential solar, storage and energy services in the United States. Total solar capacity provided reached 3,885 megawatts at the end of December 2020, with new systems being installed every two minutes. Founded in 2007, the company's vision is nothing less than the creation of a planet powered by the sun.